James Maxwell Joass (1830–1914) was a Scottish minister remembered as a geologist, archaeologist and antiquarian. His multiple excavations often combined his geological and archaeological skills.

Life

Golspie - St Andrew's Church of Scotland - geograph

He was born in Tain, Ross-shire on 8 April 1830, the eldest son of John Joass, a guard on the

Inverness Inverness (; from the gd, Inbhir Nis , meaning "Mouth of the River Ness"; sco, Innerness) is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for The Highland Council and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands. Histori ...

Aberdeen Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...

mail coach. He was educated at

Inverness Royal Academy Inverness Royal Academy is a comprehensive secondary school in the city of Inverness in the Highland area of Scotland. A former grammar school with a history dating back to the 13th century, the Academy became a comprehensive in the mid-1970 ...

and Inverness Grammar School then studied Divinity at

King's College, Aberdeen King's College in Old Aberdeen, Scotland, the full title of which is The University and King's College of Aberdeen (''Collegium Regium Abredonense''), is a formerly independent university founded in 1495 and now an integral part of the Universi ...

and graduated MA in March 1850. He worked as a tutor to the children of Mr Scott of Tullich in

Lochcarron Lochcarron ( gd, Loch Carrann) is a village, community and civil parish in the Wester Ross area of Highland, Scotland. It has a population of 923. Locality The name Lochcarron is also applied to the collection of small settlements strung out al ...

whilst awaiting a position. In 1855 he was appointed missionary at

Kilmonivaig Kilmonivaig ( gd, Cill Mo Naomhaig) is a small village, situated close to the southeast end of Loch Lochy in Spean Bridge, Inverness-shire, Scottish Highlands and is in the Scottish council area of Highland. Fort William lies approximately 15 ...

in the western Highlands. He was ordained as the

Church of Scotland The Church of Scotland ( sco, The Kirk o Scotland; gd, Eaglais na h-Alba) is the national church in Scotland. The Church of Scotland was principally shaped by John Knox, in the Scottish Reformation, Reformation of 1560, when it split from t ...

minister for

Edderton Edderton ( gd, Eadardan) is a village near Tain, lying on the shores of the Dornoch Firth, Easter Ross and is in the Highland council area of Scotland. It has approximately 388 inhabitants. It is the location of the Balblair Distillery, and of t ...

in November 1859. From 1866 to 1914 he was minister of St andrews Church in

Golspie Golspie ( , gd, Goillspidh) is a village and parish in Sutherland, Highland, Scotland, which lies on the North Sea coast in the shadow of Ben Bhraggie. It has a population of around 1,350. History The name derives from the Norse for "gull ...

(Golspie Parish Church). He was a Member of the

Geological Society of London The Geological Society of London, known commonly as the Geological Society, is a learned society based in the United Kingdom. It is the oldest national geological society in the world and the largest in Europe with more than 12,000 Fellows. Fe ...

from at least 1869. He was a member of the

Society of Antiquaries of Scotland The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland is the senior antiquarian body of Scotland, with its headquarters in the National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh. The Society's aim is to promote the cultural heritage of Scotland. The usua ...

from at least 1872. He died at the manse at Golspie on 8 June 1914. He is buried in the churchyard at Golspie.

Family

He was uncle to the architect

John James Joass John James Joass (1868 – 10 May 1952) was a Scottish architect, born in Dingwall, Scotland. His father William Cumming Joass was an established architect in that town. The son was given basic training with his father, and then in 1885 arti ...

Publications

*Two Days Digging in Sutherland (1865) *Notes on the Sutherland Gold Field (1869)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Joass, James Maxwell 1830 births 1914 deaths Alumni of the University of Aberdeen Scottish geologists Scottish archaeologists Scottish antiquarians 19th-century Ministers of the Church of Scotland 20th-century Ministers of the Church of Scotland