INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION: A DOCUMENTARY HISTORY

Series One: The Boulton & Watt Archive and the Matthew Boulton Papers

from Birmingham Central Library

Part 4: Matthew Boulton Correspondence (Subject Material: Albion Mill - Steam Engines)

Part 5: Engineering Drawings - Crank, Canal, Dock and Harbour, Mint, Blowing, Pumping and Other

            Engines, c.1775-1800

Editorial Preface by Professor Jennifer Tann

In 1911 the core of the magnificent collection of the business papers of the Boulton & Watt partnership was presented to the City of Birmingham by Mr George Tangye and in 1915 the collection was deposited in the Central Library. Geroge Tangye had acquired the documents on the demolition of Soho Manufactory in 1863 and a selection had subsequently been displayed in Tangye's Cornwall Works. The collection was considerably augmented in 1936 and again in 1946 by W & T Avery who had acquired the Soho Foundry in 1896, while in 1921 the Muirhead Collection of Bolton & Watt papers was presented to the Central Library by Mr J B C-L Muirhead, having earlier formed the basis for J P Muirhead's Mechanical Inventions of James Watt (1854) and Life of James Watt (1859). The papers probably originated from Watt jnr's solicitors, Muirhead having been the executor at Watt Jr.'s death in 1848. These papers have subsequently been added to with two scrap books collected by Samuel Timmins, a volume of letters from George Hamilton, an employee, to Robert Hamilton and a volume of topographical drawings made by William Creighton, an employee. There are also various individual documents and small groups purchased at different times; most notably in 1986 at the Tew Park sale, when a volume of plans of Cornish mines (1781) and architectural drawings for Soho House were purchased.

It was to the initial gift by Tangye that a German professor of the History of Technology and Industries, Conrad Matschoss, referred in 1914, just before the outbreak of the First World War, when he reminded British engineers and learned societies that there was 'little material of more value for the understanding of the evolution of Engineering and of our profession than the few letters of Watt published by Muirhead but these letters form only a small part of the original manuscripts and letters of James Watt. Only a few people know of the existence of this valuable, unpublished material. What more suitable memorial of their greatest engineer could the English give to the whole world than the publication of this material' (1). It was not a little due to Matschoss that the celebration of the centenary of Watt's death was held in 1919, one of the objectives of which was to publish a full scale work on James Watt and the Steam Engine. This history, by H W Dickinson and R Jenkinson, was published in 1927 and remains a standard work.

The Boulton and Watt papers consist primarily of the firm's own business records, and include incoming letters relating to engine sales, together with some personal papers of James Watt and his family. Vast though the business records are, no one series before 1825 is complete and while the history of a single engine transaction can usually be reconstructed, this is not always possible. Engine Books run from 1779 to 1786 and from 1797 to the 1840s, comprising 23 volumes in all. Boat Engine Books, comprising 13 volumes run from 1815 to 1853. While these contain a record of the majority of engines made during these years, there are some omissions.

Without doubt the most outstanding section of the written records generated by the firm is the collection of 183 letter books in five main series, most of them press copies may by Watt's patent process. These include copies of letters between the partners and from Boulton or Watt to their agents, although the majority are replies to potential and actual engine customers. In the numerous cases where the incoming original letter has been lost, it is possible to deduce the subject of the enquiry from the very full replies (2). In spite of a wealth of material, something in the region of 37,000 letters covering the period 1775-1825, the late 1780s to early 1790s are only imperfectly covered by the letter books and unfortunately the other business records are less than complete for this period also.

Complementing the letter books is a series of some 15,000 letters and papers originating from customers and, to a lesser extent, from the Soho partners and their employees. The letters range from enquiries for steam engines from potential customers in Britain and overseas, to discussions on policy between the partners and instructions to their agents and mechanics. There are also engine agreements, apprenticeship papers, memoranda and other papers. There is material here of a personal nature both from the partners themselves an their families, as well as from their numerous influential friends and acquaintances and from members of the international scientific community. Since Boulton and Watt corresponded, at some time or other, with many of the greatest manufacturers, scientists and engineers of their day, these incoming papers, together with the letter books, throw light on the relationship between science, technology and industry in the late 18th and early 19th centuries (3).

In addition to the letter books and incoming letters and papers there are 156 volumes of financial records including account books, cash books, inventory volumes, day books, piece work books, order books, castings books, supplies books and packing books.

As well as the written records there are approximately 36,000 engine drawings in 1,382 numbered portfolios. These drawings, some of them 'reverse engineering drawings', being press copies of the originals, generally have the customer's name on and, for some customers, consist of a rich series including drawings of individual engine parts, as well as boiler house and engine house elevations. Some of the drawings of parts are produced to a larger scale for the foundry pattern maker and show visible evidence of having been working papers. In addition to the drawings generated by the firm of Boulton and Watt, there are other drawings in this collection consisting of plans, sections and elevations of mills and factories (4). These would appear to have been requested to assist the engineers in planning the dimensions and positioning the steam engine and provide a unique record of the craft of the engineer, millwright and draughtsman in the Industrial Revolution.

The Muirhead papers consist of boxes of Watt family papers and material relating to James Watt's other business interests, in particular his earlier surveying career (prior to his partnership with Boulton), the copying press, his interest in pneumatics and his work on the development of bleaching as an industrial science. They also include some family correspondence.

Complementing the Boulton & Watt archive are the Matthew Boulton papers, for many years in the care of the Assay Office, Birmingham, and now owned by the Matthew Boulton Trust, having been since 1974 on permanent loan to Birmingham City Library. The collection comprises Matthew Boulton's and Matthew Robinson Boulton's personal papers, together with papers relating to their various business enterprises. It includes their diaries and notebooks; much household and estate material relating to Soho and Great Tew. Altogether there about 30,000 incoming letters, 30,000 loose papers as well as 200 volumes of letter books, accounts and other business records, mainly in connection with the mint and Boulton and Fothergill, but also including silver plate, buttons, ormolu (5), and the Boulton & Watt engine partnership. It is in the Matthew Boulton papers that the documentation on the founding of the Boulton & Watt partnership is to be found, together with material of a contextual nature.

These papers contain 32 letter books concerning Boulton's private affairs. As is so typical of the later 18th century, business and personal matters are inter-mixed in letters to customers and friends; subjects include the establishment of the Assay Office, Boulton in public life, and the establishment of the short-lived but effective manufacturers' lobby, the General Chamber of Manufacturers of Great Britain.

Taken together these papers provide a unique opportunity to study numerous facets of late 18th century industry and industrial society. It is not only the scale and relative completeness of the archive that makes it outstanding but the fact that, by virtue of their stature, Boulton and Watt corresponded with very many of the major figures in late 18th century scientific and industrial society both in Britain and overseas. These papers are a unique source for studies of steam power. There is material here for an investigation of the science and technology of the steam engine, and a study of alternatives to the Watt engine (for Watt was interested in other steam engine patents and patentees) (6), as well as for research on individual engines. While the material will be more complete for some customers than for others, in many cases there are not only drawings but letters, both incoming and outgoing, as well as financial records.

The collection provides abundant material for a study of the Boulton and Watt partnership and its successor partnerships, Boulton, Watt & Sons and Boulton Watt & Co. Between 1775 and 1796 only the smaller precision parts for steam engines were made at Soho Manufactory, the larger castings being supplied by founders such as John Wilkinson or by founders near to the customer. There were advantages and disadvantages in this form of industrial organisation. On the one hand the partners did not have a big outlay of capital for a custom-built engine factory but on the other hand there were problems both of quality control and project management in ensuring that all parts of an engine arrived at the customer's site on time. In 1795 the partners decided to construct their own foundry with the objective of making all engine parts, both forgings and castings, at the single site. Soho Foundry, as it was called, was located about one mile from Soho Manufactory and, from 1796 when production commenced at the site, engine production capacity increased rapidly. By this time the initial demand for reciprocating engines had been more than doubled by demand for rotative engines.

Boulton & Watt sought out leading innovative entrepreneurs in the major industries such as cotton and wool textiles, the iron industry and non-ferrous metals, brewing and milling, with a view to selling one or more steam engines to them, thereby establishing demonstration sites for the major industrial sectors. Thus Whitbread, Arkwright (7), Gott, Walker, Williams (8) and others became customers as well as third parties in the diffusion of the Boulton & Watt engine. Where they led, others followed. In the flour milling industry Boulton and Watt, themselves, became investors, following on the development of an experimental steam flour mill at Soho Manufactory. Albion experimental steam flour mill at Soho Manufactory. Albion Mill at Blackfriars, London was a financial disaster but a technical precedent which was followed rapidly by other steam flour mills (9). Boulton and Watt also had a particularly close connection with the copper industry, not only because the Cornish copper mine owners were significant early customers for the Boulton & Watt engine, a relationship that the partners sought to cement by themselves becoming shareholders in Cornish mines, but also because Boulton & Watt needed to ensure a secure source of supply for copper since it was a necessary raw material in engine and boiler manufacture as well as being required by Boulton in the manufacture of coinage, medals and Sheffield plate.

The papers furnish abundant evidence of both the partners' other business interests. The Boulton papers provide materials for a study of Boulton's business interests before his partnership with Watt as well as in the post 1775 era. There is valuable material on his mercantile business and his methods of selling wares overseas. Boulton's interest in the fine and applied arts is well documented in this collection with material available for a study of his silver business, his interest in the Birmingham toy trades, ormolu and another ill-fated business, his mechanical paintings (10). There is abundant evidence of the mint business and the export of abundant evidence of the mint business and the export of mint machinery overseas to, amongst other countries, Russia, Denmark and India. Amongst James Watt's business interests there is material on his land surveying work which he undertook prior to his partnership with Boulton, his work on pneumatic machines, his interest in bleaching (11), particularly through his father-in-law McGregor, and his development of the copying press (12), enabling press copies of letters and drawings to be made at very considerable savings in labour costs.

The collections provide a vivid impression of Boulton and Watt as people. Besides the many personal comments to be found in their business letters to customers, there are letters of a personal nature between the two partners as well as letters to their wives and children. The papers provide a delightful insight into Boulton & Watt as parents and their views on the education of their children (13). The death of two of Watt's children from consumption, particularly that of Gregory at the age of 27, are poignantly recorded in these papers. Moreover we see Boulton and Watt as builders of houses and investors in land. Insights into Boulton's social life at Soho House can be gained both by the inventory of his wine cellar and references to his landscape garden.

The papers also provide a unique insight into the scientific community which knew no national boundaries. Boulton and Watt corresponded with scientists from different nations whether or not Britain was at war with the country in question and they were founder members of one of the most famous philosophical societies of all, the Birmingham Lunar Society. This society, with membership by invitation, and which met on a night near the full moon, was established amongst a group of liberal, natural philosophers whose interests in scientific advancement, and particularly in the application of science to industry and social welfare, made it the jewel amongst provincial philosophical societies (14). Whilst most of its members lived within reasonable travelling distance of Birmingham, there were corresponding members from further afield and the members welcomed to their meetings distinguished overseas guests on occasion.

The importance of these papers to historians of science, technology, industry, the economy, applied art and society in the Industrial Revolution cannot be over-estimated. They have been worked on by historians for a number of years and they remain a very rich resource which will, no doubt, support outstanding contributions to scholarship in the future.

Jennifer Tann, University of Birmingham, June 1993

REFERENCES

(1) Introduction to the second edition of H W Dickinson & R Jenkins, James Watt and the Steam Engine, 1981, p xvii. Matschoss was the author of a two volume work on the steam engine, Die Entwicklung der Dampfmaschine (Berlin), 1908.

(2) See e.g., the enquiry : order ratio computed for Boulton & Watt engines in Jennifer Tann & M J Breckin, 'The International Diffusion of the Watt Engine, 1775-1825', The Economic History Review xxxi, 1978, p 545.

(3) For example the study by A E Musson & Eric Robinson, Science Technology and the Industrial Revolution, 1969; Eric Robinson & Douiglas McKie's Partners in Science, James Watt & Joseph Black, 1970; Eric Robinson & A G Musson, James Watt and the Steam Revolution, 1969.

(4) Many of these are reproduced in Jennifer Tann, The Development of the Factory, 1971.

(5) Nicholas Goodison, Ormolu: The Work of Matthew Boulton, 1974.

(6) Jennifer Tann, 'Makers of Improved Newcomen Engines in the late 18th Century', Transactions Newcomen Society - 49, 1979; ibid., 'Mr Hornblower and his crew', Transactions Newcomen Society - 50, 1980.

(7) ibid. 'Richard Arkwright and Technology History', 58, 1973.

(8) See J R Harris, The Copper King, 1964.

(9) Jennifer Tann, 'Corn Milling', in G Mingay (ed), The Agrarian History of England and Wales, Vol VI, 1750-1850, 1989, '. 409-424.

(10) Eric Robinson, 'Boulton & Fothergill 1762-82 and the Birmingham Export of Hardware', University of Birmingham Historical Journal, 7, 1959; ibid., 'Eighteenth Century Commerce and Fashion: Matthew Boulton's Marketing Techniques', Economic History Review, 16, 1963.

(11) A E Musson & Eric Robinson, op. cit.; '. 251-337.

(12) J H Andrew, 'The Copying of Engineering Drawings and Documents', Transactions Newcomen Society, 53, 1981-82, '. 1-15.

(13) A E Musson & Eric Robinson, op. cit., '. 200-215.

(14) Robert E Schofield, The Lunar Society of Birmingham, 1963.

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