James Finlay Weir Johnston

James Finlay Weir Johnston, FRS FRSE (13 September 1796 – 18 September 1855) was a Scottish agricultural chemist^[1] and mineralogist.

James F W Johnston

Life

Born in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Johnston was educated at University of Glasgow, where he studied Theology and graduated MA.

Johnston founded a grammar school in Durham in 1825,^[2] which later merged with other local schools, such as Brandon and Bowburn, to form a single comprehensive school for the area, named Durham Johnston Comprehensive School, preserving James Finlay Weir Johnston's name.^[1]

He acquired a fortune at the time of his marriage in 1830, and was able to devote himself to studying chemistry. He visited the chemist J. J. Berzelius in Sweden and was a co-founder of the British Association for the Advancement of Science.^[3]

In 1832 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, his proposer being Thomas Charles Hope. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of London in 1837.^[4]

He was appointed reader in Chemistry and Mineralogy at Durham University on its foundation in 1833, but continued to reside in Edinburgh out of term.^[2] From 1847, his assistant was Augustus Voelcker who also lectured in agricultural chemistry at Durham University.^[5]

In 1849 the Assembly of New Brunswick contracted Johnston to survey and report on potential development.^[6] In his Notes on North America, Johnston reported that the Provincial soils were more productive than those of New York or Ohio.

Johnston died in Durham on 18 September 1855.^[1] He is buried in the churchyard at St. Bartholomew's church in Sunderland Bridge near Croxdale. Choosing to be buried in a country churchyard rather than in Durham City to avoid polluting drinking water drawn from local springs in the city as his body decayed.^[7]

Works

Johnston's works are available through Internet Archive:

• 1845: Catechism of Agricultural Chemistry and Geology
• 1851: Notes on North America: agricultural, economical and social, volume 1
• 1851: Notes on North America: agricultural, economical and social, volume 2
• 1855: Chemistry of Common Life, volume 1, first edition
• 1855: Chemistry of Common Life, volume 2, first edition

Family

In 1830 he married the daughter of Thomas Ridley of Durham.^[6]