s ▁grand father , ▁Thomas ▁W att ▁( 1 6 4 2 – 1 7 3 4 ), ▁was ▁a ▁teacher ▁of ▁mathematics , ▁surve ying ▁and ▁navigation ▁and ▁ba ill ie ▁to ▁the ▁Baron ▁of ▁C arts burn . ▁ ▁Initial ly ▁W att ▁was ▁educated ▁at ▁home ▁by ▁his ▁mother , ▁later ▁going ▁on ▁to ▁attend ▁Green ock ▁Gram mar ▁School . ▁There ▁he ▁exhib ited ▁an ▁apt itude ▁for ▁mathematics , ▁while ▁Latin ▁and ▁Greek ▁failed ▁to ▁interest ▁him . ▁ ▁He ▁is ▁said ▁to ▁have ▁suffered ▁prolong ed ▁b outs ▁of ▁ill - he alth ▁as ▁a ▁child ▁and ▁from ▁frequent ▁head aches ▁all ▁his ▁life . ▁ ▁After ▁leaving ▁school ▁W att ▁worked ▁in ▁the ▁work sh ops ▁of ▁his ▁father ' s ▁business es , ▁demonstr ating ▁considerable ▁de xter ity ▁and ▁skill ▁in ▁creating ▁engineering ▁models . ▁After ▁his ▁father ▁suffered ▁some ▁un success ful ▁business ▁vent ures ▁W att ▁left ▁Green ock ▁to ▁seek ▁employ ment ▁in ▁Glasgow ▁as ▁a ▁mathematical ▁instrument ▁mak er . ▁ ▁Biography ▁▁ ▁When ▁he ▁was ▁ 1 8 ▁his ▁mother ▁died ▁and ▁his ▁father ' s ▁health ▁began ▁to ▁fail . ▁W att ▁travel led ▁to ▁London ▁and ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁obtain ▁a ▁period ▁of ▁training ▁as ▁an ▁instrument ▁mak er ▁for ▁a ▁year ▁( 1 7 5 5 / 5 6 ), ▁then ▁returned ▁to ▁Scotland , ▁sett ling ▁in ▁the ▁major ▁commercial ▁city ▁of ▁Glasgow ▁intent ▁on ▁setting ▁up ▁his ▁own ▁instrument - making ▁business . ▁He