James Barnston (July 3, 1831 – May 20, 1858), a son of HBC fur trader George Barnston, was born at Norway House (Man.), and trained as a physician at the University of Edinburgh. He obtained an M.D. presenting a thesis ''Observations on scarlatina''. Barnston had a love of natural history from his father's influence and this was nurtured while studying medicine. He returned to Canada in 1853 and practiced medicine in Montreal where he also actively continued his botanical pursuits. He promoted the founding of a chair in natural history at

McGill University McGill University (french: link=no, Université McGill) is an English-language public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter granted by King George IV,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill Universit ...

and became the first professor of botany at that institution. He became ill at the end of his first course of lectures and never recovered, dying in his 26th year.

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* 1831 births 1858 deaths 19th-century Canadian physicians People from Northern Region, Manitoba {{Canada-med-bio-stub