James Williams (1944 - 2009)
James Williams was a central figure in the study of the natural
environment and human history of the region of Dumfries and
Galloway for almost 50 years. During this time he safeguarded and
expanded knowledge of the region and made it available to both the
local community and academic interests nationally and
internationally.
James joined Dumfriesshire and Galloway Natural History and
Antiquarian Society in 1964. He served the Council of the
Society in various capacities, including as Secretary and
Librarian. However, it was as co-editor along with Bill
Cormack and latterly as senior editor of the
Society'sTransactionsthat he left an indelible mark. He was
involved in 30 editions as well as other publications of the
Society, includingKirkpatrick Fleming, Dumfriesshire - An Anatomy
of a Parish in South West Scotland.
He lived virtually his entire life in Dumfries and Galloway. He
was educated at St Joseph's College, Dumfries, where he developed a
lifelong interest in chemistry, mineralogy and local history.
He acquired the residue of the school's mineral collection to
which he added specimens collected across south west
Scotland. Some of the unique minerals he collected are now in
the collection of the National Museum of Scotland. In 1963 he
became the youngest Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of
Scotland at the age of just twenty.
Employed at ICI, Dumfries, James served as an experimental
chemist specialising in polymers. At the time of his early
retirement in 2000 he had worked at the Dumfries site for 36
years. After retirement he continued part-time for a further
seven years to establish new laboratory facilities for Plastic
Technology Services.
He was responsible for identifying many previously unknown
archaeological sites and collected material from across the region,
from Luce Sands in the west to Dalton in the east. This ranged from
the Mesolithic flint tools of the first settlers to late Mediaeval
ceramics from the castles and abbeys that characterise the
region.
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