page_title: James W. H. Trail
section_title: Life
hierarchical_section_title: James W. H. Trail / Life
caption_attribution_description: English: The grave of J W H Trail, churchyard of St Machar's Cathedral
context_page_description: Prof James William Helenus Trail MD FRS FLS was a 20th century botanist who served as Professor of Botany at Aberdeen University from 1877 to 1919.
context_section_description: He was born in Birsay on the isle of Orkney on 4 March 1851. His father, Rev Samuel Trail, moved to Aberdeen as Professor of Theology in 1868, but James appears to have been sent to Aberdeen somewhat earlier to be educated there. When his father came they lived in the "Divinity Manse". He is earlier thought to have lived with his uncle, Adam Trail (later Traill) a teacher at the North Free Church School, who lived at 5 North Broadford.
  Despite a strong love of natural history he was pushed to study Medicine at Aberdeen University and graduated MB ChB around 1871. However in 1873 his love of botany was fed when he acquired an official post as botanist to the Amazon Steam Navigation Company, allowing him to spend two years in Brazil studying the tributaries of the River Amazon.
  In 1876 he was appointed botanist to the colony of British Guiana but before he sailed he gained a superior position as Professor of Botany at Aberdeen University beginning in the autumn of 1877 in succession to Prof George Dickie.
  In 1893 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of London. He was also an active member of the Cairngorm Club.
  In 1895 he was living at 71 High Street in Old Aberdeen, close to the university.
  He died on 18 September 1919 following a short illness. He is buried on the north side of St. Machar's Cathedral in Old Aberdeen.
caption: The grave of J W H Trail, churchyard of St Machar's Cathedral
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