L I F E R O B E R T N A P I E R O F WE ST S HA N DO N N I R M A . &0 AP E , . , . W I L L I A M B LAC ' KW O O D A N D S O N S E D I N B U R G H A N D L O N D O N M C M I V P R EF A C E IT is often said that the Clyde made las ow and the o ec of this volume is G g , bj t t o e a e in some e a the e of one who r l t d t il lif , his e e an d e se e a ce ca se the by n rgy p r v r n , u d Clyde t o become the most famous ship bu ildin ce e in the world and e e g ntr , th r by contribute d most materially to buildin g up the fabric of what is now calle d the the m s econd city in E pire . 42351 9 C O N T E N T S . R I C H APTE . P A GE D umbarton Parent age Birth S chool - days Ap — — prenticeship W 0 rks as a j ou rneyman S tart s in R II C H AP TE . P R DA VID N A IE . — — — Birth R emoves t o Glasgow The Comet C amlachie — — Foundry S tarts B elfast t rad e Pu rchases Lance — — — field Goes t o L ondon Inventions Later years 1 8 C H APTE R III . I V C H A P T E R . A SS HETON S MITH. — Retir es from Royal Y acht Squadron S e nds for N apier — — - O rders M enai B uilds Fir e King Spee d of Fire Queen Dislikes screw yacht Intimacy with N apier C H A P T E R V . F R VULC AN O UN D Y. — Equ ips Vulcan Fou ndry Foun ds Ste am- Packet C om — — panics C ont racts for D und ee an d P er th Their — — great su ccess Letter t o Mr Du ncan Introdu c — ’ tion t o East In dia C ompany B uilds B eremce — — Voyage t o In dia B eats A ta la nta Intimacy with Mr Mclvill R I C H APTE V . — Introduction t o Admiralty Tender for Vesu vius an d — ’ — S tromboli Captain O mmann ey s report Hostility — — t o S cotch engines Parliamentary ret urn Result — Letter on Boiler qu estion N TE N T CO S . ix R I C H A P T E V I . LAN CEFITELD HOUS E. R V CHAPTE III . A T L A N T C N A V G T I I A I O N . R I X C H A P T E . R X CHAPTE . R N S H P BU L D N G I O I I I . — Acquir es grou n d at Gov an Appointmen t of William D enny Starts iron shipbuildin g First iron — — st eamer f or Admiralty S imoom Intimacy with — naval o ffi cers Family relation ships X I C H A P T E R . WES T S HAN DON . — — — First cottage Enlargemen t Disappearan ce Present — ’ — mansion Profess or Kerr s criticism Coll ection — H ospitali ty L e tter from Marqu is of D alhou sie and — others Ere ction of R ow church and statu e to Henry B ell R XII CHAPTE . R O B E R T N A P I E R 85 S O N S . N TE N TS CO . xi R XI I I C H APTE . R XIV C H APTE . CL S N G EA RS O I Y . D eath of Mrs N apier His illness D eath V C H AP TE R X . 1 8th March 1 8 39 ILLUSTRATIONS . P AGE R O BERT N APIER P hotogr a vwre B A B r own a bou t 18 0 y . , 3 EN GIN E O F LE VEN City of Glasgo wCompa ny Du ndee P er th dc Lond on Com an , , p y GI T Y O F GLA 8 00 W City of Gla sgo wGonzp a/ny A bout 1 850 Photogra v'wre M P a d om a/n S . E URO A ma/r C R . G p y m il bert 1 845 B ir . r a ha G y S J G , A bou t 1 840 P and om an . 0. C p y LL S T A T N S I U R IO . THETIS WES T S HAN DO N A bou t 1 865 P LAN O F WE ST S HAN DON M E E L L I T A dm ir alt H . N . S . D UK OF W N G O y Cu na r d Comp a ny P E M. S RS IA S E T ON R . C . , I A dm ir al ty H B LA K P RIN E M S . 0 C M. S . A DA CI O US H. U OS MA N GHA Z Y Twrki sh Gover nmen t R . M S S TIA . CO M S MA L A B A R H. L R TL E M. B A M AL A S R . S O C QUEEN OF T HE THA MES A u stralia/n Li ner M N . N R HA P H . M. S O T TO T HE FO UR PRE S IDENT S T HE ME C HAN IC AL GIN E ERS MRS N APIER LIFE O F ROBERT NAPIER . A P T E R I CH . E AR DA LY YS . — - DUMB AR TON PAR ENTAGE B I RTH S CHOOL DAYS A PP R EN T IO E — — SHIP WOR KS A S A JOUR NEYMAN STAR TS IN GLASGOW — JOINS HAMMER MEN MAR R IAGE D UMBA R TO N is one of the olde st town s in co a a e to oas of a en c s o S tl nd , bl b t uth ti hi t ry f r a s wa o nearly fiftee n hundre d ye r . It s constituted a Free Royal Burgh by Ale x a e 1222 and ece e es c a t e s nd r II . in , r iv d fr h h r r om his s ccesso s c e e co me fr u r , whi h w r nfir d m s o t a the u o of by Ja es VI . h r ly fter ni n the ms s s o c o was the kingdo . Thi hi t ri t wn n h home of the Napiers a d t e De nnys . A 2 B E T N A P E RO R I R. o e ai er or a e son of o R b rt N p N pi r, J hn ai er was the a a e of the s ec N p , gr ndf th r ubj t of s o a and he was o the thi bi gr phy, b rn in e a 1 26 He o o e the ca of y r 7 . f ll w d lling a ac sm m a o and a o bl k ith in Du b rt n, b ut 1 750 ma e ea e om he rri d J n D nny, by wh had a a e m T ee of his so s l rg fa ily. hr n o o e and ames — o o e the J hn, R b rt, J f ll w d a e of e a e an d e e e tr d th ir f th r, w r in th ir d a e o as o e s o o y w ll kn wn w rk r in ir n . J hn , the e es a on his o e ames ld t, l g with br th r J , co e the s e ss m a o ntinu d bu in in Du b rt n, while Robert went t o Inve raray and be came sm t o the e of ith Duk Argyll . E ach of these three men had a son who ’ o o e his a e s oo s e s an d f ll w d in f th r f t t p , c ame t o great eminen ce in the e ngin eer ing world . Robert Napier was descended from the a c f the am His younges t br n h o f ily . a e ames a e was o 1 764 f th r, J N pi r, b rn in , and 1 789 he ma e ea who in rri d J n Ewing, E A L Y DA YS 3 R . came om os e e am con fr R n ath . Th ir f ily s s e of six so s — o e Pe e ames i t d n R b rt, t r, J , o a am- an d one au e J hn, D vid , Willi d ght r who was ma e t o c a e rri d Mr Ar hib ld R id .