Josie Wall will look at James Watt, his death, and the memorials erected to him in Birmingham and beyond. She will pay particular attention to the ‘Cathedral of the Industrial Revolution’; St Mary’s church in Handsworth where James Watt is buried along with Matthew Boulton and William Murdoch. The talk will also cover the wider topic of burial in Birmingham, which was on the cusp of huge change when Watt died, thanks mostly to the industrial revolution he had been so instrumental in powering.

Josie Wall is currently completing her PhD about the development of Victorian cemeteries and applies her extensive knowledge of funerary customs and traditions in her role as Operations and Volunteer Assistant at the Coffin Works.

Cost: £5

This event is organised by Coffin Works Museum