register > > Watt, James (1736–1819)

Watt, James

30. January 1736 – 15. August 1819

Scottish mechanic, professor, instrument maker and inventor.

James Watt became famous for his improvement of Thomas Newcomen’s steam engine and the industrial mass production of steam engines with Matthew Boulton.

With Boulton, he installed the world’s first steam-powered coining machine and was responsible for building several factories near Birmingham, including the Soho Foundry.

From 1800, Watt’s son, James Watt Junior, together with Matthew Robinson Boulton, continued to run the Boulton & Watt company as managing directors.

Traveljournal 1814

Traveljournal 1846

Traveljournal 1851

  • Fischer, Johann Conrad: Tagebücher. Bearbeitet von Karl Schib. Schaffhausen 1951.
  • Henderson, W. O.: J. C. Fischers Reisen durch die Industriegebiete Englands 1814–1851. In: Tradition - Zeitschrift für Firmengeschichte und Unternehmensbiographie 1964, S. 128f.
  • Henderson, W. O.: J. C. Fischer and his Diary of Industrial England 1814–1851. London 1966, S. 68f.

Cite as: Watt, James. In: Travel Reports of a Pioneer: Digital Edition of the Travel Journals of Johann Conrad Fischer 1794–1851. Published by Franziska Eggimann. Edited by Franziska Eggimann, Nicolau Lutz, Valerija Rukavina und Christopher Zoller-Blundell. Schlatt 2023, Version 1.2, https://johannconradfischer.com/en/names/gfa-actors-7523, viewed on 7 June 2025.

[[title]]
James Watt (portrait by John Partridge, 1806)