William Durham (chemist)

William Durham FRSE (8 November 1834 – 23 January 1893) was a Scottish chemist, papermaker, astronomer and academic author.

He was born in Edinburgh in November 1834, probably the son of James Durham, a stationer at 9 Blair Street in the Old Town.

He was originally apprenticed to the publisher Adam Black and appears to here have gained an interest in paper-making and the chemistry of paper.

His proposers were Peter Guthrie Tait, William Lindsay Alexander, Sir James Donaldson and Stevenson Macadam.

He was married to Mary Helen Durham who died on Christmas Day 1928.