Title and statement of responsibility area
Title proper
James Dinwiddie fonds
General material designation
- Textual record
Parallel title
Other title information
Title statements of responsibility
Title notes
Level of description
Fonds
Repository
Reference code
MS-2-726
Edition area
Edition statement
Edition statement of responsibility
Class of material specific details area
Statement of scale (cartographic)
Statement of projection (cartographic)
Statement of coordinates (cartographic)
Statement of scale (architectural)
Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)
Dates of creation area
Date(s)
-
1767-1815 (Creation)
Physical description area
Physical description
2.16 m of textual records
Publisher's series area
Title proper of publisher's series
Parallel titles of publisher's series
Other title information of publisher's series
Statement of responsibility relating to publisher's series
Numbering within publisher's series
Note on publisher's series
Archival description area
Name of creator
(1746-1815)
Biographical history
James Dinwiddie was a Scottish physicist, astronomer, inventor and natural philosopher. He was born in 1746 in Dumfries, Scotland and educated at Edinburgh University. In 1779 he began writing his series Queries and Hints, scientific journals covering fields of research including history, physics, chemistry, engineering and military tactics. In 1781 Dinwiddie embarked on a lecture series around the United Kingdom. In 1792 he was invited to join Lord Macartney's embassy to China as an experimentalist and mechanic, lecturing on physics and demonstrating British astronomical techniques at the imperial court. When the embassy returned to Britain, Dinwiddie asked to be left behind and went to India, where he was appointed Professor of Mathematics, Natural Philosophy and Chemistry at the College of Fort William. Dinwiddie left Calcutta in September 1806 and resettled in London, where he continued to lecture and write scientific journals. In July 1810 he was elected to the Royal Institution and made a member of the Committee of Mathematics, Mechanics, and Mechanical inventions. He died in 1815.
Custodial history
Records were found in 1997 in the basement of Barbara Bisson's house in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and in January 1998 were given to David Sutherland in Dalhousie University's History Department. They were subsequently donated to the University Archives and accessioned in January 1999.
Scope and content
Fonds comprises the personal papers of James Dinwiddie, which include lecture notes, scientific journals, notebooks, manuscript, early experiments for 1774, correspondence, personal journals and also some records from the Royal Institution for 1808-1814. His papers also include the journals of W.J. Proudfoot and a biography of his father (and Dinwiddie's son-in-law), James Proudfoot.
Notes area
Physical condition
Immediate source of acquisition
Arrangement
Much of the material arrived bound and organized; that arrangement was maintained.
Language of material
- English
Script of material
Language and script note
English
Location of originals
Availability of other formats
Restrictions on access
All records are open.
Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication
Materials do not circulate and must be used in the Archives and Special Collections Reading Room. Materials may be under copyright. Contact departmental staff for guidance on reproduction.
Finding aids
A file list is available onsite. A website for the fonds is also available at url: http://www.library.dal.ca/archives/dinwiddie/din_main.htm
Finding aid
Associated materials
Accruals
No further accruals are expected.
General note
Preferred citation: [Identification of item], James Dinwiddie fonds, MS-2-726 Dalhousie University Archives and Special Collections, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Alternative identifier(s)
Standard number area
Standard number
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
- Asia » China » Beijing (China)
- Asia » China
- Asia » India » Kolkata (India)
Name access points
- Bisson, Barbara (Subject)
- Blair, Justin (Subject)
Genre access points
Control area
Institution identifier
Rules or conventions
Rules for Archival Description