A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Finlaison, William
FINLAISON. (Commander, 1820. f-p., 17; h-p., 26.)
William Finlaison entered the Navy, 7 Oct. 1804, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Beagle sloop, Capts. John Burn, Geo. Digby, and Fras. Newcombe, on the Mediterranean station, where, from June, 1807, until Oct. 1809, he served, as Midshipman and Master’s Mate, in the Hydra 38, Capt. Geo. Mundy, Cephalus 18, Capt. Edw. Harvey, and Sabine, Capt. Peter Fisher. On 7 Aug. 1807, when in the Hydra, he assisted in her boats, under Lieut. Edw. O’Brien Drury, at the cutting out, after an hour’s cannonade, of three armed vessels from the harbour of Begu, on the coast of Catalonia, although opposed by a galling fire from the shore as well as from the shipping, whose force, in the whole, consisted of 32 guns and 210 men. Proceeding to the West Indies in 1809, Mr. Finlaison there served, until Aug. 1812, on board the Dannemark 74, Capt. Jas. Bissett, Orpheus 36, Capts. Robt. Preston and Hugh Pigot, Dragon 74, flag-ship of Sir Fras. Laforey, and Forester 16, Capt. Alex. Kennedy – of which latter vessel he appears to have been confirmed a Lieutenant 8 April, 1811. He then joined the Nimrod 16, Capts. Nath. Mitchell, Vincent Newton, and Geo. Hilton, on the North American station, where he continued until Feb. 1815. Being next appointed, 4 Nov. 1819, to the Tartar frigate. Commodore Sir Geo. Ralph Collier, he proceeded to the coast of Africa, and was there nominated Acting-Commander, 26 May, 1820, of the Morgiana sloop. While in that vessel, to which he was confirmed 9 Sept. 1820, he received a letter of thanks from the merchants of the English colony on the river Gambia, for the able manner in which he brought to an amicable conclusion the differences between the native chiefs and the British interests. He invalided home in 1822; was afterwards employed in the Coast Guard from 30 June, 1834, until the summer of 1837; and, during the year 1844, was Governor of Ascension and Commander of the Tortoise store-ship. He has since been unemployed. Agent – Joseph Woodhead.