He was born at the family seat of Eastwell Park and the third son of George Finch-Hatton, 10th Earl of Winchilsea (1791–1858) and his third wife Frances Margaretta Rice (1820–1909).

His maternal grandparents were Edward Royd Rice, British MP for Dover from 1847 to 1857, and the former Elizabeth Knight daughter of Edward Austen Knight, brother of Jane Austen[1] He was educated at Eton and matriculated at Balliol College, Oxford in 1874, although he remained at the university for only one year.

[1] His brother Harold Finch-Hatton joined him in Queensland, settling in the Mackay area from 1875 to 1883 and wrote an account of his experiences, entitled "Advance Australia".

[3] On 12 January 1882 at St Peter's Church, Eaton Square, he married Anne Jane Codrington[4] (died 20 June 1924), daughter of Admiral Sir Henry Codrington and Helen Jane Smith.

Together they had three children:[1] He died in London on 14 August 1927 at the age of 74 and was buried at Ewerby, Lincolnshire.