James Finlayson

James Finlayson, FRSE (15 February 1758 – 28 January 1808), was a minister in the Church of Scotland who served as Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland 1802/3. Life Finlayson was born the eldest son of William Finlayson on 15 February 1758, at Nether Cambushinnie Farm, near Kinbuck in the parish of Dunblane, Perthshire, where his ancestors had been settled for several centuries. He made rapid progress at school (first Kinbuck then Dunblane), and began his religious studies in the University of Glasgow at the age of 14. He held two tutorships, and subsequently became amanuensis to Professor Anderson, who had discovered his abilities. In 1782, he became domestic tutor to two sons of Sir William Murray of Ochtertyre. As the family spent the winter in Edinburgh, Finlayson continued his studies at the university. He was licensed to preach in 1785. In this year, the Duke of Atholl offered Finlayson a position as minister of Dunkeld, which he declined, as Sir William Murray had informed him that an arrangement had been proposed to procure for him the chair of logic in the University of Edinburgh. He was then offered a position as minister of Borthwick, near Edinburgh, of which parish he was ordained minister on 6 April 1787. He had assumed the duties of the logic professor in the winter session of 1786-7. In 1787 he was elected a Fellow of the newly formed Royal Society of Edinburgh. His proposers were John Hill and John Walker.