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Inventor, born in Greenock, Inverclyde, WC Scotland, UK. He went to Glasgow in 1754 to learn the trade of mathematical-instrument maker, and there, after a year in London, he set up in business. He was employed on surveys for several canals, improved harbours and rivers, and by 1759 was studying steam as a motive force. In 1763-4, in the course of repairing a working model of the Newcomen engine, he found he could greatly improve its efficiency by using a separate steam condenser. After other improvements, he went into partnership with Matthew Boulton, and the new engine was manufactured at Birmingham in 1774. Several other inventions followed, including the double-acting engine, parallel motion linkage, the centrifugal governor for automatic speed control, and the pressure gauge. The term horse-power was first used by him, and the SI unit of power is named after him.
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