FINCHAM, John. Master shipwright of Portsmouth dockyard 2 Oct. 1844 to 2 July 1852; superintendent of school of naval architecture Portsmouth; built the celebrated “Arrogant” the first screw frigate in the British navy 1850; author of A history of naval architecture 1851; A treatise on masting ships 1854. d. Highland lodge near Portsmouth 15 Dec. 1859 aged 74.
FINDEN, Edward Francis. b. 1791; pupil and coadjutor of William Finden sharing his successes and fortunes; among his separate works were etchings for Duppa’s Miscellaneous Opinions on the Continent 1825 and Illustrations of the Vaudois 1831; illustrator of annuals, books of beauty and other sentimental works; among his separate engravings were Gainsborough’s Harvest Waggon, Collins’ As Happy as a King, Westall’s Princess Victoria. d. St. John’s Wood, London 9 Feb. 1857 aged 65.
FINDEN, William (brother of the preceding). b. 1787; apprentice to James Mitan engraver; he worked chiefly in conjunction with his brother E. F. Finden; made engravings illustrating the books published by Sharpe, Sutton and others; established a school of pupils who worked under their directions and executed much of the work which goes by their name, they themselves giving the finishing touches; produced illustrations to H. Ellis’ ed. of Dugdale’s History of St. Paul’s 1818 and Dibdin’s Ædes Althorpianæ 1822; with his brother engraved Elgin marbles for British museum; published on their own account the illustrations to Moore’s Life and works of Byron 1833; brought out The Royal Gallery of British Art 1838–1840, Nos. 1–15, an admirable work in which they lost all their money; engraved full length portrait of George iv, after Sir T. Lawrence and other important single works; the Crucifixion, after W. Hilton, Finden’s last work was purchased by Art Union for £1470. d. 49 Camden st. Camden Town 20 Sep. 1852 in 65 year. bur. Highgate.
FINDLATER, Andrew. b. Aberdour, Aberdeenshire 1810; educ. Aberdeen univ. LLD. 1864; sch. master at Tillydesk; head master Gordon’s hospital, Aberdeen; commenced a life long connection with W. and R. Chambers 1853; edited Information for the People 1857; Chambers’s Encyclopædia 1860; prepared for the Educational Course, manuals on language, astronomy, physical geography and physiography, edited their Etymological Dictionary 1882; contributed an essay on Epicurus to Encyclopædia Metropolitana, and articles in the Scotsman. d. 15 Rillbank terrace, Edinburgh 1 Jany. 1885. London Figaro 17 Jany. 1885 p. 4, portrait.
FINDLAY, Alexander. Entered the army as private; ensign 2 West India regiment 27 July 1814, captain 24 Oct. 1821 to 28 Dec. 1826; major royal African corps 28 Dec. 1826 to 19 March 1829 when placed on h.p.; governor of Sierra Leone; fort major at Fort George, Inverness, Feb. 1847 to death; K.H. 1836. d. Fort George 10 May 1851.
FINDLAY, Alexander George (son of Alexander Findlay b. London 1790, an original F.R.G.S. 1830, made an atlas sheet of environs of London 1829 to a distance of 32 miles from St. Paul’s ½ inch scale, d. 1870). b. London 9 Jany. 1812; geographer and hydrographer succeeding on death of John Purdy in 1843 to the first position in this business; produced six nautical directories invaluable to the maritime world; received Soc. of Arts medal for dissertation on the English lighthouse system; F.R.G.S. 1844, member of Arctic committee and instrumental in government sending out Alert and Discovery expedition 1875; succeeded to Laurie’s geographical and print publishing business in 1858 and on dispersal of navigating business of Van Kenlen of Amsterdam in 1885 it became the oldest firm in Europe for charts and nautical works; foreign hon. memb. of Società Geografica Italiana 1870; author of A directory for the navigation of the Pacific Ocean 2 vols. 1851 and many other books. d. East Cliff, Dover 3 May 1875.
FINGALL, Arthur James Plunkett, 9 Earl of (only son of 8 Earl of Fingall 1759–1836). b. Geneva 29 March 1791; M.P. for co. Meath 1830–32; P.C. Ireland 1834; K.P. 12 Oct. 1846; lord lieut. of co. Meath 1849 to death. d. 47 Montagu sq. London 21 April 1869.
FINLAISON, John (son of Donald Finlaison d. 1790). b. Thurso, Caithness 27 Aug. 1783; factor to Sir B. Dunbar 1802; employed by board of naval revision London, July 1805, first clerk 1805–8, invented systems for reforming victualling department and arranging admiralty records 1809; keeper of records and librarian of admiralty 1809–22; compiled the original account of the enemy’s naval forces 1811; investigated abuse of sixpenny revenue at Greenwich hospital 1811; founded a system for the salaries in the admiralty 1813; compiled first official navy list 1814 and edited it monthly to 1821; his plan for fund for widows and orphans of civil department of navy established 17 Sep. 1819; connected with London Life Assurance Co. and other offices as actuary; made improvements on Northampton tables of mortality 1829; computed the annuity for the naval and military half pay and pensions, being the only person who could do it 1823; actuary and accountant of check department national debt office 1 Jany. 1822 to Aug. 1851; president of Institution of Actuaries 1847 to death. d. 15 Lansdowne crescent, Notting hill, London 13 April 1860. Assurance magazine, April 1862, 147–69; Walford’s Insurance cyclopædia iii, 300–303 (1874).
Note.—In 1833 he computed the duration of Slave and Creole life, with reference to the emancipation of slaves on the West Indian plantations, preliminary to raising a loan of £15,000,000 to compensate the slave owners, which was carried out and 770,280 slaves became free on 1 Aug. 1834.
FINLAY, Alexander Struthers. b. 21 July 1806; ed. at Harrow and Glasgow Univ.; M.P. for Argyllshire 1857–68; author of Our monetary system 1864. d. Castle Toward, Greenock 9 June 1886.