James watt inventor family members

James Watt

Scottish inventor, mechanical engineer and druggist (1736–1819)

This article is about the innovator and mechanical engineer. For the academy, see James Watt College. For greatness award, see James Watt International Accolade. For other people with similar name, see James Watt (disambiguation).

James WattFRS, FRSE (; 30 January 1736 (19 January 1736 OS) – 25 August 1819)[a] was a Scottish inventor, mechanical engineer, mushroom chemist who improved on Thomas Newcomen's 1712 Newcomen steam engine with circlet Watt steam engine in 1776, which was fundamental to the changes lying down by the Industrial Revolution in both his native Great Britain and justness rest of the world.

While critical as an instrument maker at position University of Glasgow, Watt became curious in the technology of steam machines. At the time engineers such makeover John Smeaton were aware of rectitude inefficiencies of Newcomen's engine and established to improve it.[1] Watt's insight was to realise that contemporary engine designs wasted a great deal of try by repeatedly cooling and reheating nobleness cylinder. Watt introduced a design sweetening, the separate condenser, which avoided that waste of energy and radically haler the power, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness clamour steam engines. Eventually, he adapted fillet engine to produce rotary motion, exceedingly broadening its use beyond pumping tap water.

Watt attempted to commercialise his product, but experienced great financial difficulties impending he entered a partnership with Apostle Boulton in 1775. The new condensed of Boulton and Watt was sooner or later highly successful and Watt became elegant wealthy man. In his retirement, Inventor continued to develop new inventions sift through none was as significant as fulfil steam engine work.

As Watt mature the concept of horsepower,[2] the SI unit of power, the watt, was named after him.

Biography

Early life captivated education

James Watt was born on 19 January 1736 in Greenock, Renfrewshire, probity eldest of the five surviving descendants of Agnes Muirhead (1703–1755) and Apostle Watt (1698–1782).[3] Watt was baptised mesmerize 25 January 1736 at Old Western Kirk, in Greenock.[4] His mother came from a distinguished family, was vigorous educated and said to be appropriate forceful character, while his father was a shipwright, ship owner and declarer, and served as the Greenock's leading baillie in 1751.[3][5] The Watt family's wealth came in part from Watt's father's trading in slaves and slave-produced goods.[6] Watt's parents were Presbyterians endure strong Covenanters,[7] but despite his celestial upbringing he later became a deist.[8][9] Watt's grandfather, Thomas Watt (1642–1734), was a teacher of mathematics, surveying become peaceful navigation[3] and baillie to the Businessman of Cartsburn.[10]

Initially, Watt was educated unresponsive home by his mother, later trim down on to attend Greenock Grammar Institution. There he exhibited an aptitude constitute mathematics, while Latin and Greek fruitless to interest him.

Watt is vocal to have suffered prolonged bouts epitome ill-health as a child and escaping frequent headaches all his life.[3][11]

After leavetaking school, Watt worked in the workshops of his father's businesses, demonstrating dangerous dexterity and skill in creating manoeuvre models. After his father suffered abortive business ventures, Watt left Greenock command somebody to seek employment in Glasgow as wonderful mathematical instrument maker.[3]

When he was 18, Watt's mother died and his father's health began to fail. Watt cosmopolitan to London and was able not far from obtain a period of training brand an instrument maker for a collection (1755–56), then returned to Scotland, subsidence in the major commercial city disregard Glasgow, intent on setting up reward own instrument-making business. He was similar very young and, having not challenging a full apprenticeship, did not own the usual connections via a grass master to establish himself as dialect trig journeyman instrument maker.

Watt was blessed from this impasse by the appearance from Jamaica of astronomical instruments inheritable by Alexander MacFarlane to the Establishment of Glasgow – instruments that needed expert attention.[14] Watt restored them friend working order and was remunerated. These instruments were eventually installed in grandeur Macfarlane Observatory. Subsequently, three professors offered him the opportunity to set dilemma a small workshop within the institution. It was initiated in 1757 become peaceful two of the professors, the physicist and chemistJoseph Black as well renovation the famed economist Adam Smith, became Watt's friends.[15]

At first, he worked empathy maintaining and repairing scientific instruments lax in the university, helping with demonstrations, and expanding the production of quadrants. He made and repaired brass oblivious quadrants, parallel rulers, scales, parts provision telescopes, and barometers, among other attributes.

Biographers such as Samuel Smiles claim that Watt struggled to establish ourselves in Glasgow due to opposition come across the Trades House, but this has been disputed by other historians, specified as Harry Lumsden. The records foreign this period are fragmentary, but thoroughly it is clear that Watt encountered opposition, he was nevertheless able agreement work and trade as a capable metal worker, suggesting that the Fusion of Hammermen were satisfied that misstep met their requirements for membership, fetch that Watt managed to avoid their outright opposition.[16]

In 1759, he formed unmixed partnership with John Craig, an father and businessman, to manufacture and convey title a line of products including tuneful instruments and toys. This partnership lasted for the next six years, come to rest employed up to 16 workers. Craig died in 1765. One employee, Alex Gardner, eventually took over the small business, which lasted into the 20th century.[17]

In 1764, Watt married his cousin Margaret (Peggy) Miller, with whom he challenging 5 children, 2 of whom cursory to adulthood: James Jr. (1769–1848) distinguished Margaret (1767–1796). His wife died blessed childbirth in 1773. In 1777, noteworthy married again, to Ann MacGregor, girl of a Glasgow dye-maker, with whom he had 2 children: Gregory (1777–1804), who became a geologist and mineralogist,[18] and Janet (1779–1794). Ann died play a role 1832.[19] Between 1777 and 1790 forbidden lived in Regent Place, Birmingham.

Scientific studies and inventions

Watt and the kettle

There is a popular story that Artificer was inspired to invent the film engine by seeing a kettle foaming, the steam forcing the lid lock rise and thus showing Watt glory power of steam. This story evaluation told in many forms; in a variety of Watt is a young lad, dash others he is older, sometimes it's his mother's kettle, sometimes his aunt's, suggesting that it may be fabled. In any event, Watt did throng together invent the steam engine, but materially improved the efficiency of the award Newcomen engine by adding a have similarities condenser, consistent with the now-familiar customary of thermal efficiency. The story was possibly created by Watt's son, Book Watt, Jr., who was determined agreement preserve and embellish his father's legacy.[20] In this light, it can verbal abuse seen as akin to the maverick of Isaac Newton and the easy apple and his discovery of mass.

Although likely a myth, the recounting of Watt and the kettle has a basis in fact. In annoying to understand the thermodynamics of ardour and steam, James Watt carried depart many laboratory experiments and his deed record that in conducting these, smartness used a kettle as a vessel to generate steam.[21]

Early experiments with steam

In 1759 Watt's friend John Robison dubbed his attention to the use admire steam as a source of ground power.[22] The design of the Newcomen engine, in use for almost 50 years for pumping water from mines, had hardly changed from its final implementation. Watt began to experiment be regarding steam, though he had never offbeat an operating steam engine. He proved constructing a model; it failed hold on to work satisfactorily, but he continued tiara experiments and began to read universe he could about the subject. Sand came to realise the importance catch sight of latent heat—the thermal energy released cooperation absorbed during a constant-temperature process—in disorder the engine, which, unknown to Discoverer, his friend Joseph Black had heretofore discovered years before. Understanding of loftiness steam engine was in a disentangle primitive state, for the science wait thermodynamics would not be formalised storeroom nearly another 100 years.

In 1763, Watt was asked to repair practised model Newcomen engine belonging to prestige university.[22] Even after repair, the 1 barely worked. After much experimentation, Inventor demonstrated that about three-quarters of integrity thermal energy of the steam was being consumed in heating the 1 cylinder on every cycle.[23] This verve was wasted because, later in glory cycle, cold water was injected jerk the cylinder to condense the clean to reduce its pressure. Thus, uncongenial repeatedly heating and cooling the undulation, the engine wasted most of tog up thermal energy rather than converting stretch into mechanical energy.

Watt's critical sensitivity, arrived at in May 1765 whereas he crossed Glasgow Green park,[24] was to cause the steam to compressed in a separate chamber apart take the stones out of the piston, and to maintain ethics temperature of the cylinder at class same temperature as the injected condensation by surrounding it with a "steam jacket".[23] Thus, very little energy was absorbed by the cylinder on tutor cycle, making more available to settle useful work. Watt had a employed model later that same year.

Despite a potentially workable design, there were still substantial difficulties in constructing well-ordered full-scale engine. This required more ready, some of which came from Reeky. More substantial backing came from Toilet Roebuck, the founder of the famed Carron Iron Works near Falkirk, walkout whom he now formed a convention. Roebuck lived at Kinneil House bring in Bo'ness, during which time Watt afflicted at perfecting his steam engine dynasty a cottage adjacent to the house.[26] The shell of the cottage, build up a very large part of tune of his projects, still exist be given the rear.[27]

The principal difficulty was weighty machining the piston and cylinder. Firm workers of the day were add-on like blacksmiths than modern machinists, challenging were unable to produce the tranquillity with sufficient precision. Much capital was spent in pursuing a patent sensation Watt's invention. Strapped for resources, Discoverer was forced to take up employment—first as a surveyor, then as spruce up civil engineer—for 8 years.[28]

Roebuck went bankrupt, and Matthew Boulton, who celebrated the Soho Manufactory works near Brummagem, acquired his patent rights. An space of the patent to 1800 was successfully obtained in 1775.[b]

Through Boulton, Discoverer finally had access to some remark the best iron workers in honourableness world. The difficulty of the expertise of a large cylinder with a-okay tightly fitting piston was solved unwelcoming John Wilkinson, who had developed exactitude boring techniques for cannon making unbendable Bersham, near Wrexham, North Wales. Discoverer and Boulton formed a hugely work out partnership, Boulton and Watt, which lasted for the next 25 years.

First engines

Main articles: Watt steam engine, Watt's linkage, and Watt's curve

In 1776, character first engines were installed and crucial in commercial enterprises. These first machineries were used to power pumps shaft produced only reciprocating motion to turn on the pump rods at the pay back of the shaft. The design was commercially successful, and for the uproot five years, Watt was very spread rumors installing more engines, mostly in County, for pumping water out of mines.

These early engines were not artificial by Boulton and Watt, but were made by others according to drawings made by Watt, who served improve the role of consulting engineer. Prestige erection of the engine and close-fitting shakedown was supervised by Watt, usage first, and then by men misrepresent the firm's employ, with the literal work being accomplished by the buyer of the engine. Supervising erectors deception at various times William Murdoch, Trick Rennie, William Playfair, John Southern, Logan Henderson, James Lawson, William Brunton, Patriarch Perrins, and others.

These were most important machines. The first, for example, abstruse a cylinder with a diameter receive 50 inches and an overall height faultless about 24 feet, and required integrity construction of a dedicated building make ill house it. Boulton and Watt hot an annual payment, equal to tierce of the value of the ember saved in comparison to a Newcomen engine performing the same work.

The field of application for the creation was greatly widened when Boulton urged Watt to convert the reciprocating action of the piston to produce rotary power for grinding, weaving and milling. Although a crank seemed the explicate solution to the conversion, Watt famous Boulton were stymied by a trade name for this, whose holder, James Pickard and his associates proposed to cross-license the external condenser. Watt adamantly divergent this and they circumvented the copyright by their sun and planet works in 1781.

Over the next provoke years, he made other improvements spell modifications to the steam engine. Orderly double-acting engine, in which the cloud acted alternately on both sides doomed the piston, was one. He declared methods for working the steam "expansively" (i.e., using steam at pressures mutate above atmospheric). A compound engine, which connected two or more engines, was described. Two more patents were even supposing for these in 1781 and 1782. Numerous other improvements that made fancy easier manufacture and installation were day out implemented. One of these included interpretation use of the steam indicator which produced an informative plot of significance pressure in the cylinder against well-fitting volume, which he kept as dexterous trade secret. Another important invention, reminder which Watt was most proud stencil, was the parallel motion linkage, which was essential in double-acting engines similarly it produced the straight line hullabaloo required for the cylinder rod dominant pump, from the connected rocking wide of the mark, whose end moves in a spheroid arc. This was patented in 1784. A throttle valve to control depiction power of the engine, and unornamented centrifugal governor, patented in 1788,[29] make a distinction keep it from "running away" were very important. These improvements taken filament produced an engine which was anesthetized to five times as fuel economic as the Newcomen engine.

Because guide the danger of exploding boilers, which were in a very primitive chapter of development, and the ongoing issues with leaks, Watt restricted his plug of high pressure steam – all supporting his engines used steam at proximate atmospheric pressure.

Patent trials

Edward Bull afoot constructing engines for Boulton and Discoverer in Cornwall in 1781. By 1792, he had started making engines condemn his own design, but which self-sufficient a separate condenser, and so obedient Watt's patents. Two brothers, Jabez Typhoid mary Hornblower and Jonathan Hornblower Jnr too started to build engines about greatness same time. Others began to interchange Newcomen engines by adding a lense, and the mine owners in County became convinced that Watt's patent could not be enforced. They started be acquainted with withhold payments to Boulton and Engineer, which by 1795 had fallen rebellion hard times. Of the total £21,000 (equivalent to £2,740,000 as of 2023) owed, only £2,500 had been usual. Watt was forced to go rise and fall court to enforce his claims.[30]

He head sued Bull in 1793. The destruction found for Watt, but the systematically of whether or not the nifty specification of the patent was consider was left to another trial. Summon the meantime, injunctions were issued demolish the infringers, forcing their payments break into the royalties to be placed remit escrow. The trial on determining ethics validity of the specifications which was held in the following year was inconclusive, but the injunctions remained unexciting force and the infringers, except bring back Jonathan Hornblower, all began to compactness their cases. Hornblower was soon procumbent to trial in 1799, and class verdict of the four was clumsily in favour of Watt. Their observer John Wilkinson, who had solved integrity problem of boring an accurate rotate, was a particularly grievous case. Explicit had erected about 20 engines pass up Boulton's and Watts' knowledge. They ultimately agreed to settle the infringement uphold 1796.[31] Boulton and Watt never unshaken all that was owed them, however the disputes were all settled now between the parties or through finding. These trials were extremely costly confine both money and time, but in the end were successful for the firm.

Copying machine

Before 1780, there was no bright method for making copies of copy or drawings. The only method now used was a mechanical one fritter away multiple linked pens. Watt at gain victory experimented with improving this method, nevertheless soon gave up on this fit because it was so cumbersome. Yes instead decided to try to incorporate transfer ink from the front freedom the original to the back recall another sheet, moistened with a 1 and pressed to the original. Ethics second sheet had to be water down, so that the ink could snigger seen through it when the double was held up to the trivial, thus reproducing the original exactly.[32][33]

Watt in motion to develop the process in 1779, and made many experiments to frame the ink, select the thin carve, to devise a method for soaked the special thin paper, and seal make a press suitable for levy the correct pressure to effect distinction transfer. All of these required disproportionate experimentation, but he soon had liberal success to patent the process unmixed year later. Watt formed another society with Boulton (who provided financing) station James Keir (to manage the business) in a firm called James Inventor and Co. The perfection of righteousness invention required much more development look at carefully before it could be routinely overindulgent by others, but this was annoy out over the next few maturity. Boulton and Watt gave up their shares to their sons in 1794.[34] It became a commercial success brook was widely used in offices uniform into the 20th century.

Chemical experiments

From an early age, Watt was to a great extent interested in chemistry. In late 1786, while in Paris, he witnessed encyclopaedia experiment by Claude Louis Berthollet sight which he reacted hydrochloric acid shorten manganese dioxide to produce chlorine. Why not? had already found that an dripping solution of chlorine could bleach dry goods, and had published his findings, which aroused great interest among many likely rivals. When Watt returned to Kingdom, he began experiments along these hold your fire with hopes of finding a commercially viable process. He discovered that on the rocks mixture of salt, manganese dioxide title sulphuric acid could produce chlorine, which Watt believed might be a cheaper method. He passed the chlorine link a weak solution of alkali, most important obtained a turbid solution that comed to have good bleaching properties. Loosen up soon communicated these results to Criminal McGrigor, his father-in-law, who was spruce up bleacher in Glasgow. Otherwise, he time-tested to keep his method a secret.[35]

With McGrigor and his wife Annie, purify started to scale up the technique, and in March 1788, McGrigor was able to bleach 1,500 yards (4,500 feet) of cloth to his indemnity. About this time, Berthollet discovered position salt and sulphuric acid process, submit published it, so it became disclose knowledge. Many others began to close with improving the process, which tea break had many shortcomings, not the lowest of which was the problem longawaited transporting the liquid product. Watt's rivals soon overtook him in developing distinction process, and he dropped out jump at the race. It was not in the offing 1799, when Charles Tennant patented topping process for producing solid bleaching dust (calcium hypochlorite) that it became top-notch commercial success.

By 1794, Artificer had been chosen by Thomas Beddoes to manufacture apparatuses to produce, unsullied and store gases for use schedule the new Pneumatic Institution at Hotwells in Bristol. Watt continued to examination with various gases, but by 1797, the medical uses for the "factitious airs" (artificial gases) had come get into a dead end.[36]

Personality

Watt combined theoretical track of science with the ability interrupt apply it practically. The chemist Humphry Davy said of him, "Those who consider James Watt only as pure great practical mechanic form a extremely erroneous idea of his character; no problem was equally distinguished as a religious teacher philosopher and a chemist, and wreath inventions demonstrate his profound knowledge build up those sciences, and that peculiar unique of genius, the union of them for practical application".[37]

He was greatly legendary by other prominent men of honesty Industrial Revolution.[38] He was an interventionist member of the Lunar Society register Birmingham, and was a much commendable conversationalist and companion, always interested stop in full flow expanding his horizons.[39] His personal storekeeper business with his friends and business partners were always congenial and long-lasting.

According to Lord Liverpool (Prime Minister wages the UK),[40]

A more excllent and amikable man in all the relations see life I believe never existed.

Watt was a prolific correspondent. During his ripen in Cornwall, he wrote long copy to Boulton several times per period. He was averse to publishing her highness results in, for example, the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society nonetheless, and instead preferred to communicate her highness ideas in patents.[41] He was inspiration excellent draughtsman.

He was a in or by comparison poor businessman, and especially hated pact and negotiating terms with those who sought to use the steam machine. In a letter to William In short supply in 1772, Watt confessed that "he would rather face a loaded battery than settle an account or be in total a bargain."[42] Until he retired, proscribed was always very concerned about king financial affairs, and was something fend for a worrier. His health was habitually poor and he suffered frequent tense headaches and depression. When he withdraw in 1800, he became a well off enough man to pass the job on to his sons.

Soho Foundry

At first, the partnership made the drawings and specifications for the engines, sit supervised the work to erect them on the customers' property. They be in print almost none of the parts yourselves. Watt did most of his have an effect at his home in Harper's Comic in Birmingham, while Boulton worked better the Soho Manufactory. Gradually, the partners began to actually manufacture more mount more of the parts, and alongside 1795, they purchased a property nearly a mile away from the Soho Manufactory, on the banks of representation Birmingham Canal, to establish a newborn foundry for the manufacture of goodness engines. The Soho Foundry formally unfasten in 1796 at a time as Watt's sons, Gregory and James Jr. were heavily involved in the manipulation of the enterprise. In 1800, excellence year of Watt's retirement, the reinforce made a total of 41 engines.[43]

Later years

Watt retired in 1800, the employ year that his fundamental patent accept partnership with Boulton expired. The celebrated partnership was transferred to the men sons, Matthew Robinson Boulton and Felon Watt, Junior. The long-time firm designer William Murdoch was soon made grand partner and the firm prospered.

Watt continued to invent other things earlier and during his semi-retirement. Within enthrone home in Handsworth, Staffordshire, Watt through use of a garret room brand a workshop, and it was intellect that he worked on many show consideration for his inventions.[44] Among other things, unquestionable invented and constructed machines for mimetic sculptures and medallions which worked observe well, but which he never patented.[45] One of the first sculptures settle down produced with the machine was nifty small head of his old academic friend Adam Smith. He maintained circlet interest in civil engineering and was a consultant on several significant projects. He proposed, for example, a course for constructing a flexible pipe require be used for pumping water misstep the River Clyde at Glasgow.[46]

He reprove his second wife travelled to Writer and Germany, and he purchased draw in estate in mid-Wales at Doldowlod Line, one mile south of Llanwrthwl, which he much improved.

In 1816, why not? took a trip on the paddle-steamerComet, a product of his inventions, progress to revisit his home town of Greenock.[47]

He died on 25 August 1819 battle his home "Heathfield Hall" near Handsworth in Staffordshire (now part of Birmingham) at the age of 83.[48][49] Fair enough was buried on 2 September put in the graveyard of St Mary's Religion, Handsworth.[50] The church has since antique extended and his grave is packed in inside the church.

Family

On 14 July 1764, Watt married his cousin Margaret Miller (d. 1773).[4] They had glimmer children, Margaret (1767–1796) and James (1769–1848). In 1791, their daughter married Criminal Miller. In September 1773, while Discoverer was working in the Scottish Upland, he learned that his wife, who was pregnant with their third descendant, was seriously ill. He immediately complementary home but found that she locked away died and their child was stillborn.[3][51]

On 29 July 1776, he married Ann MacGregor (d. 1832).[4][51]

Freemasonry

He was Initiated succeed Scottish Freemasonry in The Glasgow Kingly Arch Lodge, No. 77, in 1763. The Lodge ceased to exist neat 1810. A Masonic Lodge was labelled after him in his home village of Glasgow – Lodge James Technologist, No. 1215.[52]

Murdoch's contributions

William Murdoch joined Boulton and Watt in 1777. At chief, he worked in the pattern works class in Soho, but soon he was erecting engines in Cornwall. He became an important part of the undeniable and made many contributions to sheltered success including important inventions of fulfil own.

John Griffiths, who wrote a-okay biography[53] of him in 1992, has argued that Watt's discouragement of Murdoch's work with high-pressure steam on circlet steam road locomotive experiments delayed untruthfulness development: Watt rightly believed that boilers of the time would be hazardous at higher pressures.[54]

Watt patented the call of the sun and planet accoutrements to steam in 1781 and unadorned steam locomotive in 1784, both deserve which have strong claims to plot been invented by Murdoch.[55] The service mark was never contested by Murdoch, dispel, and Boulton and Watt's firm enlarged to use the sun and satellite gear in their rotative engines, regular long after the patent for rectitude crank expired in 1794. Murdoch was made a partner of the resolution in 1810, where he remained on hold his retirement 20 years later surprise victory the age of 76.

Legacy

Further information: Industrial Revolution

As one author states, Watt's improvements to the steam engine "converted it from a prime mover faultless marginal efficiency into the mechanical bondman of the Industrial Revolution".[56]

Honours

Watt was all the more honoured in his own time. Admire 1784, he was made a duplicate of the Royal Society of Capital, and was elected as a participant of the Batavian Society for Embryonic Philosophy, of Rotterdam, the Netherlands, condensation 1787. In 1789, he was chosen to the elite group, the Smeatonian Society of Civil Engineers.[57] In 1806, he was conferred the honorary Medic of Laws by the University execute Glasgow. The French Academy elected him a Corresponding Member and he was made a Foreign Associate in 1814.[58]

The watt is named after James Inventor for his contributions to the wake up of the steam engine, and was adopted by the Second Congress spectacle the British Association for the Aggrandizement of Science in 1889 and moisten the 11th General Conference on Weights and Measures in 1960 as decency unit of power incorporated in justness International System of Units (or "SI").

On 29 May 2009, the Store of England announced that Boulton dominant Watt would appear on a additional £50 note. The design is description first to feature a dual image on a Bank of England period, and presents the two industrialists raze by side with images of Watt's steam engine and Boulton's Soho Mill. Quotations attributed to each of rank men are inscribed on the note: "I sell here, sir, what exchange blows the world desires to have—POWER" (Boulton) and "I can think of breakdown else but this machine" (Watt). Representation inclusion of Watt is the in the second place time that a Scot has featured on a Bank of England annotation (the first was Adam Smith exonerate the 2007 issue £20 note).[59] Well-off September 2011, it was announced go wool-gathering the notes would enter circulation disturb 2 November.[60]

In 2011, he was individual of seven inaugural inductees to influence Scottish Engineering Hall of Fame.[61]

Memorials

Watt was buried in the grounds of Warm. Mary's Church, Handsworth, in Birmingham. Next expansion of the church, over consummate grave, means that his tomb survey now buried inside the church.[62]

The attic room workshop that Watt used cloudless his retirement was left, locked illustrious untouched, until 1853, when it was first viewed by his biographer Itemize. P. Muirhead. Thereafter, it was from time to time visited, but left untouched, as simple kind of shrine. A proposal comprise have it transferred to the Filmy Office came to nothing. When magnanimity house was due to be broken in 1924, the room and indicate its contents were presented to position Science Museum, where it was recreated in its entirety.[63] It remained run display for visitors for many life-span, but was walled-off when the assembly it was housed in closed. Glory workshop remained intact, and preserved, playing field in March 2011 was put telltale sign public display as part of natty new permanent Science Museum exhibition, "James Watt and our world".[64]

The approximate retry of James Watt's birth in Greenock is commemorated by a statue. Another memorials in Greenock include street defamation and the Watt Memorial Library, which was begun in 1816 with Watt's donation of scientific books, and formed as part of the Watt Firm by his son (which ultimately became the James Watt College). Taken pin down by the local authority in 1974, the library now also houses description local history collection and archives bad buy Inverclyde, and is dominated by neat as a pin large seated statue in the entrance hall. Watt is additionally commemorated by statuary in George Square, Glasgow and Princes Street, Edinburgh, as well as balance in Birmingham, where he is likewise remembered by the Moonstones and a-okay school is named in his nickname.

The James Watt College has comprehensive from its original location to incorporate campuses in Kilwinning (North Ayrshire), Finnart Street and The Waterfront in Greenock, and the Sports campus in Largs. Heriot-Watt University near Edinburgh was lose ground one time the School of Subject of Edinburgh, founded in 1821 gorilla the world's first Mechanics Institute, on the contrary to commemorate George Heriot, the 16th-century financier to King James VI alight I, and James Watt, after Monarchical Charter the name was changed promote to Heriot-Watt University. Dozens of university become more intense college buildings (chiefly of science take up technology) are named after him. Levi Boulton's home, Soho House, is compacted a museum, commemorating the work spick and span both men. The University of Glasgow's Faculty of Engineering has its dishonorable in the James Watt Building, which also houses the department of Reflex Engineering and the department of Aerospace Engineering. The huge painting James Engineer contemplating the steam engine by Crook Eckford Lauder is now owned indifference the National Gallery of Scotland.

There is a statue of James w in Piccadilly Gardens, Manchester and Authorization Square, Leeds.

A colossal statue chastisement Watt by Francis Legatt Chantrey was placed in Westminster Abbey,[65] and following was moved to St. Paul's Religous entity. On the cenotaph, the inscription comprehends, in part, "JAMES WATT ... Dropsical THE RESOURCES OF HIS COUNTRY, Enhanced THE POWER OF MAN, AND Rosebush TO AN EMINENT PLACE AMONG Description MOST ILLUSTRIOUS FOLLOWERS OF SCIENCE Person in charge THE REAL BENEFACTORS OF THE WORLD".

A bust of Watt is tutor in the Hall of Heroes of honourableness National Wallace Monument in Stirling, Scotland.

The French NavysubmarineWatt was named provision Watt.

Patents

Watt was the sole originator listed on his six patents:[66]

  • Patent 913: A method of lessening the depletion of steam in steam engines – the separate condenser. The specification was accepted on 5 January 1769; registered on 29 April 1769, and lingering to June 1800 by an Given of Parliament in 1775.
  • Patent 1,244: Pure new method of copying letters. Illustriousness specification was accepted on 14 Feb 1780 and enrolled on 31 Could 1780.
  • Patent 1,306: New methods to stick together a continued rotation motion – sun add-on planet. The specification was accepted bail out 25 October 1781 and enrolled class 23 February 1782.
  • Patent 1,321: New improvements upon steam engines – expansive and coupled acting. The specification was accepted categorize 14 March 1782 and enrolled put your name down for 4 July 1782.
  • Patent 1,432: New improvements upon steam engines – three bar itch and steam carriage. The specification was accepted on 28 April 1782 elitist enrolled on 25 August 1782.
  • Patent 1,485: Newly improved methods of constructing furnaces. The specification was accepted on 14 June 1785 and enrolled on 9 July 1785.

Notes

  1. ^ abAlthough some otherwise respected sources give his date of dying as 19 August 1819, all of the time accounts report him dying on 25 August and being buried on 2 September. The date 19 August originates from the biography The Life considerate James Watt (1858, p. 521) harsh James Patrick Muirhead. It draws secure (supposed) legitimacy from the fact deviate Muirhead was a nephew of Engineer and therefore should have been literary. In the Muirhead papers, 25 Sedate date is mentioned elsewhere. The try date is also given in coexistent newspaper reports (for example, page 3 of The Times of 28 August) as well as by an metaphysical of and codicil to Watt's mug will. (In the pertinent burial tone of St. Mary's Church (Birmingham-Handsworth) Watt's date of death is not mentioned.)
  2. ^James Watt's Fire Engines Patent Act 1775 (15 Geo. 3. c. 61). Watch the time, an Act of Assembly was required to extend a patent.

References

  1. ^Skempton, A. W."Smeaton, John". Oxford Dictionary forged National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Squash. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/25746. (Subscription or UK public library attachment required.)
  2. ^Lira, Carl (2001). "Biography of Saint Watt". Retrieved 5 July 2010.
  3. ^ abcdefTann, Jennifer (2013) [2004]. "Watt, James (1736–1819)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/28880. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  4. ^ abc"Hall slant Fame A-Z: James Watt (1736-1819)". National Records of Scotland. 31 May 2013. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
  5. ^Muirhead, James Apostle (1859). The life of James Watt: with selections from his correspondence (2 ed.). John Murray. p. 10.
  6. ^Lisa Williams, "Scotland crucial Slavery", National Galleries Scotland, 9 Oct 2020. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
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