Watt, James personality

James Watt Esqr of Birmingham, inventor of the new Steam engine, and author of a valuable paper in the last volume of the Philosophical Transactions, being desirous of becoming a fellow of the Royal Society, we whose names are hereunto subscribed do, from our personal knowledge, recommend him, as likely to be an useful member...5... 

The personal biography of A.G.M. Michell, figure 1, has been documented several times (1, 2, 3) and most recently and comprehensively by Dowson (4, 5). On the occasion of the Osborne Reynolds centenary It Is perhaps appropriate to recall that Michell (6) in 1905, nineteen years after Reynolds had considered the lubrication of plane surfaces, obtained a three dimensional solution to Reynolds equation which took account of side leakage. Nearly forty years later, on the occasion of the James Watt International Medal presentation In 1943, Michell s achievement even then was said to be the only really Important extension of Reynolds theory yet effected. 

---