Thomas James Finlay 1835- 1867
Born in Long Houghton to school teachers. Became a Ships Engineer . His only child, born 1863, was orphaned by 1870
McMahon Ancestry tree has his death 1867 Bombay : this tree owned by Helen Roan- From Alastair :Helen is my cousin Linda’s daughter, granddaughter of Ellen (My Auntie Nelly), Helen lives down in Bath so not in regular contact and also has a elder sister Jenny living in Australia.
1835. Thomas James Finlay born on 22/6/1835 to William Finlay & Isabella Archbold . -d of b from his Navy record. Baptised 8/11/1835 in Longhoughton - FS
1841C.Thomas Finlay , 6, is living Longhoughton
| William | Finlay | Male | 40 | 1801 | schoolmaster Northumberland, | |
| Isabella | Finlay | Female | 45 | 1796 | Northumberland, England | |
| Mary | Finlay | Female | 15 | 1826 | Northumberland, England | |
| Isabella | Finlay | Female | 13 | 1828 | Northumberland, England | |
| Elizabeth | Finlay | Female | 11 | 1830 | Northumberland, England | |
| William | Finlay | Male | 9 | 1832 | Northumberland, England | |
| Thomas | Finlay | Male | 6 | 1835 | Northumberland, England |
1851C Thomas James Finlay, 16, is living School, East Side Alnwick
| William | Finlay | Head | Married | Male | 51 | 1800 | Schoolmaster | Birling, Northumberland, England | |
| Isabella | Finlay | Wife | Married | Female | 54 | 1797 | Schoolmaster | Alnwick, Northumberland, England | |
| Elizabeth | Finlay | Daughter | Unmarried | Female | 20 | 1831 | Schoolmaster | Longhoughton, Northumberland, England | |
| Thomas James | Finlay | Son | - | Male | 16 | 1835 | Scholar | Longhoughton, Northumberland, England |
1851. Maybe apprenticed (Indentured) in the Merchant Navy in April in Glasgow, as plain Thomas Finlay, aged 17 ( but he was not quite 16 at this time!. Also his Navy Record states he had not served at sea in 1859 )
1859. Thomas James Finlay joined the Navy. He served in the James Watt from 1859-1862, was zealous and attentive, conduct very good. His date of birth 22/6/1835
1862. 9/10/1862 Thomas J Finlay appointed 2nd class engineer to the Indus - Naval & Military Intelligence, Morning Post, FMP Newspapers
1862. Thomas J Finlay left the Navy at his own request on the 11/10/1862 . Did he not like his appointment as 2nd Engineer??
1862. Thomas James Finlay, engineer, marries Alice Shotton 16/12/1862 in Longhoughton . His father William Finlay, hers Edward Shotton - FMP
Thomas & Alice- courtesy of Alastair
Does anyone have the m.c. ?
20/12/1862 the Morpeth Herald reported the Wedding
“At Longhoughton 16inst by the Rev H Bell, Mr Thomas Finlay, chief engineer in one of His Majesty the Emperor of China’s Ships and Son of the late William Finlay, schoolmaster to Alice youngest daughter of Mr Edward Shotton, all of Longhoughton”
1863. 27/3/1863. Thomas J Finlay is Engineer on the Gunboat, Tientsin, 2 Guns & 65 men, ready for sea at Mr Laird's ( of Birkinhead) Establishment. Manned mainly by Devon & Cornish seamen, known to its captain, Commander Nicholas - Homeward Mail from India, China & the East, FMP Newspapers
1863. Daughter Margaret Isabella Findlay is born Alnwick Dec 1863
1867. Thomas James Finlay died in Mahatrastra, Bombay on 30/7/1867 . The obit in the Alnwick Mercury of 21/9/1867 reads: this not on FMP newspapers, info from Alastair
“At Bombay on the 30th July last aged 32 Mr Thomas James Finlay youngest son of the late Mr William Finlay of Longhoughton”
Slight discrepancy with the date as the Gravestone in Longhoughton for his parents has the inscription at the “Also Thomas Finlay their son who died on 5th July 1867 at Bombay”. The is grave does not appear on FindAgrave Longhoughton site - just that of his wife Alice , died 1870
I have searched the Fibis(Indian) site for mention of him- nothing
Does Alastair have more information on his death ??. And a picture of the Longhoughton grave, that of his parents with mention to his death??
"Now along with the photograph I have of him is another photograph of a ship which I have now identified as being of HMS James Watt. Obviously not one of the Emperor of China’s but I don’t what the connection is"- see above naval record: he served on the James Watt 1859-1862. .
1870. His wife Alice Finlay, dies 13/12/1870 Alnwick Dec 1870, stated age 34. Buried in Longhoughton Cemetery
Margaret Isabella Finlay, 7, is then brought up by her maternal grandparents in Longhoughton: she had probably already been living with her mother with them.