130th Anniversary of the Death of James Nasmyth

That the Parliament commemorates the 130th anniversary of the death of Scottish engineer, philosopher, artist and inventor, James Nasmyth, who was born in Edinburgh in 1807 and died on 7 May 1890; understands that Nasmyth learned to work in various metals from a young age and, after leaving school, put these skills to good use when he built his first steam engine at the age of 17; recognises that, by the age of 20, he had produced a steam carriage capable of carrying eight people for a mile; acknowledges that Nasmyth is best remembered for his work on the development of the steam hammer but that he also manufactured more than 100 steam locomotives, many small high-pressure steam engines, and a variety of pumps, hydraulic presses and other machines; is aware that Nasmyth’s work changed the landscape of the industrial world before he retired at the age of only 48 in order to spend more time painting and pursuing his interest in astronomy; notes that, in memory of his renowned contribution to the discipline of mechanical engineering, the Department of Mechanical Engineering building at Heriot-Watt University is called the James Nasmyth Building, and believes that this anniversary should be used to recognise and celebrate the work of this influential Scot and how he helped shape engineering across the world.