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James Dinwiddie: Correspondence of a Scottish Scientist

Invitation to James Dinwiddie from the Asiatick Society

Dr. James Dinwiddie (1746-1815) was a respected Scottish scientist and mathematician who lived during the latter part of the Scottish Enlightenment. At this time, Scottish intellectuals explored many cultural and scientific subjects related to human nature, the sociability of daily life, and the truths of natural religion. Dinwiddie was recognized by his peers when he was elected to the Royal Institution on 6 July 1810 (see below). The University of Guelph collection of approximately one hundred letters illustrates the more practical aspects of Dr. Dinwiddie's professional and personal life, his travels, and business affairs. The payment of lectures, inquires about books, the lending of money, and discussion of experiments highlights the commonplace elements in his life. The Dinwiddie letters were acquired through a donation by Philip Melanson of Sackville, Nova Scotia in May 1989 and by his wife Mrs. Yvonne Melanson in May 1997. All correspondence is readily available along with a descriptive finding aid for researchers in the Scottish Collection [XS1 MS A164] as follows:

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1.1 J. Anderson to D., 3 January 1781 [PDF 980kb]
1.1 J. Anderson to D., 3 May 1781 [PDF 871kb]
1.2 Asiatick Society to D., 11 November 1796 [PDF 941kb]
1.2 J.L. Bailey to D., 7 December 1813 [PDF 909kb]
1.2 A.N. Baillie to her sister-in-law, 12 September 1806[PDF 919kb]
1.2 J. Bebb to D., 29 October 1795 [PDF 616kb]
1.3 J. Belli to D., 1 January 1795 [PDF 841kb]
1.3 J. Belli to D., 1 December 1796 [PDF 1250kb]
1.4 W. Berri to D., 1794 [PDF 1109kb]
1.4 R.C. Birch(?) to D., 8 August 1797 [PDF 1127kb]
1.4 Board of Trade to D., 31 January 1797 [PDF 635kb]
1.5 J.C. Bright to D., 6 November 1814 [PDF 1184kb]
1.5 J.C. Bright to D., 30 January 1815 [PDF 1302kb]
1.5 J.C. Bright to D., not dated [PDF 881kb]
1.6 T. Brooke to D., 16 January 1795 [PDF 936kb]
1.6 T. Brooke to D., 2 April 1795 [PDF 941kb]
1.7 G. B___(?) to D., 28 March 1796 [PDF 792kb]
1.7 Mr. Browne to D., 5 February 1794 [PDF 769kb]
1.7 W.J. Burchell to D., 5 February 1807 [PDF 868kb]
1.7 Colvins & Bazett to D., 7 December 1795 [PDF 942kb]
1.7 Council of the College of Fort William to D., 13 September 1802 [PDF 923kb]
1.7 D.H. Craik to D., 8 December 1809 [PDF 1315kb]
1.7 J.M. Cupey(?) to D., 10 September 1807 [PDF 772kb]
1.7 R. Denton to D., 12 August 1807 [PDF 718kb]
1.7 W. Devis to D., 22 August 1795 [PDF 1142kb]
1.8 M. Dick to D., 13 May 1795 [PDF 995kb]
1.8 M. Dick to D., 23 October 1797 [PDF 1101kb]
1.9 I. Dickson & W. Gregan to D., 23 April 1809 [PDF 1043kb]
1.10 J. Dinwiddie to D., 24 February 1808 [PDF 1408kb]
1.10 J. Dinwiddie to D., 4 December 1808 [PDF 1123kb]
1.10 J. Dinwiddie to D., 29 March 1809 [PDF 1008kb]
1.11 Exchange Committee to D., 22 January 1796 [PDF 998kb]
1.11 F. F___(?) to D., ~10 October 1809 [PDF 1136kb]
1.11 Dr. Falvey to D., 3 October 1805 [PDF 1002kb]
1.11 H. Ferguson to D., 15 &19 October 1810 [PDF 1021kb]
1.11 J. Fitzroy to D., 31 December 1814 [PDF 860kb]
1.11 (?) Fontana, to D., 14 February 1796 [PDF 838kb]
1.11 J. Froth(?) to D., 15 July 1795 [PDF 553kb]
1.11 J. Frushard(?) to Rev. D. Brown, 17 September 1795 [PDF 987kb]
1.11 E. Fry(?) to D., 10 October 1808 [PDF 1284kb]
1.11 H. Gillan to D., 5 March 1796 [PDF 1245kb]
1.11 A. Grant to D., 26 May 1795 [PDF 1070kb]
1.12 A. Gregan to D., 29 June 1810 [PDF 1205kb]
1.12 A. Gregan to D., 9 February 1811 [PDF 1403kb]
1.13 J. Gregg to D., 9 November 1778 [PDF 927kb]
1.14 J. Hall to D., 30 November 1809 [PDF 1180kb]
1.14 J. Hall to D., 11 December 1809 [PDF 1180kb]
1.15 Hopkins to D., 13 August 1807 [PDF 1050kb]
1.15 J. Horsburgh to D., 20 & 30 November 1802, 23 January 1803 [PDF 1365kb]
1.15 W. Hunter to D., 25 May 1797 [PDF 2097kb]
1.15 J. Hyslop to D., 5 May 1807 [PDF 1091kb]
1.15 Mr. Irving to D., 6 May 1807 [PDF 1047kb]
1.15 W. Jardine to D., 16 April & 24 June 1793 [PDF 1800kb]
1.16 W. Jones to D., 26 March 1795 [PDF 873kb]
1.16 W. Jones to D., 1 June 1807 [PDF 1079kb]

1.17 E. Kier to D., 12 October 1787 [PDF 910kb]
1.17 E. Kier to D., 12 February 1788 [PDF 1089kb]
1.17 E. Kier to D., 18 November 1796 & 6 March 1798 [PDF 1056kb]
1.18 C.R. Lindsay to D., 22 October 1805 [PDF 691kb]
1.18 T. Longstaff to D., 4 December 1812 [PDF 915kb]
1.19 M.A. McCarthy to D., 29 August 1810 [PDF 807kb]
1.19 M.A. McCarthy to D., 19 September 1810 [PDF 782kb]
1.20 J.M. McIntosh to D., 9 March 1801 [PDF 584kb]
1.20 Medical Board to D., 3 July 1804 [PDF 870kb]
1.21 Lt. Gen'l Melvill to D., 20 January 1791 [PDF 1009kb]
1.21 General Melville to D., 4 January 1802 [PDF 1740kb]
1.22 A. Mercer(?) to D., 26 December 1781 [PDF 1215kb]
1.22 H. Mohun to D., 5 January 1797 [PDF 1055kb]
1.22 (?) Myers to D., 31 October 1796 [PDF 883kb]
1.22 A. Paris to D., 29 August 1792 [PDF 984kb]
1.23 M. Patoun to D., 23 July 1787 [PDF 1709kb]
1.23 M. Patoun to D., 11 August 1787 [PDF 1158kb]
1.23 M. Patoun to D., 11 April 1788 [PDF 1063kb]
1.23 M. Patoun to D., 24 June 1788 [PDF 1563kb]
1.23 M. Patoun to D., 7 October 1788 [PDF 1251kb]
1.23 M. Patoun to D., 12 November 1788 [PDF 1215kb]
1.23 M. Patoun to D., 8 August 1807 [PDF 1928kb]
1.23 M. Patoun to D., 10, 16 & 30 November 1808 [PDF 1262kb]
1.24 Miss Paterson to D., 1 January 1795 [PDF 721kb]
1.24 G. Phillott to D., 20 December 1805 [PDF 781kb]
1.25 J. Proudfoot to D., 17 March 1811 [PDF 1065kb]
1.25 J. Proudfoot to D., 15 May 1812 [PDF 888kb]
1.25 J. Proudfoot to D., 14 June 1812 [PDF 1186kb]
1.26 F.H. Rollason to R. Spalding, 8 August 1796 [PDF 1177kb]
1.26 Royal Institution of Great Britain to D., 6 July 1810 [PDF 749kb]
1.26 J. Rumsey to D., 24 December 1790 [PDF 1328kb]
1.27 John Sanders to D., 22 January 1812 [PDF 983kb]
1.27 John Sanders to D., 10 February 1813 [PDF 1168kb]
1.28 A. Scott to D., 23 August 1796 [PDF 2109kb]
1.28 M. Scott to D., 20 November 1791 [PDF 1047kb]
1.28 G.J. Singer to D., 20 July 1810 [PDF 979kb]
1.28 Excerpt from the Monthly Review on the Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, January 1795 [PDF 1337kb]
1.28 J. Stevenson to D., 10 May 1814 [PDF 1246kb]
1.28 Lord Stormont to D., 22 January 1791 [PDF 778kb]
1.28 J. Stuart to D., 8 July 1811 [PDF 1031kb]
1.28 W. Taylor to D., 28 October 1805 [PDF 760kb]
1.28 W. Telfor to D., 15 September 1812 [PDF 770kb]
1.29 W. Tennant to D., 15 November 1796 [PDF 905kb]
1.29 W. Tennant to D., 30 May 1807 [PDF 974kb]
1.30 H. Truit(?) to D., 23 October 1795 [PDF 842kb]
1.30 A. Upjohn to D., 16 November 1796 [PDF 733]
1.30 A. Waddele to D., 9 August 1809 [PDF 1177kb]
1.30 T. White to D., 26 June 1807 [PDF 1002kb]
1.31 G. Beith to Daniel Clark, 21 July 1800 [PDF 1468kb]
1.31 Memorandum to Lord Hobart, 19 March 1796 [PDF 1097kb]
1.31 Poem about D, not dated [PDF 942kb]
1.31 T. Proddy(?) to W. & T. Raimes & Co., not dated [PDF 519kb]
1.31 Dr. Katerfelto to Prince of Wales, 20 October 1788 [PDF 1182kb]

Dalhousie University Archives has a much more extensive collection of James Dinwiddie papers, including correspondence, journals, lecture notes, scientific journals, notebooks, early experiments, manuscripts, and printed material and also the Journal of W.J. Proudfoot.

Last updated October 8th, 2010 by J.B.