But my most favourite pursuit, after my daily exertions at the Foundry, was Astronomy. There were frequently clear nights when the glorious objects in the Heavens were seen in most attractive beauty and brilliancy.

A short explanation soon cleared up the mystery (one of the managers of the Works had copied the drawing of it from the Scheme Book while on a visit to England). " He then communicated the same to her parents and told them his prospects and so became betrothed in the same day. 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.

He retired at the age of 48 and moved to Penshurst Kent where he developed his hobbies of astronomy and photography. James Hall Nasmyth (sometimes spelled Naesmyth Nasmith or Nesmyth) (19 August 1808 – 7 May 1890) was a Scottish engineer and inventor famous for his development of the steam hammer.