Stone tribute to giant of science

Published on Monday 17 December 2007 21:09

A STONE commemorating the centenary of one of Scotland's foremost scientists, Lord Kelvin, was unveiled at Glasgow Necropolis yesterday.

The stone was placed alongside the refurbished family stone at the tomb where three of the scientist's family are interred.

One of Lord Kelvin's most important scientific achievements was the construction and laying of cables along the seabed between continents, carrying telegraphic and telephonic information.

Born William Thomson in Belfast in 1824, Lord Kelvin was a natural inventor. He published 661 papers, took out 70 patents and had more initials after his name than any other man in the Commonwealth.

He was knighted in 1886 and received the title Baron of Largs in 1892. He died in 1907 and was buried next to Isaac Newton in Westminster Abbey.

The restoration of the family stone and the new centenary stone was carried out by a range of organisations and individuals keen to celebrate the life and work of one of the city's foremost thinkers.

They included the University of Glasgow, where he was a student, teacher, dean and chancellor, and the Royal Philosophical Society of Glasgow, whose presidency was twice held by Lord Kelvin.