James Watt - Greenock, UK
Posted by: 
neoc1
N 55° 56.875 W 004° 45.304
30U E 390399 N 6201673
A statue of James Watt is located at the northeast corner of the James Watt Memorial Building at the corner of Dalrymple Street and William Street in Greenock, Scotland, UK.
Waymark Code: WM1837M
Location: Northern Scotland, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 05/21/2023
Views: 1
A life-size bronze statue of Greenock born mechanical engineer and inventor James Watt was created by Henry Charles Fehr in part with Carnegie Memorial funding. Watt is depicted standing on a bronze plinth set on an octagonal sandstone base with carvings of various machine parts and engineering instrument on each face. Watt wearing an open knee length coat, a buttoned waistcoat, trouser and knee high stockings. He is holding a Watt Indicator in his right. A Watt Indicated is a instrument used to measure the cylinder pressure versus piston displacement during the stroke cycle of a steam engine. He is holding a tablet in his left hand.
On a polished red granite dado below ornate curved butresses is the inscription:
JAMES WATT
BORN 1736 - DIED 1819
THIS MEMORIAL BUILDING
IS ERECTED ON THE PLACE
OF HIS BIRTH
James Watt was born in Greenock on January 30, 1736 (January 19, 1736 OS). He experienced an aptitude for mathematics and demonstrating skill in creating engineering models. He left Greenock to work as a mathematical instrument maker in Glasgow.
Watt became aware of the use of steam as a source of power and began to experiment with a steam engine. His designs led to the creation of successful steam engines. Because of his contributions to the development of the steam engine Watt was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and was a member of the Batavian Society for Experimental Philosophy. In 1806, he received an honorary Doctor of Laws by the University of Glasgow. He was also elected to the The French Academy as a Corresponding Member and later a Foreign Associate.