James Barnston, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death

James Barnston

Canadian physician

Date of Birth: 03-Jul-1831

Place of Birth: Norway House, Manitoba, Canada

Date of Death: 20-May-1858

Profession: physician, botanist, academic

Nationality: Canada

Zodiac Sign: Cancer

James Barnston (July 3, 1831 – May 20, 1858), a son of HBC fur trader George Barnston, was born at Norway House (Man.), and trained as a physician at the University of Edinburgh. Barnston had a love of natural history from his father's influence and this was nurtured while studying medicine.
He returned to Canada in 1853 and practiced medicine in Montreal where he also actively continued his botanical pursuits.
He promoted the founding of a chair in natural history at McGill University and became the first professor of botany at that institution. He became ill at the end of his first course of lectures and never recovered, dying in his 26th year.