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),
Dr. Finlay know them from birth to death and so provide a continuous relationship. The works would later be collected and republished under several titles, including "Adventures of a Black Bag", "Dr. Finlay of Tannochbrae", "Further Adventures of a Country Doctor" and "Dr. Finlay's Casebook". The stories were used as the basis of the long-running BBC television programme "Dr. Finlay's Casebook", screened from 1962 to 1971, and radio series of the same name (1970–78). For these productions, the main character was rechristened Dr. Alec Finley, played by Bill Simpson, and made a newly-joined junior partner in the Tannochbrae practice of craggy senior