1764

William Symington was born in Leadhills. His parents were John Symington, a mechanic at the leadmines, and Griszel Dickson

1783

Member of the Leadhills Library

Elected Clerk of the Wanlockhead Ice Curling Company and also director for the Lads

1784 

Elected as an officer in the Society for Ice playing at Leadhills

1786

Model land carriage demonstrated in Edinburgh

1786

In the summer of 1786 he was enrolled in the University of Edinburgh where he studied chemistry under Professor Joseph Black

1787

30th January 1787, he submitted a proposal to the Admiralty to raise the Royal George

Patented his "Improved Atmospheric Engine"

1788

First steam boat trial for Patrick Miller at Dalswinton on 14th October 1788

1789

Further steamboat experiments for Patrick Miller

2nd December 1789 steam boat trial on the Forth and Clyde Canal

26th December 1789 satisfactory trial of steam boat after modifications

1789

His son James is born at Wanlockhead

1790

Built an engine for the Bay Mine at Wanlockhead

1790 

Consultant to Carron Company [1]

c.1792-1794

Marriage to Elizabeth Benson

1792

Built an engine for the Humby Mine at Leadhills

Built a pumping engine for the Kinnaird colliery

1793

Built a winding engine to lift coal at Kinnaird

1794

Appointed manager of the Estate of James Bruce [2]

1796

Supplied an engine to James Miller of Craigend for his distillery [3]

1800

Manager of the Grange colliery near Bo’ness until 1804 [4]

1801

24th June 1801 trial of his first steam boat for Lord Dundas

1802 

Patent 2544 enrolled

Steamboat model exhibited at the Royal Institution

July 1802, William Symington demonstrated his steamboat model to the Duke of Bridgewater in London

1803

4th January and 28th March 1803, trials of the Charlotte Dundas

1804

Living at Park House, Falkirk, until 1806

1806

Moved from Park house to Westquarter

1804 to 1807

Leased a colliery from William Forbes of Callendar, with James Miller, distiller, of Craigend as his business partner

1807

1st June 1807 the death of his son John at Westquarter

1813

Oversaw repairs to the garden wall at Callendar House [5]

1814 

Presented his Memorial to the Leith Ferry Company

1815 

Commenced Legal Proceedings against Henry Bell

1822

Memorial prepared for the Owners of Steam Packets in the United Kingdom

Wrote to James Walker, engineer, seeking his assistance

1826

Petition and Memorial submitted to Treasury

1828

Submission to the Admiralty of a Design for a Ship of War; sent from 44 Burr Street, Lower East Smithfield

Invention of the Auletic Chronometer

1829

Delivered a lecture in the Mechanics' Institute at Falkirk on his contribution to steam navigation and gave a demonstration of his model carriage

1831

He died in the London home of Dr. Bowie on 22nd March 1831.

On 25th March 1831, he was buried in the churchyard of St. Botolph's Aldgate.

1891

His remains removed and re-interred in the Greater London Cemetery

Symington Monument erected in Leadhills

[1] Campbell, R.H., Carron Company 1961 page 214

[2] Harvey, W.S. and Downs-Rose, G., William Symington. Inventor and Engine Builder. London 1980. Page 110

[3] SRO GD58/6/23 Invoice to James Miller 10 November 1796

[4] SRO UP Adam. Mack. This may have been the field of coal he was examining when Lord Dundas first approached him to build a steam powered tugboat

[5] Forbes of Callendar Papers, Falkirk Council Archives A727/1023 (32)