Memorials of the lineage, early life, education and development of the genius of James Watt

INTRODUCTION. IX
A first and essential point, therefore, was to discover, if possible,
the House in which Mr. Watt was born. This was soon satisfactorily
done. It was ascertained upon evidence, both oral and documentary,
that James Watt first drew the breath of life in a house which had
stood upon the site of the tenement occupied in part, in 1820, as the
" Greenock Tavern," — the very house in which, in those days, the
Watt Club meetings were held, and within which, by a singular coin-
cidence, the inquiry which terminated in establishing the interesting-
fact was instituted. 1 A number of very interesting facts regarding
Watt's boyish days were also at this time collected, chiefly from the
communications of individuals still at that time alive, who had either
been his schoolfellows, or of the number of his own or his father's
personal friends, and upon whose testimony the most perfect reliance
was to be placed ; — facts which, it is unnecessary to say, were care-
fully noted and preserved, together with the documents on which
their authenticity rested.
For many years the author continued to prosecute his inquiries, as
leisure presented itself, addressing himself to every source that was
likely to reward research by adding to what might be known of so
important a history. Much new and interesting matter was found to
exist in the traditions as well as archives of the burgh, not only relat-
ing to the Great Engineer himself, but also to the particulars of his
family and progenitors, who had, for more than one generation, occu-
pied a respected position in the locality, and in different ways exerted
a notable influence upon the welfare of the town of Greenock, during
perhaps the most important period of its history. To these inquiries
were added such as related to Watt's schools and schoolmasters, — to
1 The concurrence of circumstances was the tied as the site of the " House in which James
occasion of a change of the name of the House, Watt was horn." For a detail of the original
which has long heen known as The James Watt evidence collected by the author in regard to the
(Tavern) ; being by this means popularly identi- house, the reader is referred to Appendix B.
2