Finlayson.....

[Anne H]

Hi Rachel,

Thanks for offering to look through your Finlayson records. I too am a Scot in exile for about 30 years now and don’t know if any of my Finlayson’s would have made it to U.S. shores. The information I have is very scant but here’s what I have…

Kirk Sessions in Stirling
Janet Finlayson from Larbert and Robert Hog from Dunnipace had an illegitimate child Peter Hog/Hogg dob 5 Jan 1793. Janet and Robert never married (he was already married to someone else at the time)
I don’t know her parents names but they were alive at that time. She had at least one brother, George and a sister (don’t know the sister’s name). Her father worked with “stones; Janet was employed as a servant at an Inn for a James Walker and his wife Marrion Balloch. She seems to have lived with them although her parent’s house seems to have been close by.

I had estimated Janet’s dob to be somewhere around 1773 – 1777 but the 1841 census doesn’t agree.

1841 Census – Larbert Village
George Finlayson Grinder 50
Janet Finlayson 60
James Hogg 20 (Janet’s grandson by son Peter’s first wife – he had another son John)

I haven’t seen this Census but apparently a “Y” was checked as being born in the county but unfortunately, I haven’t been able to find a Janet or a George Finlayson born in Larbert to the same parents that would fit with the ages…of course, Mr. Finlayson could have had more than one wife!

There were only three Janet's and two George's that I could find in the whole of Larbert for periods from 1553 to 1854, the dates for Janet were 1798, 1806 and 1845; the dates for George were 1817 and 1853, both with the same parents, George Finlayson/Mary Ferrier, but since Janet’s son Peter Hogg was born in 1793 this obviously wasn’t the right family.

I then searched the whole of Scotland from 1754 to 1785 and found 24 for Janet. I also found 25 for George from 1740 to 1808. The ages are a bit out again but there was a Janet Finlayson dob 18 April 1777 and George Finlayson dob 24 March 1781 born to John Finlayson and Elspet Creach in Thurso. There was also a George born on 10 April 1783 to John Finlayson/Elizabeth Creach, again in Thurso…this is probably the same family.

Trying to fit this family in with my Janet and George I hoped the Scottish naming pattern would help and further research found the following children to John Finlayson and Elspet Creach, all of Thurso, Caithness...Donald Finlayson, Born/Christened: 30 Sep 1771; Isabel Finlayson - 8 Jan 1774; Janet Finlayson - 18 April 1777; John Finlayson - 23 Jun 1778; George Finlayson - 24 Mar 1781. All of these names are also in the Hogg line except for Donald so maybe I'm way off with this thought. I haven’t tried to track this family back to Larbert as yet, so who knows if I’m anywhere close.

Sorry this is so long winded and it would be wonderful if any of this tied in with the records you have.

Regards,
Anne

(Note: Post moved here to more appropriate forum - Moderator)

[Rachel]

Hello Anne, don't think any of my Finlaysons tie up with yours, but never say never. Although most of my Finlaysons were found in Glasgow 1790 on I don't think they originated there. I have several Janets and Johns but the first name thread is mostly Archibald with Biggar connections and that is in Lanarkshire. I will keep searching and hope to come up with something that will help. Have you tried LDS? they have been very helpful to me with my Finlaysons.
Just a wee longshot. I have found many Finlaysons in England the London area some of them mine from about 1850. I used 1837 online and British origins. Good luck.
Rachel

[Anne H]

Hi Rachel,

Many thanks for checking your records. Some of the information I have came from LDS online. I think I'll go to the LDS centre and order the films...that might prove more fruitfull since I don't have a lot of information to go on, then I'll try the English side. Again, many thanks.

Regards,
AnneH

[maggiehill]

Rachel
My Finlaysons were in Biggar in the 1820 1850 time. My ggrandmother was Margaret Finlayson with bros and sisters named Peter, Marion, James, Archibald, Dixon, Janet and Grace. There parents were Archibald Filayson born Skirling 1798 and Janet Marchbanks born Crawfordjohn 1794. Is your familt the same. Most of them moved to West Linton

Maggie

[Rachel]

maggiehill has some Finlaysons that have same first names to some of mine. Don't think they are though as my Archibalds were born in Glasgow and Chelsea. Margaret and Janet's parents were Archibald and Margaret Graham Davidson married 1816 their other children were,Robert,Jean,Archibald Agnes and John. Still trying to confirm the Biggar connections.
rachel

[Anne H]

Hi Maggie,

As you can see from my original post, the only information I have on my Finlayson's is very sparce. Do you happen to know if any of your Finlayson's were from Larbert in Stirling? I notice you have a Peter in your line and am hoping there might be a connection somewhere.

Regards,
Anne

[Anne H]

Hi Rachel,

Many thanks for pointing out Maggie's post...I've been a little behind on my follow-ups lately.

Regards,
Anne

[newlabeluk]

Annie, don't forget that they were terrible at ages and sometimes rounded them up or down to nearest decade. so 6o could be 57

[maggiehill]

AnneH

My Finlaysons are from Skirling, Peter Finlayson married Janet Dickson Sept 1797 in Skirling. A son Archibald (my gggdad) was born 11 Feb 1798 at Knockend Skirling. They moved to Biggar and the children moved to West Linton.

Maggie

[maggiehill]

Rachel and Anne

I came across this thread looking through my old posts.
My Peter Finlayson who married Janet Dickson on 8 Sept 1797 was born 22 Nov 1772 at Barony to Thomas Finlayson and Isabald Davidson.
Their children's birth order was Andrew, Thomas, James, William, Jean, Robert and Peter.