John Finlaison
John Finlaison (1783–1860) was a Scottish civil servant, government actuary and the first president of the Institute of Actuaries.
John was born under the name Finlayson, however, was better known under the name of Finlaison.
John Finlaison, eldest son of Donald Finlayson and Isabella Sutherland, was born in Thurso, Caithness on 27 August 1783.
His father died from an attack of brain fever on 28 November 1790, at the early age of twenty-nine, leaving his mother a widow, with three children John (seven years), Christian (three years) and William (four months old).
At the age of fifteen he was removed from school and apprenticed to Mr Donald Robeson, a writer [solicitor] in the town of Thurso, Scotland. Through his apprenticeship, John acquired a considerable amount of professional knowledge and learned about regular business habits.
John had a passion for reading at a young age. Much of his leisure hours were devoted to reading, however, during this period in Thurso, books were scarce and expensive. There was no circulating library in the town and, if there were, these were private libraries among the upper classes. Under these circumstances John made the acquaintance of a baker, whose brother was connected with Mackay’s circulating library in Edinburgh. The baker organised for boxes of books to be brought to Thurso, which was to John's delight.
In 1802 John was appointed factor for Sir Benjamin Dunbar (afterwards Lord Duffus) at Ackergill in Scotland. The young pupil showed great quickness and aptitude for instruction and soon became a favourite with his teacher.
Sir Bunbar's whole estates along with the Lord of Caithness was entrusted to John's management when he was only nineteen years of age.
He held this appointment as factor for about twelve months and in August 1804, proceeded to Edinburgh in Scotland where he obtained a clerkship in the office of Mr Glen, a writer to the Signet. It is here in the south of Scotland where John is thought to have begun signing his name as Finlaison.
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