Editing James Nasmyth (section)

==Early life==
[[File:York Place 47, Edinburgh, Plaque to Nasmyths.JPG|thumb|upright|left|47 York Place, Edinburgh, Plaque commemorating James Nasmyth's birth]]

Nasmyth was born at 47 York Place, [[Edinburgh]] where his father [[Alexander Nasmyth]] was a landscape and portrait painter. One of Alexander's hobbies was [[mechanics]] and he employed nearly all his spare time in his workshop where he encouraged his youngest son to work with him in all sorts of materials.  James was sent to the [[Royal High School (Edinburgh)|Royal High School]] where he had as a friend, Jimmy Patterson, the son of a local iron founder.  Being already interested in mechanics he spent much of his time at the [[foundry]] and there he gradually learned to work and turn in wood, brass, iron, and steel. In 1820 he left the High School and again made great use of his father's workshop where at the age of 17, he made his first steam engine.

From 1821 to 1826, Nasmyth regularly attended the Edinburgh School of Arts (today [[Heriot-Watt University]], making him one of the first students of the institution).{{sfn|Nasmyth|Smiles|1883}} In 1828 he made a complete steam carriage that was capable of running a mile carrying 8 passengers. This accomplishment increased his desire to become a mechanical engineer. He had heard of the fame of [[Henry Maudslay]]'s workshop and resolved to get employment there; unfortunately his father could not afford to place him as an apprentice at Maudslay's works. Nasmyth therefore decided instead to show Maudslay examples of his skills and produced a complete working model of a high-pressure steam engine, creating the working drawings and constructing the components himself.