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James L'Amy of Dunkenny (8 July 1772- 15 January 1854) was a Scottish advocate and amateur
L'Amy was born on 8 July 1772 the son of Agnes (née) Hamilton and John Ramsay L'Amy of Dunkenny, Forfarshire. His older sister was the Scottish poet Agnes Lyon. He studied law and qualified as an advocate in 1794.
In the 1820s he was living at 27 Northumberland Street next to the "father of phrenology" and fellow-lawyer,
phrenologist
Phrenology () is a pseudoscience which involves the measurement of bumps on the skull to predict mental traits.Wihe, J. V. (2002). "Science and Pseudoscience: A Primer in Critical Thinking." In ''Encyclopedia of Pseudoscience'', pp. 195–203. C ...
. He served as Sheriff of Forfar from 1819 until death.
Life
L'Amy was born on 8 July 1772 the son of Agnes (née) Hamilton and John Ramsay L'Amy of Dunkenny, Forfarshire. His older sister was the Scottish poet Agnes Lyon. He studied law and qualified as an advocate in 1794.
In the 1820s he was living at 27 Northumberland Street next to the "father of phrenology" and fellow-lawyer, George Combe
George Combe (21 October 1788 – 14 August 1858) was a trained Scottish lawyer and a spokesman of the phrenological movement for over 20 years. He founded the Edinburgh Phrenological Society in 1820 and wrote a noted study, ''The Constitution o ...
, at 25 Northumberland Street. Combe may have introduced L'Amy to phrenological thinking.
In 1830 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. His proposer was George Augustus Borthwick. He was Vice President of the Royal Scottish Society of Arts
The Royal Scottish Society of Arts is a learned society in Scotland, dedicated to the study of science and technology. It was founded as The Society for the Encouragement of the Useful Arts in Scotland by Sir David Brewster in 1821 and dedicated ...
.
In 1852 he is listed as a director of the Scottish Naval and Military Academy
The Scottish Naval and Military Academy in Edinburgh was a school opened on 8 November 1825 and closed in 1869. It catered mostly to young gentlemen intending a career with the Army, Navy or, especially, the forces of the East India Company.
In 18 ...
on Lothian Road, Edinburgh.Edinburgh Post Office Directory 1852
He died on 15 January 1854 in Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...
and is buried with his wife and family in Greyfriars Kirkyard
Greyfriars Kirkyard is the graveyard surrounding Greyfriars Kirk in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is located at the southern edge of the Old Town, adjacent to George Heriot's School. Burials have been taking place since the late 16th century, and a num ...
. The grave stands at the top end of the western extension facing the eastern gate into George Heriot's School
George Heriot's School is a Scottish independent primary and secondary day school on Lauriston Place in the Old Town of Edinburgh, Scotland. In the early 21st century, it has more than 1600 pupils, 155 teaching staff, and 80 non-teaching staff. ...
.
Family
In 1811 he married Mary Carson (d.1835). Their children included John Ramsay L'Amy (1813-1892).References
1771 births 1854 deaths Scottish lawyers Phrenologists Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh Burials at Greyfriars Kirkyard Scottish sheriffs {{Scotland-bio-stub