▁James ▁Jr . ▁( 1 7 6 9 – 1 8 4 8 ) ▁and ▁Margaret ▁( 1 7 6 7 – 1 7 9 6 ). ▁His ▁wife ▁died ▁in ▁child b irth ▁in ▁ 1 7 7 2 . ▁In ▁ 1 7 7 7 ▁he ▁was ▁married ▁again , ▁to ▁Ann ▁Mac G reg or , ▁daughter ▁of ▁a ▁Glasgow ▁d ye - maker , ▁with ▁whom ▁he ▁had ▁two ▁children : ▁Gregory ▁( 1 7 7 7 – 1 8 0 4 ), ▁who ▁became ▁a ▁ge ologist ▁and ▁min eral og ist , ▁and ▁Jan et ▁( 1 7 7 9 – 1 7 9 4 ). ▁Ann ▁died ▁in ▁ 1 8 3 2 . ▁Between ▁ 1 7 7 7 ▁and ▁ 1 7 9 0 ▁he ▁lived ▁in ▁Reg ent ▁Place , ▁B irmingham . ▁ ▁W att ▁and ▁the ▁k ett le ▁ ▁There ▁is ▁a ▁popular ▁story ▁that ▁W att ▁was ▁inspired ▁to ▁invent ▁the ▁steam ▁engine ▁by ▁seeing ▁a ▁k ett le ▁bo iling , ▁the ▁steam ▁forcing ▁the ▁lid ▁to ▁rise ▁and ▁thus ▁showing ▁W att ▁the ▁power ▁of ▁steam . ▁This ▁story ▁is ▁told ▁in ▁many ▁forms ; ▁in ▁some ▁W att ▁is ▁a ▁young ▁lad , ▁in ▁others ▁he ▁is ▁older , ▁sometimes ▁it ' s ▁his ▁mother ' s ▁k ett le , ▁sometimes ▁his ▁a unt ' s . ▁W att ▁did ▁not ▁actually ▁invent ▁the ▁steam ▁engine , ▁as ▁the ▁story ▁implies , ▁but ▁dram atically