James Finlay Weir Johnston

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

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,

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.

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. From 1847, his assistant was Augustus Voelcker who also lectured in agricultural chemistry at Durham University.

In 1849 the Assembly of New Brunswick contracted Johnston to survey and report on potential development.

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.