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INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION: A DOCUMENTARY HISTORY
Series One: The Boulton & Watt Archive and the Matthew Boulton Papers from the Birmingham Central Library
Part 1: Lunar Society Correspondence
BRIEF CHRONOLOGY
1728: Birth of Mathew Boulton in Birmingham.
1736: Birth of James Watt in Greenock.
1745: Matthew Boulton enters his father's business.
1746: Sulphuric acid factory founded in Steelhouse Lane in Birmingham by John
Roebuck and Samuel Garbett.
1749: Second sulphuric acid works set up at Prestonpans,
1755: James Watt spends a year in London making mathematical instruments.
Erasmus Darwin completes his medical degree at Cambridge.
1756: Erasmus Darwin arrives in Lichfield.
1757: James Watt opens a shop in the College of Glasgow. Benjamin Franklin first
visits England. John Wilkinson, the famous ironmaster, first introduces coke
smelting.
1758: Dr William Small appointed Professor of Natural Philosophy at College of
William and Mary in Virginia. Benjamin Franklin visits Birmingham and begins
friendship with John Baskerville and Matthew Boulton.
1759: Death of Matthew Boulton's father. James Watt enters into partnership
with John Craig and opens shop in the Saltmarket in Glasgow.
1760: John Roebuck founds the famous Carron Iron Works.
1762: Matthew Boulton builds Soho Manufactory and enters into partnership with
John Fothergill. Josiah Wedgwood in partnership with Thomas Bentley starts the
Etruria factory.
1763: Watt repairs model of the Newcomen engine.
1764: Lunar Society founded by Matthew Boulton, Erasmus Darwin and William
Small.
1765: Watt invents the separate condenser steam-engine.
1766: Matthew Boulton first completes Soho House.
1767: Watt involved with canal business and land surveying. Dr John Roebuck
first takes an interest in Watt's invention. Extensions made to Soho
Manufactory. Priestley publishes The history and present state of electricity.
1768: James Watt and Matthew Boulton first meet.
1769: Watt obtains patent for separate condenser engine and erects one at
Kinneil.
1771: John Smeaton forms the Society of Civil Engineers in London.
1772: Priestley publishes Observations on different kinds of air and Directions
for impregnating water with fixed air.
1773: Roebuck in financial crisis. Matthew Boulton is prime mover in the
establishment of the Assay Office in Birmingham.
1774: Matthew Boulton takes over Roebuck's share in the steam engine patent.
Watt moves to Birmingham and continues successful experimental work on the steam
engine. Priestley discovers pure oxygen. John Wilkinson obtains patents for
boring cannon. This process could be accurately adapted for boring cylinders.
1775: Steam Engine patent extended for 25 years. Partnership between Boulton & Watt concluded for a 25 year term. Death of William Small. John Whitehurst
appointed as official 'Stamper of the Money Weights' in London. Declaration
of American Independence.
1776: Pioneer engines constructed at Bloomfield Colliery and New Willey
Ironworks.
1777: Watt in Cornwall to erect first engine there. William Murdock enters the
service of Boulton & Watt.
1778: Murdock sent to Cornwall. Matthew Boulton's first visit to Cornwall.
1779: Matthew Boulton again in Cornwall. He also enters into partnership with
James Keir in the copying press business. James Keir obtains patent for Bolt
Metal. John Whitehurst elected Fellow of the Royal Society and takes many Lunar
Society members as guests.
1780: Watt patents his letter-copying process.
1781: Jabez Hornblower patents the compound engine. Boulton dissolves his
partnership with Fothergill.
1782: Watt patents expansive working, double-acting engine an rotative engine.
John Southern joins Boulton & Watt. Death of Fothergill. Boulton enters into
partnership with John Scale.
1783: Watt constructs the first rotative engine. Health problems of Boulton.
Boulton visits Scotland & starts Albion Mill in London.
1784: Watt patents parallel motion and steam carriage. He constructs the first
double-acting engine. Boulton founds General Chamber of Manufacturers with
Josiah Wedgwood.
1785: Watt patents smoke-consuming furnace and is elected as a Fellow of the
Royal Society. Boulton also elected Fellow of the Royal Society. Boulton helps
found Cornish Metal Company. William Withering publishes his discoveries about
digitalis.
1786: Watt visits Paris with Boulton. Steam engine is applied to the coining
process.
1788: Watt applies the 'governor' to steam engines. Boulton appears before
the Privy Council on the coinage question.
1789: Boulton rebuilds Soho House and has work done on the gardens there.
Erasmus Darwin starts publishing The Botanic Garden (1789-91). James Keir
publishes Part 1 of his famous Chemical Dictionary.
1790: Watt builds Heathfield. Boulton takes out a patent for the Coining Press.
1791: Riots in Birmingham. Priestley's home and Meeting House is attacked.
1793: Litigation against infringers of first patent begins.
1794: Firm of Boulton, Watt & Sons established. Publication of Erasmus
Darwin's Zoonomica: or the Laws of Organic Life (1794-6).
1795: Soho Foundry built. Boulton appointed High Sheriff of Staffordshire. Death
of Josiah Wedgwood.
1797: Boulton active in coinage matters.
1798: Watt buys landed estate at Dowldowlod in Radnor. Boulton patents the
hydraulic ram for Montgolfier.
1799: Validity of first engine patent established. Boulton begins to erect his
coining machinery at the Royal Mint. Dr Thomas Beddoes founds the Pneumatic
Institution in Bristol with Humphry Davy as his assistant.
1800: Expiration of first engine patent and termination of original partnership.
Firm of Boulton, Watt & Co founded.
1802: Death of Erasmus Darwin.
1803: Publication of The Temple of Nature by Erasmus Darwin.
1806: Watt commences work on sculptoring machines. Death of Joseph Priestley.
1807: Boulton helps to establish theatre in Birmingham. Boulton again has health
probleMs..
1809: Death of Matthew Boulton.
1814: Watt elected Foreign Associate of the French Academy.
1815: Death of John Southern.
1819: Death of James Watt.
1820: James Watt junior elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society. Death of Sir
Joseph Banks.
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