Dinwiddie Main Page |
Biography | Scope and Content | Inventory

Below you can find samples of what can be found in the James Dinwiddie collection. This is only a small representation of the numerous subjects and types of information found in this collection. Please read about our copyright policy before looking at any material on this page.

James Dinwiddie wrote a series of scientific journals under the title "Queries and Hints", in which he wrote short observations and questions on a wide variety of topics. At right is an image of the cover of the first volume from 1779. Follow the links below to see a few sample pages. Cover, full size Page one Page two Page three
James Dinwiddie was a member of the Royal Institute, a prestigious group dedicated to a variety of scientific causes. Included in his papers are transcripts of lectures by the institute, administrative papers, and other material. Shown here as a sample is a copy of the first page of the Royal Institute minutes from June 17, 1814. Minutes, full size
One fascinating part of this collection is Dr. Dinwiddie's correspondence with other scientists, philosophers, and inventors. This includes descriptions of field tests of early diving bells and hot air balloons. Reproduced at right is a diagram and letter sent to Dinwiddie by John Wood in Sept. 21, 1786. It describes a steam engine. Letter, full size
James Dinwiddie's interests covered a wide variety of topics, including history, chemistry, hydrodynamics, astronomy, and biology. Included in his papers is a manuscript he wrote on Roman tactics: "An Essay to Discover and Determine the True Order of Battle of the Roman Legions...". The cover and first three pages of the introduction are reproduced here (date unknown). Cover, full size Page one Page two Page three
James Dinwiddie was a member of the Dumfries Philosophical Society. This organization was a debating club that discussed a variety of philosophical questions. Included here is a list of their rules and a sample of their minutes from March 13, 1777 Page one, full size Page two
Throughout his travels in China and India Dr. Dinwiddie kept a log of his various observations, whether it was the local laws and customs or meteorological conditions. His "Credo Chinesa" (date unknown) contains numerous interesting observations on the Chinese people and customs. The cover and first three pages can be seen here. Cover, full size Page one Page two Page three