Grampian Club > Monuments and monumental inscriptions in Scotland > Volume 1

410 EENFREWSHIRE.
partnership with Dr. Eoebuck of the Carron Ironworks, for the
construction of steam engines ; and a model was erected at Kinneil,
near Borrowstounness. Dr. Eoebuck's unexpected embarrassments
led him to seek another partnership, and he was fortunate in
forming such a connection with Matthew Boulton, of Soho, near
Birmingham. Aided by this ingenious person, he was enabled
to carry out his invention in all its details, and to secure by a
series of patents the benefits of his discovery. After twenty-seven
years' labour at Soho, he retired from business in 1800, convey-
ing to his two sons his interest in the prosperous business which
he and Boulton had established. Watt was admitted to member-
ship of most of the learned societies in the United Kingdom and on
the Continent. He died at Heathfield, Staffordshire, on the 25th
August, 1819. In 1824 his statue, by a national subscription, was
erected at Birmingham, and monuments or institutions in his
honour have been reared in the principal towns.
In the west church burying-ground two altar stones, placed con-
tiguously, denote the burial-place of James and Thomas Watt,
father and grandfather of the engineer. On the tombstone of the
engineer's grandfather is an inscription, executed by an illiterate
stone-hewer ; it is subjoined verhativi : —
" Thomas Watt died Feb. 28th 1734 aged 92. Margaret Sherrer
his spouse died March 21 1755 aged 79, lived in marredge 55
years."
The other tombstone was erected by the engineer, in memory of
his parents and an only brother. It is inscribed thus : —