James Edge Partington

Who was James Edge Partington?

James Edge Partington was a British anthropologist, acknowledged as an authority on Pacific ethnology. He collected materials of the peoples of the Pacific and Australasian regions, but also took an interest in the peasant culture of Europe, especially in the area of the Chiltern Hills.

Born 6 February 1854, his family moved from Manchester to London, though he maintained close connections with the North of the country. His education was at Rugby School, and after reading law he began a career as a solicitor. He was a long serving member of the Royal Anthropological Institute, frequently attending its meetings and publishing in its journal, and volunteered his time to the ethnological department of the British Museum.

Before he died on 4 November 1930, his extensive collections and library were donated to the British, Australian, and Auckland museums.