David White Finlay Finlay was born on 1 September 1840 to James Finlay (died 13/5/1849) and Isabella White. He had 4 brothers, John (1830-1854), Alexander (1833-1895), James (1836-1910) and William Neilson (1842-1903). John died aged 23 in Malta when on a trip to the Holy Land. Alexander was a Seascape Painter. James was a GP in Helensburgh when A J Cronin (writer of Dr. Finlay's Casbook) was in his youth in Helensburgh. In Aug 1878 in Marylebone, London David married Catherine Mary Thompson, daughter of the shipowner, Stephen Thompson. They had four sons and four daughters viz. Ronald Stephen (1879-1884), Brenda Mary (1880-1952),
Kirkman Finlay who have helped to make Glasgow. He built Castle Toward on the Cowal peninsula as his country home. Finlay was educated at the Glasgow Grammar School and briefly studied at the University of Glasgow and was elected its Rector in 1819. In 1820, unfounded rumours spread around the university that he was building up a motion to disallow student voting at rectorial elections. In the resulting student campaign Finlay was defeated in the re-election by Francis Jeffrey. He however later served as Dean of Faculties between 1839 and 1840. Finlay's nephew George Finlay was a noted historian and philhellene. Kirkman