2 The American " Geologist. July, i9uo 
Sir William was born in the town of Pictou, Nova Scotia, 
on October 13, 1820. His grandfather was a Scotch farmer in 
comfortable circumstances who migrated to Nova Scotia early 
in the present century, and embarked in business in the town 
(jf Pictou. Sir William's father was a well-known book-seller, 
James Dawson, who was a gentleman of culture and attain- 
ments with a taste for study, and for many years supplied the 
needs of eastern Nova Scotia with the best literature, and pub- 
lished himself several works bearing upon the interest of this 
old crown colony. 
The following is a brief epitome of his career after leaving 
Pictou College. 
Leaving Pictou he went to Edinburgh University where 
he remained a winter, and took the degree of m.aster of arts at 
the age of 22. In 1842 he returned to Canada, and during the 
summer of that year accompanied Sir Chas. Lyell in his geo- 
logical exploration of Nova Scotia. In his contributions to 
the geology of that province, Sir Charles pays many tributes 
to the ability of his youthful companion as a geologist. 
We next find him carrying on a geological survey of the 
coalfields of Nova Scotia, for which task he had received the 
i:)rovincial appointment, and his report proved of great value. 
In 1846 he returned to Edinburgh University to carry on spe- 
cial researches and study practical chemistry and kindred sub- 
jects, bearing upon the prosecution of geological research. 
In 1847 li^ married Miss Margaret A. Y. Mercer, of Edin- 
burgh, and three years later w^as appointed superintendent of 
education for Nova Scotia, and was entrusted with the task of 
putting a new act into operation. Meanwhile he contributed 
several papers on economic geology, zoology, and one on for- 
estry. 
The establishment of a provincial normal school for Nova 
Scotia was chiefly due to him, and Sir Edmund Head appoint- 
ed him a member of a commission to regulate the affairs of 
Kings' College, now the University of New Brunswick. In^ 
1854, he was elected fellow of the Geological Society of Lon- 
don, and in the following year, appointed principal and profes- 
sor of natural science of McGill College, Montreal. It was 
through Sir Edmund Head also, then governor general of 
Canada, who as governor of Nova Scotia, had watched his 
