James Ballantyne Hannay was born in Glasgow in 1855, the son of Alexander Hannay, portioner, who had property in Helensburgh and who owned the Prince of Wales Theatre and the Grand Theatre in Cowcaddens, Glasgow. James Hannay became a chemist and a prolific innovator, publishing many scientific papers and taking out over seventy patents in Britain, Europe and the USA in addition to forming his own patents company in Glasgow. His best known and most controversial work concerns his claim, made in 1880, to have synthesised diamonds. This claim has been the subject of much subsequent debate and investigation, and findings remain inconclusive. In later years Hannay turned from scientific investigation to explore aspects of the origin and development of religion and he published a number of works critical of the Hebrew Scriptures. James Ballantyne Hannay died in 1931.
The collection was gifted to the University of Dundee by Robert H.S. Robertson, of Pitlochry, the son of Sir Robert Robertson, KBE, FRS (1869-1949). Sir Robert was himself a renowned chemist and was the first person to establish that two types of natural diamond existed. He was acquainted with James Hannay's sister, Lady Dugald Clerk, and carried out his own researches into the validity of Hannay's claim to have synthesised diamonds. Robert HS Robertson has also carried out extensive research into the life and work of James Hannay and for many years he conducted detailed correspondence with Dr Einar P. Flint, of Alexandria, Virginia, U.S.A., and later also with James Revie, of East Kilbride, with the aim of producing an, as yet incomplete, biography of James Hannay.
From the guide to the Biographical Notes on James Ballantyne Hannay accumulated by Robert H S Robertson, 1663-1987, (University of Dundee)
