James Livingstone Begg

James Livingstone Begg FGS FRSE JP (1874–1958) was a Scottish geologist, paleontologist and artist, awarded the Clough Medal in 1942 and recipient of the Wollaston Fund in 1946. Begg was President of the Geological Society of Glasgow from 1935 to 1938.

James Livingstone Begg

FRSE FGS JP
James Begg c.1935
Born14 September 1874
Died11 August 1958
AwardsFGS (1930)
FRSE (1933)
Clough Medal (1942)
Wollaston Fund (1946)
HonoursPresident Geological Society of Glasgow 1935
Honorary Life Member Geological Society of Glasgow 1948

Life

James Begg was born in Dennistoun in Glasgow in 1874 and educated at Garnethill School.[1] He trained as an artist in Paris for three years[2] and his paintings were accepted for exhibition in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Liverpool between 1896 and 1909 at the Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts, the Royal Scottish Academy, the Royal Scottish Society of Painters in Watercolour and the Walker Art Gallery.[3] Begg was employed in his father's business as a house factor and property agent in Glasgow, becoming a partner in 1917.[4]

Geology became his passion. He studied the subject at extramural evening classes run by Glasgow University, joining the Geological Society of Glasgow in 1905. He was elected to its council in 1910.[4] He was elected Fellow of the Geological Society of London in 1930[4] and Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh[5] in 1933. He was elected President of the Geological Society of Glasgow from 1935 to 1938.[6] Begg was awarded the Clough Medal by the Edinburgh Geological Society in 1942[7] for his significant contribution to Scottish geological research. He was awarded the Wollaston Fund by the Geological Society of London in 1946[8] in recognition of his published work particularly in the Transactions of the Geological Society of Glasgow and Geological Magazine.[9] In 1948 Begg was elected Honorary Life Member of the Geological Society of Glasgow in recognition of his long standing service.[9] Begg enjoyed painting watercolours and produced detailed illustrations of his geological specimens. His large fossil collection, specialising in Trilobites,[9] was acquired by Glasgow University's Hunterian Museum and is known as the Begg Collection.[10]

James Begg was also a Justice of the Peace for the County of Lanark.[11] He died on 11 August 1958.[11]

Family

His father Thomas Begg was a master builder. In 1917 he married Jean Hepburn. His son, Tom Begg (1919-1941) a Gunner in the Royal Artillery,[12] was killed in action 16 June 1941[13] during the Siege of Tobruk in the North African campaign of World War II. He had two daughters, Catherine (1923–1993) and Nita Begg (1920–2011) who was an artist.[14] His grandson Tom Begg is a Councillor with Renfrewshire local authority.[15]

References
  1. Currie, Ethel Dobbie (1960). "Obituary Notices" (PDF). Transactions of the Geological Society of Glasgow. 24 (1): 108–110. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
  2. "Obituary: Nita Begg, artist". The Scotsman. 7 October 2011. Retrieved 25 January 2017.
  3. Johnson, J; Greutzner, A (1980). The Dictionary of British Artists (4th ed.). Woodbridge, Suffolk: Antique Collectors Club Ltd. ISBN 0-902028-36-7.
  4. Currie, Ethel Dobbie (1960–1961). "Obituary Notices". Proceedings of the Geological Society of London (1592): 138.
  5. Waterston, C D; Shearer, A Macmillan. "Former Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783 – 2002" (PDF). Royal Society of Edinburgh. p. 71. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  6. "Society Presidents". Geological Society of Glasgow. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
  7. "Medallists & Award Winners". Edinburgh Geological Society. Retrieved 27 April 2020.
  8. "Wollaston Fund Past Winners". The Geological Society of London. Retrieved 27 April 2020.
  9. Weir, John (1957–1958). "Obituary Notices". Royal Society of Edinburgh Yearbook. R.S.E.
  10. Haines, Catharine M. C. (1 January 2001). International Women in Science: A Biographical Dictionary to 1950. ABC-CLIO. p. 79. Retrieved 25 January 2017 – via Internet Archive. James Livingstone Begg.
  11. "VII.—Obituary Notices: James Livingstone Begg, James Stewart Nicol". Transactions of the Geological Society of Glasgow. 24 (1): 108–110. 1 January 1960. doi:10.1144/transglas.24.1.108. S2CID 219189580. Retrieved 25 January 2017 – via trngl.lyellcollection.org.
  12. "Gunner Thomas Begg". Commonwealth War Graves. CWG Commission. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  13. The High School of Glasgow (1948). The Book of Service and Remembrance 1939–45. Glasgow: Aird & Coghill. p. 15.
  14. McEwan, Peter J (1994). The Dictionary of Scottish Art and Architecture. ACC Art Books. p. 32. ISBN 1851491341.
  15. "Councillor Tom Begg". Renfrewshire Council. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
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