James Smith of

Jordanhill Jordanhill ( sco, Jordanhull, gd, Cnoc Iòrdain)
is an ...

FRSE Fellowship of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE) is an award granted to individuals that the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland's national academy of science and letters, judged to be "eminently distinguished in their subject". This soci ...

FRS MWS (1782–1867) was a Scottish merchant, antiquarian, architect, geologist, biblical critic and

man of letters An intellectual is a person who engages in critical thinking, research, and reflection about the reality of society, and who proposes solutions for the normative problems of society. Coming from the world of culture, either as a creator or a ...

. An authority on ancient shipbuilding and navigation, his works included "Newer Pliocene" (1862) and "Voyage and Shipwreck of St Paul" (1848). He is remembered as a competent yachtsman. His most notable yacht was named "Wave".

Life

James Smith was born on 15 August 1782 at

Jordanhill Jordanhill ( sco, Jordanhull, gd, Cnoc Iòrdain)
is an ...

House near

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

, the son of a

West Indies The West Indies is a subregion of North America, surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea that includes 13 independent island countries and 18 dependencies and other territories in three major archipelagos: the Greater A ...

merchant Archibald Smith of Jordanhill (1749-1821)https://www.tradeshousemuseum.org/uploads/4/7/7/2/47723681/old_g_asgow_exhibition_1894.pdf and his wife, Isobel Ewing (1755-1855). In 1800 he was a Captain in the Renfrewshire militia. Smith was educated at

Glasgow Grammar School The High School of Glasgow is an independent, co-educational day school in Glasgow, Scotland. The original High School of Glasgow was founded as the choir school of Glasgow Cathedral in around 1124, and is the oldest school in Scotland, and t ...

and then studied Sciences at

Glasgow University , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...

, specialising in Geology. He became a

sleeping partner A partnership is an arrangement where parties, known as business partners, agree to cooperate to advance their mutual interests. The partners in a partnership may be individuals, businesses, interest-based organizations, schools, governments o ...

in his father's firm, Leitch & Smith, in 1809 and later served as President of the

Andersonian University The University of Strathclyde ( gd, Oilthigh Shrath Chluaidh) is a public research university located in Glasgow, Scotland. Founded in 1796 as the Andersonian Institute, it is Glasgow's second-oldest university, having received its royal c ...

, Glasgow. He was elected a Fellow of the

Royal Society of Edinburgh The Royal Society of Edinburgh is Scotland's national academy of science and letters. It is a registered charity that operates on a wholly independent and non-partisan basis and provides public benefit throughout Scotland. It was established i ...

in 1822, upon the proposal of Lord John Campbell, and served as a Councillor of the Society from 1836m to 1839. He served as President of the

Geological Society of Glasgow The Geological Society of Glasgow is a scientific society devoted to the study of geology in Scotland. The society contributed to the understanding of Scotland's glacial history, and the relationship between the Earth's rotation and climate ch ...

(1864-7) and was also President of the Archaeological Society of Glasgow. He was a Member of the Wernerian Society, a member of the Highland Society (1823), and a founder of the Glasgow Yacht Club. In 1822 he was elected a Fellow of the

, his proposer being Lord John Campbell. In 1830 he was also elected a Fellow of the

Royal Society of London The Royal Society, formally The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, is a learned society and the United Kingdom's national academy of sciences. The society fulfils a number of roles: promoting science and its benefits, re ...

. He was also a Fellow 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 ...

. He died on 17 January 1867 at Jordanhill House.

Family

On 25 August 1809 Smith married Mary Wilson (granddaughter of Alexander Wilson and niece of

Patrick Wilson Patrick Joseph Wilson (born July 3, 1973) is an American actor and director. He began his career in 1995, starring in Broadway musicals. He received nominations for two Tony Awards for his roles in ''The Full Monty'' (2000–2001) and ''Oklahoma ...

) in 1809. Their children were: * Archibald Smith of Jordanhill (1813-1872) *Christina Laura Smith, married to Walter Buchanan of Shandon, M.P. *Isabella Smith (1806-1897), married to Henry Gore-Booth *Mary Joanna Guthrie Smith (-1840) *Louisa Smith (-1863), married to William Hamilton of Minard Castle *Sabina Douglas Clavering Smith, married to Rev. Robert Paisley, DD. of St. Nininans, co Stirling His cousin was the insurance broker and philanthropist

William Euing William Euing (occasionally William Ewing) FRSE FSA (1788-1874) was a Scottish philanthropist who left over 12,000 books to Glasgow University creating what is known as the Euing Collection. As an insurance broker he was founder of the Glasgow ...

(1788-1874). His younger brother was

William Smith of Carbeth Guthrie William Smith of Carbeth Guthrie (1787–1871) was a 19th-century Scottish sugar trader who served as Lord Provost of Glasgow from 1822 to 1824. Life He was born on 12 January 1787 on Dunlop Street in Glasgow. He was second son of Archibald S ...

was

Lord Provost of Glasgow The Right Honourable Lord Provost of Glasgow is the convener of the Glasgow City Council. Elected by the city councillors, the Lord Provost serves not only as the chair of that body, but as a figurehead for the entire city. The office is equiv ...

from 1822 to 1824.

Publications

*''The Voyage and Shipwreck of St Paul, with Dissertations on the Sources of the Writings of St. Luke, and the Ships and Navigation of the Antients'' (4 Editions, 1848-1880) *''Researches in New Pliocene and Post-Tertiary Geology'' (1862) *''Dissertations on the Life and Writings of St Luke'' *''The Ships and Navigation of the Ancients''

Trivia

Smiths Court on Brunswick Street in Glasgow was named after the family. Jordanhill House was acquired by Glasgow Corporation in 1911 for use a training college and demolished in 1961.

Artistic recognition

His portrait by Sir

John Watson Gordon Sir John Watson Gordon (1788 – 1 June 1864) was a Scottish portrait painter and president of the Royal Scottish Academy. Life and work Gordon was born John Watson in Edinburgh, the eldest son of Captain Watson, R.A., a cadet of the family ...

is held by the Trades House Museum in Glasgow.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, James of Jordanhill 1782 births 1867 deaths 19th-century Scottish businesspeople 19th-century British geologists 19th-century Scottish writers People from Jordanhill People educated at the High School of Glasgow Alumni of the University of Glasgow People associated with the University of Strathclyde Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh Fellows of the Royal Society Fellows of the Geological Society of London Scottish antiquarians Scottish architects British biblical scholars Scottish geologists Scottish literary critics West Indies merchants