This brief account comments on the life and achievements of James Glenie. Whilst many of his mathematical propositions were seen as preposterously impossible at the time, they underpin the many principles of engineering in use today. His works provoked great debate within the members of the Royal Society but as stated in the Dictionary of Canadian Biography, Glenie was eventually recognized as a man with a mind that was half a century ahead of his time.
James Glenie: His early years
James Glenie was the son of John Glenie and Margaret Smith, both of Aberdeen, Scotland. He was born and christened on the same day, October 7, 1750, at Leslie, Fife, Scotland according to the Old Parochial Registers, County of Fife. Glenie’s mental acumen was recognized early and he graduated with an MA from St Andrews, excelling in mathematics and divinity. His original intention was to enter the church, but the path eventually chosen was somewhat different.
The Dictionary of Canadian Biography states that James became a cadet at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, London and was commissioned as second Lieutenant in the Royal Artillery on November 3, 1776. He transferred to the Corps of Engineers on 23 February, 1779, and was promoted to First Lieutenant in the Engineers on 15 November, 1786. He resigned his commission in September, 1787.
Fellow of the Royal Society
Through the interests of the Earl of Kinnoul and Lord Adam Gordon, Glenie embarked for Canada in 1775 at the outbreak of the American War according to the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. It is here that he honed in on his engineering skills and found the time to write several papers on the laws of mathematics which were submitted to the Royal Society by his friend Francis Maseres. They were recognized as being extremely valuable and were instrumental in Glenie being made a Fellow of the Royal Society without fees. Over his lifetime, Glenie remained a prominent member of the Royal Society, writing profusely and publishing over one hundred articles including papers on the defence of the British Isles.
Among many others he was the author of: On the Principles of the Antecedental Calculus, On a Boy Born Blind and Deaf, Scriptores Logarithmici, A Demonstration of Sir I Newton’s Binomial Theorem, The Doctrine of Universal Comparison or General Proportion, Observations on the Duke of Richmond’s Extensive Plans for Fortification, Observations on the Defence of Great Britain and its Principal Dockyards.
Marriage and move to the New World – New Brunswick, Canada
The Dictionary of Canadian Biography states that Glenie returned to England and in 1781 he married Mary Anne Locke at Gosport, England. They had three children, the last dying soon after birth. It was perhaps his earlier trip to Canada that instigated Glenie to emigrate to New Brunswick, Canada with his family. He tried his hand at a business venture dealing in ship's wood and masts with little success. He made some investments in mining by buying some large tracts of land and the family seems to have survived comfortably, but the greater wealth he had hoped for does not seem to have come to him.
Glenie, the radical politician
It was on the political front that Glenie made his mark in New Brunswick. He was outspoken in his criticism of the loyalists and determined to create a new world order, and in 1798 he was elected a member of the first House of Assembly for Sunbury County, states The Scottish Nation. Citizens of New Brunswick still uphold Glenie for his radical views which helped Canada to break away from sovereign power.
Glenie’s major shortcoming was his violent temper. He was rudely outspoken and acquired many enemies. He trod harshly on the loyalists, making no effort to tone his language down in any way and angered Major John Coffin to the point of challenging Glenie to a duel in exasperation. The duel was fought near Fredericton on 25 February, 1797, and Glenie was wounded.
Return to England
After 17-18 years in New Brunswick Glenie returned unaccompanied by his wife Mary Anne to England around 1805 and remained there until his death. He was unable to find regular employment and the Earl of Chatham retained him as engineer extraordinaire. In 1806 he was appointed instructor to the East India Company’s young artillery officers but was dismissed in 1810 for political reasons as stated in The Annual Biography and Obituary . It was his embroilment in the plot to destabilize the Duke of York with the aid of his mistress, Mary Ann Clark that eventually led to this dismissal.
Glenie’s first son, James Moncrief Sutherland Glenie became the second Archdeacon of Ceylon. His second son, Robert Melville Glenie became a captain of the 60th Regiment and died on 28 July, 1849, in Kent, England. Glenie’s wife, Mary Anne stayed on in New Brunswick and died there in 1847.
The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography notes that Glenie died alone and in dire poverty in Chelsea on 23 November, 1817. Hhe was buried in the churchyard of St Martin-in-the-Fields.
References:
The Annual Biography and Obituary for the Year Vol 1-2
Dictionary of Canadian Biography
Hand, C (2010). Jamaica Inn by Daphne Du Maurier- a Book Review. Suite101.com
Old Parochial Registers, County of Fife, Scotland
Oxford Dictionary of National biography
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