William Symington

[1] While Symington died in poverty after failing to commercialise his steam engine designs, he is still credited as one of the great inventors of the early Industrial Revolution.

While there, he impressed the manager of a local mining company, Gilbert Meason, so much that he was sent to the University of Edinburgh in 1786 to spend a few months attending science lectures.

[2] By the time William joined his brother, George had already succeeded in building the second engine using James Watt's design to be built in Scotland.

Encouraged by Gilbert Meason, Symington demonstrated the practicality of his idea and his improved atmospheric engine was patented in 1787.

After its completion, Symington drew up a prospectus outlining the advantages of his invention, and this was circulated by Meason and his influential friends.

The banker Patrick Miller of Dalswinton, just north of Dumfries, had experimented with double hulled pleasure boats propelled by cranked paddlewheels placed between the hulls, and he got Symington to build the patent steam engine with its drive into a pleasure boat built in 1785 which was successfully tried out on Dalswinton Loch near Miller's house on 14 October 1788.

The first trial, on 2 December 1789, was unsuccessful because the paddle wheels were not up to the task and began to break up when an increase in speed was attempted.

Although Symington is best remembered for his contribution to steam powered vessels, he also built successful engines for mines and mills.

In 1793, he developed a crank drive with a crosshead above the cylinder, and built such an engine to wind coal from one of Bruce's pits.

At a meeting of company directors on 5 June 1800, Dundas brought up the idea of having a Captain Schank boat worked by a steam engine provided by Symington.

The boat was built by Alexander Hart at Grangemouth and was tested on the River Carron in June 1801, when it moved with ease.

The Charlotte Dundas therefore became the first boat to do more than just move itself, but the Canal Company – to Symington's disappointment – did not wish to pursue the construction of another vessel.

Lord Dundas invited Symington to meet Duke of Bridgewater with a view to order 8 new boats for his canal.

The Callendar venture ended badly, however, and, in a dispute at the High Court in Edinburgh that lasted until 1810, Symington lost.

Due to Patrick Miller's unwillingness to pursue the potential of the 1789 trial, the loss of interest from Lord Dundas and the proceedings at the High Court, Symington was left out-of-pocket.