INTRODUCTION
In 1833, Dr. Robert Bowie published a biography of William Symington, his late father-in-law. Bowie's "Brief Narrative" was based on a Memorial which William Symington had prepared and submitted to the Lords of the Treasury. Bowie recounted that when Symington attempted to retrieve his drawings and documents, he was told they could not be procured.
Bowie's Narrative indicated that the Memorial had been presented in about 1825.1 Seeking William Symington's original submission in the Public Records Office, I searched the indexes to Treasury papers for 1825 and for the years to either side of that date. My initial search was unsuccessful. There was no entry registered under the name of Symington.
Having undertaken post-graduate Neurology studies in London, I returned to the Public Record Office at Kew a couple of years later and made a further concerted review of the Treasury files. I confirmed that no submission had been made under the name Symington. William Symington had failed to retrieve his drawings, which were presumed lost. A review of the BRIEF NARRATIVE revealed that Bowie, in his concluding remarks, paid tribute to Sir Ronald Ferguson and others for the interest they had taken in William Symington's welfare.
Lieutenant General Sir Ronald Ferguson (1773-1841) was the Member of Parliament for the Kirkcaldy burghs at the time. His wife was a sister of Lady Dumfries who had connections with the Wanlockhead Mining Company. Having noted Bowie's acknowledgement, I reviewed the Treasury Index which immediately revealed the following entry under Ferguson dated April 27, 1826, in the index of “Treasury Board Papers, Alphabetical, Individual”:2
“FERGUSON, Sir R.C. with Documents from W. Symington in confirmation of his Statement of being the original inventor of the steam boat " – No. 8026 D Reg; 27th April 1826
Sir Robert Ferguson had directed William Symington’s documents to J. C. Herries, Joint Secretary of the Treasury with the following covering letter dated Rotten Row, 24th April 1826:
5 Rotten Row,
24th April 1826
My Dear Sir,
You will be alarmed at the voluminous papers I send to you –
you will find among them a petition to the House of Commons
from Mr. W. Symington stating himself to be the original
inventor of the steam boat, accompanied by various documents, in
confirmation of his statement and by some original Drawings
one of which was made in 1789 –
He is a man of great genius, & unfortunately labours
under the united misfortunes of poverty & old age.
I hope the Chancellor of the Exchequer will consider him
or his wife, as an object deserving of his further Bounty.
I am My Dear sir,
Yours truly,
R. C. Ferguson
J. C. Herries Esq.3
Sir R. C. Ferguson with Documents from W. Symington in confirmation
of his Statement of being the original Inventor of the Steam Boat –
No. 8086
Reg.d 27th April 1826
William Symington wrote to his accountant and adviser Robert Wight from Falkirk on 22 November 1825, stating that his Petition had been made out and “I mean it to be presented either by General Ferguson, or his friend David Gilbert, Esq., who is a strong ministerial member, or Mr. Hume, and seconded by Mr. Brougham. I have received all my drawings from Orkney in good condition, which have been found among the papers of the Late Malcolm Laing, Esq., and brought to England by Mr. Maconachie, Sheriff Depute of Orkney, and delivered to me here by James Blackie, manager of Calton Foundry.”4
Malcolm Laing (1763-1818) was an advocate, member of parliament for Orkney and Shetland, and a historian. How or why Laing came to be in possession of the sketches for the ferry scheme is unknown. He had a connection with Wanlockhead through his younger brother Gilbert (1769-1832) who was a partner in the mining company there.
William Symington’s submissions to Treasury and Parliament comprised a Memorial to the Lords of Treasury dated 1st December 1824 and a Petition to the House of Commons dated 4th November 1825, illustrated by a set of drawings which are mentioned in the text. His Petition was supported by a set of eleven affidavits collected between October 1824 and September 1825, together with Symington’s own affidavit, signed and dated 29th December 1825.
The submission also included a copy made in 1815 of the Extract of the Specification of his 1801 invention.
Ultimately, these documents were presented by Lieutenant General Sir Ronald Ferguson (1773-1841) who was the Member of Parliament for the Kirkcaldy burghs at the time. His wife was a sister of Lady Dumfries who had connections with the Wanlockhead Mining Company.
The texts of William Symington’s Memorial and Petition are presented here in full, together with the affidavits and the drawings which are referred to in the Petition. None of these drawings has been published. Of the drawings which accompany the Petition, only that of the 1788 experiment shows engine detail. Although the other drawings are simple diagrams only, two are important: – “No. 2” which depicts the improved version of the 1789 boat for Patrick Miller and “No 3” which represents the first boat built for Lord Dundas. These sketches by William Symington are the only surviving original drawings which depict these two concepts.
References
1 Bowie’s Narrative page 23
2 National Archive, Treasury Board Papers T 1/2424/No. 8026
3 John Charles Herries 1788-1855 Joint Secretary to the Treasury; Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1827
4 The Engineer 4 April 1902
WILLIAM SYMINGTONS MEMORIAL TO TREASURY DATED 1 DECEMBER 1824
On the cover of this document is written: “Memorial for William Symington Civil Engineer To the Right Honourable the Lords of His Majesty’s Treasury 1824”, below which is an inscription, which wrongly interprets William Symington’s argument thus: “stating his claims to Reward from the Public on the ground of his having been the first person to suggest that the powers of the Steam Engine should be applied to propel Vessels thro’ the Water”. William Symington did not claim he was the first to suggest the use of a steam engine to power a boat; his claim was to have been the first to perfect the invention and to effectively apply the power of the steam engine to propelling vessels: “it was the Memorialist alone who invented a Steam Engine fit for the purpose, and actually employed it to the propelling of boats” He states quite clearly that it was Jonathan Hulls who had patented the concept of using a steam engine to propel a boat.
Under the inscription on the face of the Memorial is written: “No. 4418 Rd. 7 March 1825”and “Rec d. 8 March 1825 Write to party GDW”
The perfunctory annotation of the Memorial by an unidentified official portended a less than satisfactory outcome: whereas William Symington had spent a considerable sum in preparing these documents, he was ultimately awarded only a nominal sum.
The following is my transcription of the Memorial. Note that the explanatory notes in the margin of the Memorial are on the left side of the page in the original.
The Humble Memorial of William Symington Civil En=
=gineer residing at Falkirk in the County of
Stirling North Britain
To The Right Honourable the
Lords Commissioners of His Majesty’s
Treasury.
Sheweth,
That your Memorialist has been advised by
several of his friends and acquaintances to lay before your Lordships
the following brief Statement of facts relative to his connection with
the perfecting of Steam Boat Navigation, in the hope that your
Lordships may be induced to afford him that relief which should
have been made to him by the Invention itself - had not for=
=tuitous circumstances interfered to deprive him of the remunera=
=tion that might have been expected upon bringing to perfection
so useful an invention.
Your Memorialist was born at Leadhills in Description
the County of Lanark North Britain, in the year Seventeen hun= of the
=dred and Sixty four of poor but respectable parents.- He was Memorialist
intended for, and partly educated with a view to the Church;
but his turn for Mechanical philosophy soon led him to
change his object, and to direct his Studies to the exercise of the
profession of a Civil Engineer.
Having commenced this pursuit he made
several improvements on the Steam Engine, for some of which
he procured His Majesty’s Letters patent; and introduced his
improvements with considerable advantage into different
parts of England and Scotland.
In July Seventeen hundred and Eighty Six The Memorialist
he went to Edinburgh, and submitted to the Professors of that introduced to the
University and to other Learned and Scientific Gentlemen the late Mr Miller of
model of a Carriage which he had invented, and intended to be Dalswinton
moved on public roads by the power of Steam.
Page Second
Upon this occasion, he met the late Patrick Miller
Esquire of Dalswinton, who had been informed not only of his model
of a steam Carriage, but of his previous improvements on the Steam
Engine, by Mr James Taylor a school companion of the Memorialist
and who was then tutor in Mr Millers family.
When Mr Miller called on the Memorialist, at the
house of his much respected friend the late Gilbert Meason Esqr.,
he was shewn the model of the Steam carriage, and Mr Miller
was pleased to say, it bid fair to improve greatly the Commerce of
the Country, by facilitating conveyance and reducing the
rates of carriage.-
Mr. Miller also mentioned that he had spent
much time making experiments as to the propelling of Vessels
upon Water by using wheels in place of Sails or Oars. These
wheels he had hitherto put in motion by applying the
strength of men to the turning of a handle or winch.-
He said he had also attempted to work them by the power of
Horses, but none of these powers had sufficiently answered
his purpose, and he appealed to your Memorialist whether
it was practicable to apply the Steam Engine to the pro=
=pelling of such vessels.
Your Memorialist stated without hesitation that
he believed a Steam Engine might be constructed to propel Mr
Millar’s Boats by communicating a Rotatory motion to the
Paddles by the alternate action of two rachet wheels, in
the same manner as proposed in the model of the Steam
Carriage, then before him; which would render altogether
unnecessary the aid of a Fly-wheel to regulate & equalize
the effects of the Steam Engine in turning the revolving Oars.
The model then before Mr Miller, and the They agree to
description given by your Memorialist of the manner by make an experi=
which he proposed applying the same power to produce =ment
a rotary motion in his paddle wheels, seemed to convince
him of the practicability of applying the Steam Engine
to the propelling of Boats; and he said with a becoming
diffidence, as to his knowledge in mechanical powers,
that if your Memorialist should think it possible to
construct
Page Third
construct, and work a Steam Engine with safety on board of a
Vessel, he would have an experiment made on a small scale so
as soon as the Memorialist could attend to it; and he left it entirely
to your Memorialist to devise the plan of the Steam Engine; the
mode of producing rotary motion; and the placing of the
apparatus with safety in the Vessel; only stipulating that the
whole energy and ability of the Memorialist, was to be directed
to the only end he had in view that of making his Paddle
wheels constantly revolve with a sufficient degree of velocity.
Upon this mutual understanding the First experiment
Memorialist accepted the employment of Mr Miller, and under the patronage
proceeded to erect a small Steam Engine upon the principle of Mr Miller upon
for which he had previously procured a Patent, having two the Lake at Dal=
Cylinders of four Inches Diameter, each making an eighteen =swinton.
inch Stroke. This Engine, having been constructed by the
direction and under the Eye of the Memorialist, he caused
it to be fitted on board a Double keeled Vessel, then laying
upon a piece of water near the house of Dalswinton, and
this being done an experiment was made, in the Autumn
of the Year Seventeen hundred and eighty eight in presence
of Mr Miller and various other respectable persons; and the
boat was propelled in a manner that gave such satisfac=
=tion, that it was immediately determined to commence
an experiment upon a more extended scale.
The second experiment was made on the Second experiment
Forth and Clyde Canal.- The machinery was made at under the patronage
Carron Iron Works under the direction of the Memorialist, of Mr Miller
and was erected in a Boat belonging to Mr Miller which he upon the Forth and Clyde
had previously caused to be built and fitted with paddle Canal.
Wheels for the purpose of making experiments as to the
effect of these wheels turned by the labour of men
as already described. The Memorialist fitted into this
Boat a Steam Engine with two cylinders each eighteen
inches in Diameter and making a three feet stroke;
and in the month of October Seventeen hundred and
eighty nine he took on Board Mr Miller, the late
John Adam, John Balfour, A. Tibbets Esquires, Members
of
Page Fourth
the Carron Company; Mr Taylor his School Companion;
and David Drysdale an experienced Sailor, to whom he
gave the helm; and while Surrounded by hundreds
of Spectators who lined the Banks of the Canal, the
Boat glided along, propelled at the rate of five miles
an hour, and all parties interested declared themselves
satisfied with the success of the experiment.
Your Memorialist has herewith produced the
original Drawing with an Account of the Expence of the
Machinery which, exclusive of the cost of the Boat that
previously belonged to Mr Millar, amounted to Three hundred
and Sixty three pounds, Ten shillings, and Ten pence, as cer=
=tified by Joseph Stainton Esquire Manager of the Carron
Company.
These experiments having been completed
under the patronage of Mr Miller, that gentleman be=
=came satisfied that his invention of paddle wheels was
capable of giving a considerable velocity to the motion of
Vessels, when an impetus was taken from so powerful
a machine as the Steam Engine; and being satisfied of
this, he withdrew himself from public business, and devoted
his powerful Talents to the improvement of his Estate of
Dalswinton, it was left to the Memorialist, and to the
public in general, either to carry into effect the practical
results that had been hitherto ascertained, or still further
to improve upon them.
Your Memorialist at this time was also
carried away to the Wanlockhead Lead Mines to construct
machinery upon a large scale, to enable the proprietors
to work these Mines to advantage, and the attention of
all parties connected with the Steam Boat experiments
being for a time directed to other important objects, the
Boat was dismantled, and its machinery laid up in
the Carron Works, and thus ended the trials made upon
Steam Boats, under the patronage of Patrick Miller
Esquire of Dalswinton.
In the Summer of the year Eighteen hundred Third experiment
the late Thomas Lord Dundas of Kerse applied to your under the patronage
Memorialist of Lord Dundas.
Page Fifth.
Memorialist, and after alluding to the Experiments that
had been made eleven years before, expressed a wish that
your Memorialist should employ himself in constructing a
Vessel capable of being propelled by the power of Steam through
the Forth Clyde Canal (of which he was a large Proprie=
=tor,) and of dragging Vessels in place of using horses, the
power, then, and still employed in dragging Vessels in
that Canal.
Your Memorialist accordingly under the auspices
and patronage of that enlightened Nobleman, commenced a
series of experiments in January Eighteen hundred and one,
and continued them till April Eighteen hundred and three which
cost upwards of Seven Thousand Pounds, and which produced
the happy results now to be described.
A Steam Engine was erected with a Cylinder
of double power, Twenty two inches in diameter, and making a
four feet stroke, and fitted into a boat adapted to the power
of the Engine, and after making various experiments, your
Memorialist in March Eighteen hundred and three took on
board of the boat at lock Number Twenty of the Canal, the
late Lord Dundas, his Patron (and the great Patron of Steam
Boat Navigation) Archibald Spiers Esquire of Elderslie, and
several Gentlemen of their acquaintance; and he made
the Steam Boat take in drag two loaded vessels the Active and
Euphemia of Grangemouth, Gow, and Esplin, Masters, each of
them upwards of Seventy Tons burden; and with great
ease they were carried through the Summit level of the
Canal to Port Dundas, a distance of Nineteen miles and a
half in the course of six hours although it blew so strong
a breeze right a head during the whole course of the ex=
=periment that no other vessel in the Canal attempted
to move to windward; and this experiment not
only satisfied your Memorialist, but seemed to satisfy
every person who witnessed it, of the utility of Steam Boat
Navigation.
When it was proposed however to the Proprietors of the
Canal to substitute Steam Boats in place of Drag-horses, it was
alleged that the undulation created upon the water by the
use of the Paddle Wheels, would have the effect of washing
down the banks of the Canal, and thereby doing a greater
injury
Page Sixth.
injury to the Canal itself, than any benefit that could be expected
to be derived from the use of such an improvement; and as the
Proprietors of the Canal were entitled to judge of their own
affairs, the late Lord Dundas and your Memorialist, though
differing in opinion from them, were bound to submit to their
decision, and the result of these experiments was, that your
Memorialist at the desire of his Patron caused a beautiful
Model of the Steam Engine and Boat to be executed, with
a set of ice-breakers attached to it, which was sent to the
house of Lord Dundas in Arlington Street London.
The original Boat, upon which these experiments The Boat laid aside
were tried was, with great reluctance on the part of your and exposed to public
Memorialist, left in a Creek of the Canal Canal near to Bainsford view.
Drawbridge, where it remained for many years, exposed to
public view. While laying there, Mr Henry Bell from Glasgow
who had also witnessed the experiments in Seventeen hundred and
eighty nine, was frequently seen to inspect it, and it was this
Gentleman, who, in conjunction with others, constructed, in the year
Eighteen hundred and eleven the Steam Boat “the Comet” which
first plied on the River Clyde, and was soon followed by various
others.
It happened one day during the period that your The Memorialist
Memorialist was employed in conducting the experiments visited by Mr. Fulton
under the patronage of Lord Dundas, that a Stranger came
to the banks of the Canal, and requested to see the Memorial=
=ist. He very politely announced himself as Mr Fulton a
native of North America, and told your Memorialist that
he intended to return to his native Country in a few months
but having heard of the Steam Boat experiments he could
not think of leaving the country without waiting upon the
Memorialist in the hope of seeing the Boat & Machinery,
and procuring some information as to the principles on
which it was moved. He remarked that however
beneficial such inventions might be to Great Britain,
they would certainly be of much more importance to
North America, considering the many navigable Rivers
in that Country, and the ease with which Timber could
be had either for building such Vessels or for supplying
the Engines with Fuel. He thought fit to say that
the usefulness of these Vessels in a Mercantile point
of view could not fail to attract the attention of every
observer, and that if he were allowed to carry the Plan
to
Page Seventh
to North America it could not but turn out to the advantage of
the Memorialist, because if the Petitioner were inclined, or if
his other engagements would permit of it, the making, or at least
the superintending the making, of such Vessels would naturally
fall upon him.
Your Memorialist was flattered by the stranger's
attention and in compliance with his earnest request he
caused the Engine fire to be lighted up and the machinery
of the Boat to be put in motion. Several persons entered the
Boat, and these along with Mr Fulton were carried from Lock
Number Sixteen where the Boat then lay about four miles
West along the Canal, and they returned to the place of
starting in one hour and twenty minutes to the great
astonishment of Mr Fulton and the other Gentlemen
present.
Mr Fulton asked the Memorialist if he had any
objection to his taking notes regarding the form, the size, the
construction, &c of the Steam Boat and Steam Apparatus; to which
your Memorialist answered that he had none; as he was of
the opinion that the greater publicity that could be given to
a discovery intended for general good, so much the better.
He accordingly took out a Memorandum Book, and put several
pointed questions to the Memorialist regarding the general
construction and effect of the machine, which were an=
=swered with a wish to be explicit, and Mr Fulton noted down
the answers, and every thing that was described to him
and made his own remarks, while the Boat was moving along the
Canal with him and others on board. The Memorialist
never heard of him again, till he saw an account of his Death
in an American Newspaper.
These facts can all be proved by the testimony
of respectable Witnesses; and there are herewith produced the
Affidavits of several Gentlemen and respected Tradesmen
to the principal facts stated by the Memorialist; and if
should any part of the narrative be denied he is confident of
being able to prove his statements in the most satisfactory
manner, and as he means in this Memorial to confine
himself strictly to facts, it is unnecessary for him to
draw any inference from what he has stated. He
may be permitted however to say here, that Mr
Fulton’s
Page Eighth.
Fulton’s Steam Vessel did not make its appearance on the Hudson
River earlier than the year Eighteen hundred and six, being several
years after the Memorialist had completed the whole series of his
experiments, and some years after Mr Fulton himself had been on
board the Charlotte Dundas Steam Boat and had minutely
examined her while at work upon the Forth and Clyde Canal,
and about eighteen Years after your Memorialist had made
his first experiment upon the Lake at Dalswinton.
Your Memorialist went to London previous to The Memorialist
finishing the Experiments upon the Forth and Clyde Canal, introduced to the
and presented his patron Lord Dundas with the model of the Duke of Bridgewater
Steam Boat and steam apparatus already described. Upon
this occasion his Lordship suggested the propriety of shewing
the model to his Grace the Duke of Bridgewater, who he
knew to be an ingenious and spirited Nobleman, and sole
Proprietor of extensive Canals, and capable, if he approved of
the Invention, of applying it upon his own Canals.
His Lordship called upon the Duke and told him
that the Memorialist was in Town, and requested that he might
be allowed to wait upon his Grace with the model of the Steam Boat
to which he replied “that it appeared to him altogether needless
“to amuse themselves further with anything regarding Steam
“Boats, as he could well assure his Lordship they would never be
“made to answer any useful purpose, having himself be=
“=stowed upon them much pains and great expence without
“any of the experiments made under his direction having
“afforded the least hope of success; yet with this impression as
“to the improbability of success, he was still willing to see
“any thing new upon the subject;” and consented to see your
Memorialist’s model.
Your Memorialist waited upon the Duke next day,
and shewed and explained the model to him, when he declared
that such a Vessel as that before him, had every appearance of
answering the purpose he wished; and pointing to his Collection
of Paintings, which he said had cost him upwards of One
hundred Thousand pounds he stated his belief that the ad=
=vantage which trade might annually derive at some future
period from the use of such Steam boats would many times
exceed the value of his excellent collection of Pictures, and to
shew his conviction of the fact, he gave the Memorialist
an immediate order to Build eight such Boats for the
use of his Canal, and pressingly requested him to devote
his time to the executing of this order with as little delay
as
Page Ninth.
as possible to which the Memorialist agreed. The last experiment
Your Memorialist returned to Scotland, elated completed in 1803.
with the prospect of being able in a short time thus to turn his invention
to some useful purpose, and completed his last experiment then
only in progress; but to his great mortification upon the very
day he completed the most satisfactory he read
in a Newspaper the much lamented death of that very
worthy and enterprising Nobleman, which together with
the determination of the Proprietors of the Forth & Clyde
Canal, not to use the Boats, after the pains that had been
taken to perfect them, so affected your Memorialist,
that probably he did not use that energy he otherwise
might have done to introduce his invention to public
notice; and perhaps it was from this circumstance
that the introduction of Steam Boat Navigation was
postponed in the United Kingdom of Great Britain
till after the Americans took up the invention.
Your Memorialist was advised to apply The Memorialist
for his Majesty’s Letters Patent to cover his Invention which got a Patent but it
are dated October Eighteen hundred and one; but after turned out of no
having put himself to this expence he discovered that use
the invention of the general principle of the application
of Steam to the propelling of Boats is an invention much
earlier than his time.
So far back as the Year Seventeen hundred
and thirty six, Jonathan Hulls of England procured a
Patent for the propelling of Boats by Steam, conform to a
plan which he published with a copy of his Patent.
This Boat was unfit for any useful purpose in conse=
=quence of the imperfection of the Steam Engine, and
the awkward manner of applying its power. That
ingenious machine was not then brought to such a
degree of perfection as to be capable of being used for
the production of rotatory motion in a manner
sufficient to produce the effect necessary in the pro-
=pelling of Boats, and the Memorialist humbly
presumes to say, but with perfect confidence in the
truth of what he advances, that he is the first
individual who ever effectually applied the power
of the Steam Engine to the propelling of Boats.
While advancing this pretension he is Pretensions of the
confident Memorialist & object
of the Memorial.
Page Tenth.
confident in being able to maintain it; but at the same
time he is far from wishing to detract from the merit of
any of the Ingenious men who have laboured in the
same department. Much is due to Jonathan Hulls,
and perhaps it is impossible to expect greater progress
to have been made in the invention at the time he wrote,
and much merit is due to his first Patron Mr Miller
to whom the country is highly indebted for the im=
=provements he made upon Boats and Wheels, but
it was the Memorialist alone who invented a Steam
Engine fit for the purpose, and actually employed
it to the propelling of boats.
In doing this, he has spent the greater
part of his life. He has devoted to the subject
many hours of anxious thought, and has suffered much
loss of time, and bestowed upon it great labour. Upon
a moderate estimate of his outlay and loss of time the
invention has cost him upwards of Five Thousand
pounds, and as he is now advanced in life and has
a family to support, and has incurred some debt
which hangs heavily upon him, he has presumed to
lay his case before your Lordships, as the Guardians
of the Public Purse, in the hope that he may be re=
=munerated, at least to some extent for the pains &
disbursements he has employed in perfecting an
invention of which the Public now reap the whole
benefit.
It is almost unnecessary for your Memorialist
to make any allusion to the great advantage which the
Public now reap through this invention. It is obvious
to every one; and he will merely venture to point out
one example.
The Steam Boats between London &
Edinburgh have this season carried backward and
forward Six Thousand Passengers. Among these have
been Noblemen and Gentlemen of the first eminence
and ability and all of them were persons in the better
stations
Page Eleventh.
stations of life. These persons have never been kept longer
than three days upon the passage, while the average period
for Sailing Boats is seven days, and thus four days are
gained to each Individual; and if we value their time
at the moderate consideration of One Guinea per day for
each person, then we have a saving of time or labour
of the Public to the value of Twenty four Thousand
Three hundred pounds created by these Boats alone
in one season.
If the same number of Individuals
had travelled in Mail coaches so as to gain the same
time, then the extra expence would have cost them
Six Pounds each, or in all Thirty Six Thousand Pounds
which would have been expended in travelling, in
place of being saved to the Travellers.
These considerations appear to your
Memorialist to make out a claim on his part
against the Public, and this claim he humbly
s ubmits to the consideration of your Lordships.
In Respect Whereof &c.
(signed) William Symington
Falkirk the first day of December One Thousand
Eight hundred and Twenty four. This is the
Memorial referred to in my Affidavit of this date.
William Symington