James Finn

For the First World War VC recipient, see James Fynn.

James Finn (1806–1872)^[1] was a British Consul in Jerusalem, in the then Ottoman Empire (1846–1863).^[2]

James Finn
Born	(1806-07-13)13 July 1806
Died	29 August 1872(1872-08-29) (aged 66)
Resting place	Wimbledon, London
Occupations	UK consul in Jerusalem, writer
Years active	1846–1863
Known for	Writings about Palestine
Spouse	Elizabeth Anne Finn
Children	Alexander 'Guy Fawkes' Finn, 1847 Constance Finn, 1851 Arthur Henry Finn, 1854

Biography

James Finn arrived in Palestine 1845 with his wife Elizabeth Anne Finn. Finn was a devout Christian who belonged to the London Society for Promoting Christianity Amongst the Jews, although he did not engage in missionary work during his years in Jerusalem.

James Finn at the entrance to Abraham's Vineyard (Kerem Avraham)

Finn was a great believer in productivity, an ideology very much in vogue at the time. In 1853^{[dubious – discuss]} purchased for £250 Karm al-Khalil (Arabic for "Abraham's Vineyard", lit. "vineyard of the loved one", which in Hebrew became Kerem Avraham) a barren piece of land outside the walls of the Old City.

On this land, Finn established an agricultural training farm for Jews. The idea was providing the means for them to become productive citizens. In 1855, he employed Jewish labourers to build a home for himself there, now located in Jerusalem's Geula neighborhood.^[3] It was the third building constructed outside the walls of the Old City.^[4] Finn also built cisterns for water storage and a soap factory that produced high quality soap sold to tourists.

Finn also helped establish an experimental farm for poverty-stricken Jews from Jerusalem in the village of Artas outside Bethlehem.

Consular career

Finn was removed from his post in 1863. His superiors believed he had become too personally involved in local affairs. His insolvency and clashes with Samuel Gobat, the Protestant Bishop of Jerusalem, also contributed to his removal.^[5][6]

Books (partial list)

By James Finn

In chronological order of the first publication.

• The Jews in China, London: Wertheim, 1843. -University of Hong Kong Libraries, Digital Initiatives, China Through Western Eyes
• Byeways in Palestine, London 1868, 482pp.
  • Byeways in Palestine, Adamant Media, Boston, 2002 reprint of the London 1868 original. 482pp. ISBN 1-4021-9272-X
• The Orphan Colony of Jews in China. Containing a letter received from themselves, with the latest information concerning them. London: James Nisbet, 1872.
• Stirring Times: Or Records from Jerusalem Consular Chronicles of 1853 to 1856., Edited by Elizabeth Anne Finn. vol. 1. London 1878. The full text, archive.org, Original: Harvard. Can download PDF.
  • alternative: the full text, archive.org, original: University of Michigan. Can download PDF.
• Stirring Times: Or Records from Jerusalem Consular Chronicles of 1853 to 1856., Edited by Elizabeth Anne Finn. vol. 2. London 1878. The full text, archive.org, Original: Harvard. Can download PDF.
  • alternative: the full text, archive.org, original: University of Michigan. Can download PDF.

By Elizabeth Anne McCaul Finn

• A Home in the Holy Land. A tale illustrating customs and incidents in modern Jerusalem. Adamant Media, Boston, 2002 reprint of the London 1866 original. ISBN 978-1-4021-1768-8
• A Third Year in Jerusalem. A tale illustrating customs and incidents of modern Jerusalem; or, a sequel to "Home in the Holy Land". Adamant Media, Boston, 2002 reprint of the London 1869 original. ISBN 978-1-4021-1053-5

See also

• Saint George Interfaith shrine
• Motza, History
• Kerem Avraham
• Bayt 'Itab