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{{short description|Scottish geologist (1810–1879)}}
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{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2013}}
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{{Use British English|date=May 2013}}
{{other people||James Nicol (disambiguation)}}
{{other people||James Nicol (disambiguation)}}
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{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2023}}
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[[File:The grave of Prof James Nicol, Grange Cemetery.JPG|thumb|The grave of Prof James Nicol, Grange Cemetery]]
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{{Use British English|date=May 2013}}
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'''James Nicol''' (12 August 1810 – 8 April 1879) was a Scottish geologist.<ref>{{cite DNB|author=Bonney, Thomas George|authorlink=Thomas George Bonney|wstitle=Nicol, James (1810-1879)|volume=41|pages=38–39}}</ref>
[[File:James Nicol (cropped).png|thumb|James Nicol]]
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[[File:The grave of Prof James Nicol, Grange Cemetery.JPG|thumb|upright|The grave of Prof James Nicol, Grange Cemetery]]
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'''James Nicol''' [[FRSE]] FGS (12 August 1810 – 8 April 1879) was a Scottish geologist.<ref>{{cite DNB|author=Bonney, Thomas George|author-link=Thomas George Bonney|wstitle=Nicol, James (1810-1879)|volume=41|pages=38–39}}</ref>


==Life==
==Life==
He was born at [[Traquair]], near [[Innerleithen]] in [[Peeblesshire]], where his father, the Rev. [[James Nicol (minister)|James Nicol]] (1769–1819), was minister of Traquair. Educated at [[University of Edinburgh|Edinburgh University]] (1825), he attended the lectures of [[Robert Jameson]], gaining a keen interest in geology and [[mineralogy]]. He pursued these studies in the universities of [[university of Bonn|Bonn]] and [[university of Berlin|Berlin]].
He was born at [[Traquair]], near [[Innerleithen]] in [[Peeblesshire]], the son of Rev. [[James Nicol (minister)|James Nicol]] (1769–1819), and his wife Agnes Walker. He studied Arts and Divinity at [[University of Edinburgh|Edinburgh University]] from 1825. He also attended the lectures of [[Robert Jameson]], having gained a keen interest in geology and [[mineralogy]]. He further pursued these studies in the universities of [[university of Bonn|Bonn]] and [[university of Berlin|Berlin]].<ref name="EB1911">{{EB1911|inline=y|wstitle=Nicol, James|volume=19|page=661}}</ref>


After returning home Nicol worked at local geology and obtained prizes from the [[Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland|Highland Society]] for essays on the geology of Peeblesshire and [[Roxburghshire]], now areas of the [[Scottish Borders]]. He subsequently extended his researches over other parts of Scotland, and in 1844 published ''Guide to the Geology of Scotland''.
After returning home Nicol worked at local geology and obtained prizes from the [[Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland|Highland Society]] for essays on the geology of Peeblesshire and [[Roxburghshire]], now areas of the [[Scottish Borders]]. He subsequently extended his researches over other parts of Scotland, and in 1844 published ''Guide to the Geology of Scotland''.<ref name="EB1911"/>


In 1847 Nicol was appointed assistant secretary to the [[Geological Society of London]],<ref name="EB1911"/> being appointed a Fellow of the Society in the same year. He was also elected a Fellow of the [[Royal Society of Edinburgh]] his proposer being [[George Wilson (chemist)|George Wilson]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Biographical Index of Former Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783–2002|date=July 2006|publisher=The Royal Society of Edinburgh|isbn=0-902-198-84-X|url=https://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp2.pdf|access-date=1 November 2017|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304074135/https://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp2.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>
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In 1847 Nicol was appointed assistant secretary to the [[Geological Society of London]], in 1849 professor of geology in [[University College Cork - National University of Ireland, Cork|Queen's College, Cork]], and in 1853 professor of natural history in the [[University of Aberdeen]], a post which he retained until a few months before he died. He was buried in the north-west section of [[Grange, Edinburgh|Grange Cemetery]] in [[Edinburgh]].

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In 1849 professor of geology in [[University College Cork - National University of Ireland, Cork|Queen's College, Cork]], and in 1853 professor of natural history in the [[University of Aberdeen]], a post which he retained until a few months before he died.<ref name="EB1911"/> In his later years he lived at 15 Bon Accord Square in Aberdeen.<ref>Aberdeen Post Office Directory 1878</ref>

He was buried with his wife and daughter in the north-west section of [[Grange, Edinburgh|Grange Cemetery]] in [[Edinburgh]].

==Family==

In 1849 he married Alexandrina Anne Macleay Downie.


==Works==
==Works==
Nicol carried out researches on the [[Southern Uplands]] of Scotland and on the structure of the [[Highlands of Scotland|Highlands]]. In the former region he gave the first clear account of the succession of the fossiliferous [[Paleozoic|Lower Palaeozoic]] rocks (1848–1852). When he came to deal with the still older Highland rocks he made out the position of the [[Torridonian]] [[sandstone]] and Durness [[limestone]], and their relations to the [[schist]]s and [[gneiss]]es. Nichol's mature views, although recognising the fallacy in the extant theory of [[Roderick Murchison]], were subsequently superseded by the theory of [[Charles Lapworth]] which was corroborated by [[Ben Peach|Benjamin Peach]] and [[John Horne]].
Nicol carried out researches on the [[Southern Uplands]] of Scotland and on the structure of the [[Highlands of Scotland|Highlands]]. In the former region he gave the first clear account of the succession of the fossiliferous [[Paleozoic|Lower Palaeozoic]] rocks (1848–1852). When he came to deal with the still older Highland rocks he made out the position of the [[Torridonian]] [[sandstone]] and Durness [[limestone]], and their relations to the [[schist]]s and [[gneiss]]es.<ref name="EB1911"/> Nichol's mature views, although recognising the fallacy in the extant theory of [[Roderick Murchison]], were subsequently superseded by the theory of [[Charles Lapworth]] which was corroborated by [[Ben Peach|Benjamin Peach]] and [[John Horne]]. Nicol<ref>Nicol,J.(1869) On the Origin of the Parallel Roads of Glen Roy. (''Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc.'' 25), pp. 282–291</ref> criticised [[Thomas Jamieson]]'s explanation of the Parallel Roads of [[Glen Roy]]. Jamieson<ref>Jamieson,T.(1863) On the Parallel Roads of Glen Roy, and their Place in the History of the Glacial Period. (Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc. 19), pp. 235–259.</ref> considered that the features were shorelines of a fresh water lake trapped behind a glacier; Nicol maintained that the 'overflow cols' show no indications of a water torrent; he concluded that they were sea-straits and therefore the 'roads' were of marine origin.


The more important of his papers were:
The more important of his papers were:
*[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015006917952;view=1up;seq=113 "On the Structure of the North-Western Highlands"] (''Quart. Journ, Geol. Soc.'', 1861), pp. 85–113
*[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015006917952;view=1up;seq=113 "On the Structure of the North-Western Highlands"] (''Quart. Journ, Geol. Soc.'', 1861), pp.&nbsp;85–113
*[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015049386769;view=1up;seq=222 "On the Geological Structure of the Southern Grampians"] (ib., 1863), pp. 180–207
*[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015049386769;view=1up;seq=222 "On the Geological Structure of the Southern Grampians"] (ib., 1863), pp.&nbsp;180–207<ref name="EB1911"/>


He contributed the article "Mineralogy" to the ninth edition of the ''[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]''. Among his other works were:
He contributed the article "Mineralogy" to the ninth edition of the ''[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]''. Among his other works were:
*[https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/009021986 ''An Historical and Descriptive Account of Iceland, Greenland, and the Faroe Islands''] (1840)
*[https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/006175907 ''Manual of Mineralogy''] (1849)
*[https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/006175907 ''Manual of Mineralogy''] (1849)
*''Elements of Mineralogy'' (1858, 2nd ed., 1873)
*''Elements of Mineralogy'' (1858, 2nd ed., 1873)
*''Geological Map of Scotland'' (1858)
*''Geological Map of Scotland'' (1858)
*[https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/001525112 ''Geology and Scenery of the North of Scotland''] (1866).
*[https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/001525112 ''Geology and Scenery of the North of Scotland''] (1866).
*Nicol,J.(1869) On the Origin of the Parallel Roads of Glen Roy. (''Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc.'' 25), pp.&nbsp;282–291.


==Notes==
==Notes==
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}
{{1911|wstitle=Nicol, James|volume=19|page=661}}


==External links==
==External links==
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{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nicol, James}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nicol, James}}
[[Category:1810 births]]
[[Category:1810 births]]

Latest revision as of 22:15, 20 February 2024

For other people with the same name, see James Nicol (disambiguation).

James Nicol
The grave of Prof James Nicol, Grange Cemetery

James Nicol FRSE FGS (12 August 1810 – 8 April 1879) was a Scottish geologist.[1]

Life

[edit]

He was born at Traquair, near Innerleithen in Peeblesshire, the son of Rev. James Nicol (1769–1819), and his wife Agnes Walker. He studied Arts and Divinity at Edinburgh University from 1825. He also attended the lectures of Robert Jameson, having gained a keen interest in geology and mineralogy. He further pursued these studies in the universities of Bonn and Berlin.[2]

After returning home Nicol worked at local geology and obtained prizes from the Highland Society for essays on the geology of Peeblesshire and Roxburghshire, now areas of the Scottish Borders. He subsequently extended his researches over other parts of Scotland, and in 1844 published Guide to the Geology of Scotland.[2]

In 1847 Nicol was appointed assistant secretary to the Geological Society of London,[2] being appointed a Fellow of the Society in the same year. He was also elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh his proposer being George Wilson.[3]

In 1849 professor of geology in Queen's College, Cork, and in 1853 professor of natural history in the University of Aberdeen, a post which he retained until a few months before he died.[2] In his later years he lived at 15 Bon Accord Square in Aberdeen.[4]

He was buried with his wife and daughter in the north-west section of Grange Cemetery in Edinburgh.

Family

[edit]

In 1849 he married Alexandrina Anne Macleay Downie.

Works

[edit]

Nicol carried out researches on the Southern Uplands of Scotland and on the structure of the Highlands. In the former region he gave the first clear account of the succession of the fossiliferous Lower Palaeozoic rocks (1848–1852). When he came to deal with the still older Highland rocks he made out the position of the Torridonian sandstone and Durness limestone, and their relations to the schists and gneisses.[2] Nichol's mature views, although recognising the fallacy in the extant theory of Roderick Murchison, were subsequently superseded by the theory of Charles Lapworth which was corroborated by Benjamin Peach and John Horne. Nicol[5] criticised Thomas Jamieson's explanation of the Parallel Roads of Glen Roy. Jamieson[6] considered that the features were shorelines of a fresh water lake trapped behind a glacier; Nicol maintained that the 'overflow cols' show no indications of a water torrent; he concluded that they were sea-straits and therefore the 'roads' were of marine origin.

The more important of his papers were:

He contributed the article "Mineralogy" to the ninth edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica. Among his other works were:

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Bonney, Thomas George (1895). "Nicol, James (1810-1879)" . In Lee, Sidney (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 41. London: Smith, Elder & Co. pp. 38–39.
  2. ^ a b c d e f  One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Nicol, James". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 19 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 661.
  3. ^ Biographical Index of Former Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783–2002 (PDF). The Royal Society of Edinburgh. July 2006. ISBN 0-902-198-84-X. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
  4. ^ Aberdeen Post Office Directory 1878
  5. ^ Nicol,J.(1869) On the Origin of the Parallel Roads of Glen Roy. (Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc. 25), pp. 282–291
  6. ^ Jamieson,T.(1863) On the Parallel Roads of Glen Roy, and their Place in the History of the Glacial Period. (Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc. 19), pp. 235–259.
[edit]
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