James Watt and the Lunar Society

Greenockian James Watt (1736-1819) is best known as an inventor and engineer.  In 1775 he went into partnership with Matthew Boulton (1728-1809) and they later set up the Soho Foundry near Birmingham.  However both men were also part of a group of some of the most interesting thinkers and inventors of the time.  This group came to be known as the Birmingham Lunar Society.

The Lunar Society is thought to have started with Dr Erasmus Darwin (1731-1802), grandfather of Charles Darwin.  Darwin, a physician and poet, had a wide circle of friends and entertained them at his home.  Among them was another physician, Dr William Small (1734-1775) who had worked for a time in America and was mentor to Thomas Jefferson (3rd President of the United States) before returning to Birmingham.  He had a letter of introduction to Matthew Boulton from Benjamin Franklin and became Boulton's doctor.  The group often met at Boulton's home - Soho House.

Matthew Boulton

The Society was informal and met once a month regularly between 1765 and 1813 on the Monday nearest the full moon in the homes of the various members.  Those who attended (never more than 14) would have dinner and then settle to discuss a wide range of topics from science to philosophy.  It was said that they met at the time of the full moon to make travelling home easier.

Among others, the group also included some very interesting people - 

Samuel Galton (1753-1832), Quaker gunmaker, ornithologist and banker.

Dr William Withering (1741-1799) physician and botanist.

Joseph Priestly (1733-1804) minister, scientist (discovered oxygen) and revolutionary.

Captain James Keir (1735-1820), chemist and geologist.

John Whitehurst (1713-1788), clock and instrument maker and geologist.

Josiah Wedgewood

Josiah Wedgewood (1730-1795), pottery manufacturer.  (Interestingly, his daughter married Erasmus Darwin's son.)

Richard Lovell Edgeworth (1744-1817) inventor and writer.

In a previous Greenockian Blog post about James Watt's son, Gregory, many of the people mentioned above have connections to the Watt family.  Read the post here.