Person

Scott, James (1815 - 1884)

Born
17 June 1815
Burntisland, Fife, Scotland
Died
15 May 1884
Valleyfield, Helensburgh, Dumbartonshire, Scotland
Occupation
Marine engineer and Shipbuilder

Summary

James Scott was born at Burntisland in Fife in 1815. His official death registration states his father Robert was a "master mariner". By 1850, James Scott (described as a "shipwright") had obtained a patent for "certain improvements to docks, slips. and apparatus connected therewith". It appears his expertise in this field then took him to Glasgow to work. He was recruited from Glasgow by the Australasian Steam Navigation Company to build a so-called Patent Slip at Pyrmont, NSW. Scott had previously constructed some form of slip in Mauritius before he patented his invention in 1850. Scott relocated to Stockton (Newcastle) New South Wales c.1860 and built a "patent slip" which was sold to D. McQuarrie in 1869 before Scott, with some of his family, returned to Scotland.

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Details

The patent taken out by Scott is described in full on Page 12 of Volume 4 of the "Practical Mechanic's Journal" (Apr 1851-Mar. 1852) [See link below]. The best-known use of his patent seems to be the construction of the new graving docks at Victoria Docks in London. James Scott was also engaged by various syndicates to use his hydraulics system to raise sunken ships, for instance, an (unsuccessful) attempt to raise the steamer William Denny off the North Cape of New Zealand in 1858.

It is unclear how many family members returned to Scotland with James c.1872-73. His oldest son, Robert Melville Scott (1847 - 1906), was living in Sydney by 1879, when he married Helena Chowne, whose father was one of the Chowne family of shipwrights / shipowners in NSW c.1850s. (Robert Melville Scott also seems to have become involved in hydraulic-related engineering e.g. Australian Town and Country Journal (Sydney, NSW : 1870 - 1919), Sat 5 Mar 1892, Page 28.) Records show that James was the father of three daughters and each of those women died in Sydney; so too did the son of his second marriage, James John Bain-Scott.

[Thanks to Reg and Norma Binding for their research and the adapted extracts above.]

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Gavan McCarthy

Created: 2 May 2024, Last modified: 8 August 2024

EOAS ID: biogs/P007374b.htm

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