James Watt

James Watt (1736-1819) was born in Greenock in Scotland. As a young boy he suffered from ill health and received little formal education. He went to London in his late teens to learn to make mathematical instruments and was working in this field back in Scotland in 1763, when he was asked to repair a model of Thomas Newcomen's steam engine. He devised improvements that resulted in a new type of engine that was much more fuel-efficient.

Watt went on to achieve great success with his steam engines and continued to develop and invent other technologies. He worked out how to convert up-and-down piston movement to rotary movement, allowing engines to power looms, bellows and other mechanical devices. He created the term 'horsepower,' and he also invented a machine for copying sculpture and a letter copying press.

In 1882, 63 years after Watt died, the British Association honoured him by giving his name to the unit of electrical power.

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