Ninian Imrie

Lieutenant-Colonel Ninian Imrie of Denmuir FRSE (died 1820) was a Scottish army officer and geologist. He gave the first wholly geological description of the Rock of Gibraltar.[1] He stirred the Plutonist versus Neptunist debate during the Scottish Enlightenment.[2]

Life

His family owned an estate known as Denmuir, near Abdie in Fife. He is thought to be born around 1750.

He was commissioned as an Ensign in 1768, the commission being purchased by a Stephen Gually.[3] He became Lieutenant in 1772 and Captain in 1777.[4] Imrie served in the Second Regiment of Foot (later renamed the Royal Scots) in Gibraltar from 1784 to 1793. Here he rose to be Aide-de-Camp for Lt General John Gordon Cuming Skene. During this period he is known to have corresponded with James Hutton in Edinburgh.[5] He was promoted to Lt Colonel in 1798. In the same year he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. His proposers were John Walker, Alexander Keith and John Playfair.[6]

He retired on half pay in 1799. He was living permanently in Edinburgh from around 1805 at 63 Queen Street.[7] He died at 63 Queen Street in Edinburgh’s First New Town on 13 November 1820.

Publications
  • The Geology of the Rock of Gibraltar (1798)
  • A Catalogue of Specimens Illustrative of the Geology of Greece (1817)

References
  1. "British pioneers of the geology of Gibraltar, Part 1: the artilleryman Thomas James (ca 1720-1782); infantryman Ninian Imrie of Denmuir (ca 1752-1820); and ex-militiaman James Smith of Jordanhill (1782-1867)". Earth Sciences History. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  2. Geology and Warfare: Rose & Nathanail
  3. Gentlemans Magazine vol.38
  4. Royal Military Calendar
  5. Some Geological Correspondence of James Hutton, Eyles & Eyles
  6. Biographical index of Former Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783 – 2002 (PDF). The Royal Society of Edinburgh. July 2006. ISBN 0 902 198 84 X.
  7. Edinburgh and Leith Post Office Directory 1805–06
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