James Currie (shipowner)

James Currie FRSE MA LLD JP (1863-1930) was owner and senior partner of the international shipping company, the Currie Line plus a keen amateur botanist, mineralogist and archaeologist, making sufficient impact on the Scottish world of science as to rise to be President of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.

He was born at Catherine Bank House on Newhaven Road (demolished c.1900) in Leith,Edinburgh’s harbour area, on 13 April 1863, the son of James Currie (d.1900), shipowner and shipbuilder, brother of the Glasgow shipbuilder, Donald Currie. His father had come to Leith to run the Leith Hull and Hamburg Steam Packet Company but had branched out to create his own shipping companies. The company offices, both for James Currie and Co and the Currie Line, were at 34 Bernard Street in the heart of Leith.

He was educated at Edinburgh Academy 1876-79 and then attended both Edinburgh University and Cambridge University, graduating MA.

A keen scientist his interests were easily funded by his family’s wealth. His business interests were second to his scientific pursuits until 1900 when his father died and he had to take his place as owner and director of both James Currie & Co (the shipbuilding branch) and the Currie Line (the shipping company), by this time owning ships and property both in Leith and London. He also inherited around £100,000 at this point.

In 1897 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh his proposers being Sir William Thomson, Lord Kelvin, Matthew Forster Heddle, D’Arcy Wentworth Thompson, and John Young Buchanan. He served as Treasurer to the Society 1906-26 and President 1926-29. His alma mater, Edinburgh University awarded him an honorary doctorate (LLD) in 1919. He was also President of the Edinburgh Geological Society 1904-6.

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