Francis Dalzell Finlay facts for kids

Francis Dalzell Finlay (1793–1857) was an important Irish journalist and printer. He was known for starting a newspaper called The Northern Whig.

Francis was born in Newtownards, County Down, Ireland, on July 12, 1793. His father, John Finlay, was a farmer. Francis began his career as a printer's apprentice in Belfast. By 1820, he had become a master printer. The books and papers he printed were known for being very accurate and well-made. They were much better than other printed materials in Ireland at that time.

Starting a Newspaper: The Northern Whig

In 1824, Francis Finlay started his own newspaper, The Northern Whig. At that time, supporting liberal ideas was not popular in Ulster. Liberalism means believing in freedom and equal rights for all people. Because of his newspaper's views, Finlay often faced legal trouble for what he published.

Facing Legal Challenges

On July 21, 1826, Francis was taken to court. He was accused of publishing an article in The Northern Whig that criticized a landlord. The article was a letter from a farmer. It said that the landlord's supposed improvements were not good. It also said the landlord liked to argue a lot. Francis Finlay was sent to prison for three months. Because of this, The Northern Whig stopped printing from August 1826 until May 1827.

Fighting for Rights

From the very beginning, Finlay used his newspaper to support important causes. He believed that Roman Catholics should have the same rights as everyone else. This was called Catholic Emancipation.

The Northern Whig also published ideas from William Sharman Crawford. Crawford wrote about "tenant-right." This was a big idea that helped farmers have more secure rights to the land they rented.

In 1830, Finlay faced another legal case for criticizing a powerful agent. This case was dropped when a famous lawyer, Daniel O'Connell, offered to defend Finlay. In 1832, Finlay was found guilty again for similar reasons. He was sent to prison for three months and had to pay a fine.

Despite these challenges, The Northern Whig kept publishing strong opinions. This often led to more legal costs for Finlay.

Supporting Key Reforms

Through his newspaper, Francis Finlay strongly supported several important changes:

• More people voting: He wanted more people to have the right to vote.
• Irish Church reform: He supported changing the official church in Ireland.
• Land law changes: He wanted fairer laws about land ownership.

Although he was a friend of Daniel O'Connell, Finlay did not support the movement to end the union between Ireland and Great Britain. He also opposed later movements like "Young Irelandism" and the protests led by Smith O'Brien.

Mark Twain's Visit

The Finlay family was well-known. They even hosted the famous American author Mark Twain when he visited Ulster.

Francis Finlay's Death

Francis Dalzell Finlay passed away on September 10, 1857. He left The Northern Whig newspaper to his younger son, Francis Dalzell Finlay. His son continued to run the paper until 1874. After that, a company took over the newspaper.

In 1830, Francis Finlay married Marianne Porter. She was the daughter of a minister named Rev. William Porter. Their elder son was named William Porter Finlay. Francis Finlay is buried in Clifton Street Cemetery in Belfast.