author

James Napier

1810–1884

A Scottish industrial chemist with a strong curiosity about everyday life, he wrote both practical scientific manuals and vivid books about local history and folklore. His work bridges the workshop and the story-filled world of nineteenth-century Scotland.

1 Audiobook

Folk lore : or, Superstitious beliefs in the west of Scotland within this century

Folk lore : or, Superstitious beliefs in the west of Scotland within this century

by James Napier

About the author

Born in Partick, Glasgow, in June 1810, he trained as a dyer and studied chemistry through classes connected with Glasgow. He went on to build a career in industrial chemistry, developing practical expertise that led to patents, scientific papers, and respected handbooks including A Manual of Electro-Metallurgy and A Manual of the Art of Dyeing.

He also had a lasting interest in history and traditional culture. Alongside his technical writing, he published books such as The Ancient Workers and Artificers in Metal, Notes and Reminiscences of Partick, and Folk Lore: or, Superstitious Beliefs in the West of Scotland within This Century, bringing together observation, research, and a clear affection for Scottish life.

Napier was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and spent important periods of his working life in Glasgow, London, and Swansea before returning to Scotland. He died at Bothwell on December 1, 1884.