Findlay families of Leith, London and South Africa
Pam Griffiths
Alexander Findlay and his son Alexander George Findlay both belonged to the Royal Geographical Society, Alexander as a founder member and Alexander George as a prominent hydrographer of his day. The accompanying account, The Findlays of Leith and London and their Kettle Descendants, follows their lives in detail and takes the family's history back to its roots in Leith - in Midlothian in Scotland. It also follows Alexander's brothers and their descendants.
In Scotland, the trail encompasses Findlays and Donaldsons in Leith and Donaldsons and McIntyres in Kenmore and Weem in Perthshire. In England, Findlays in this line were to be found in Bermondsey and Camberwell in Surrey, Hayes in Kent, Clerkenwell, Pentonville, Holborn and Marylebone in London, Liverpool and Manchester in Lancashire, and Brentford, Hendon and Ealing in Middlesex. One branch went to South Africa and settled in Durban.
Various Findlays married spouses named Lumb, Kettle, Rutley, Edwards, Fuller, Mumme; Lavender, Hooper, Adams, Henry, Watson, Cattell, Biggs and Priest - among others - so there is also some reference to these families.
Three of Alexander's Kettle grandsons also became members of the FRGS, and their lives and those of their sisters are followed in detail.
Two versions of a tree showing Archibald Findlay's ancestors and descendants are available: Hourglass Tree of Archibald Findlay (single page), which can be navigated on-line, and Hourglass Tree of Archibald Findlay (multiple pages), which can be printed more easily.
Recent research has found a probable origin for the elusive Lumb family and their connection to Wellards in Canterbury. This has now been confirmed by DNA testing. An appendix covering this can be found at Sarah Lumb's Family.
If you do not have a copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader, it is available for free download here.