156 MR. WILLIAM FAIRBAIRN : MEMOIR 



He was fond of mechanical discussion, and never lost an 

 opportunity of conversing with ingenious workmen, or 

 those who were entitled to respect for their skill. Hence 

 he visited all the workshops, and had no greater pleasure 

 than when having a "crack" with an intelligent, well- 

 informed workman. To the young he was always kind 

 and communicative, but according to the custom of the 

 times he expected that young people should never dispute 

 the wisdom of their superiors, but thankfully receive the 

 information afforded to them. This feeling was almost 

 universal amongst the immediate successors of Watt, and 

 many of them would admit of no mechanical improvement 

 unless it originated in the school at Soho. This weakness 

 was not always agreeable to rising merit, and was foreign 

 to the great men for whom this partiality was shown, and 

 it often had an injurious tendency, in so far as it damped 

 the energies of the more modest and deserving aspirants. 

 Mr. Kennedy nevertheless freely extended his patronage 

 and friendship to those who were entitled to his confi- 

 dence, and when once given it was never withdrawn. He 

 had a high sense of honour in his friendships, and never 

 allowed another to depreciate qualities for which he per- 

 sonally entertained feelings of respect. 



In private society Mr. Kennedy had the manners and 

 conversation of a gentleman, acquired, not from his educa- 

 tion, but from his subsequent intercourse with the best 

 society. He had great discrimination, and would never 

 associate with any but those of superior attainments, and 

 hence the attraction of his opinions and conversation. He 

 was full of anecdote, old sayings, and sage remarks, and 

 few could tell a story with more zest. The sayings of 

 others and the anecdotes of early life he gave with a dry 

 humour that never failed to produce a pleasing effect. 



At the time of his death, which took place on the 30th 

 October iS^^;, at the advanced age of eighty-six years j, 



