Williamson, James, 1806-1895 : James "Billy" Williamson was born 19 October 1806 in Edinburgh to William Williamson, a lawyer, and Ann Lothain. James was educated at the High School of Edinburgh from 1815 to 1819. In 1821, at the age of 15 years, he entered the University of Edinburgh, where he was most attracted to the sciences. After graduating with an MA in 1827 he studied theology and worked as a tutor. Licensed to preach in the Church of Scotland in 1831, he accepted posts first at Kilsyth and then at Drumelzier. That year he also helped to start the "Presbyterian Review and Religious Journal (Edinburgh)", which was to merge with the "North British Review". In 1942 Williamson was offered the professorship of mathematics and natural philosophy at Queen's College, at Kingston, Upper Canada. He accepted the position and, in the course of the next 53 years, lectured on almost every subject taught in the faculties of arts and theology at Queen's including mathematics, natural history, physics, astronomy, logic, Latin, Greek, and church history. Williamson married his first wife, Margaret Gilchrist in 1845. Margaret died in 1847, leaving Williamson with a son, James Gilchrist, whom he sent to Scotland to be raised by his maternal grandparents. On 19 October 1852 Williamson married Margaret Macdonald, sister of John Alexander Macdonald. In 1854 Williamson was elected moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Canada in connection with the Church of Scotland. He helped establish a medical school at Queen's in 1854 and taught chemistry in it from 1854 to 1858. He also served as secretary of the board of trustees of the college for some years before 1849. In 1855 he was a member of a committee which obtained subscriptions from the local population for an observatory at Kingston. Williamson directed the observatory and was instrumental in obtaining an annual grant from the provincial and later the dominion government for maintaining it as part of a chain welded into what became the Meteorological Service of Canada. In 1876 he was appointed vice-principal of Queen's. When he resigned the chair of mathematics and natural philosophy in 1882, he retained the titles honorary professor of astronomy and director of the university observatory. Williamson was a keen amateur naturalist and a founding member of the Botanical Society of Canada in 1860. He was also one of the founding members of the Royal Society of Canada in 1882. At Kingston he was a pillar of the Presbyterian Church, often substituting for others in the pulpit. Williamson died in 1895. Dictionary of Canadian Biography, Volume XII, 1891-1900. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1990.
