INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION: A DOCUMENTARY HISTORY

Series One: The Boulton & Watt Archives and the Matthew Boulton Papers from Birmingham Central Library

Part 6: Muirhead II - Notebooks and Papers of James Watt and Family

Part 7: Matthew Boulton Correspondence (Subject Material and Individual Correspondents Including

            Garbett, Rennie, Southern and Wilkinson)

Part 8: Muirhead III and IV - Notebooks and Papers of James Watt and Family

Publisher's Note - Part 8

Part 8 of our microfilm project Industrial Revolution: A Documentary History, covering the Boulton and Watt Archive and Matthew Boulton Papers from Birmingham Central Library, provides complete coverage of:

(a) Muirhead III – 4 boxes of manuscript material and one portfolio of maps and plans

(b) Muirhead IV – 21 boxes of manuscript material, principally correspondence, housed in a series of foolscap size orange folders.

Both focus on the Notebooks and Papers of James Watt and family. This part completes our coverage of Muirhead.

Muirhead III is small (just 2 reels) and consists of Legal Agreements, Leases and Mortgages; Waste Books, Ledgers and Journeymen’s Books of James Watt, 1757-1771; important Architectural plans and papers concerning Heathfield House and grounds in Handsworth, 1789-1795 (Heathfield House was built for James Watt in 1790), including some watercolour drawings and plans thought to be by the architect Samuel Wyatt – as well as detail on the exterior, there is much fascinating material on the internal layout of the house, different designs and ideas – a valuable source for social historians. Other Papers include drawings and plans for Badland farm in Radnorshire, plans for Badland House, a sketch of a house proposed to be built at Doldowlod, and a Book of designs for gates, plus a final portfolio containing Maps and Plans, c.1728-1756, probably by the surveyor John Watt (uncle of James Watt).

Muirhead IV is much bigger (26 reels) and contains some excellent correspondence. Boxes 1-10 are arranged A-Z alphabetically. These are letters received by James Watt (or his son). c.1772-1818… for instance:

• Thomas Beddoes (29 letters)
• Matthew Robinson Boulton (56 letters)
• Peter Ewart (42 letters)
• James Lawson (64 letters)
• George A Lee (85 letters)
• Charlotte Matthews (29 letters)
• J. L. Moilliet (15 letters)
• John Mosley (45 letters)
• Joseph Priestley, jnr (36 letters)
• John Rennie (38 letters)
• John Southern (22 letters)
• John Furnell Tuffen (84 letters)
• Josiah Wedgwood, jnr (41 letters frequently signed “Wedgewood” on the letters)
• Ambrose Weston (26 letters)
• William Withering (4 letters)

There is an emphasis in this material towards the later years of James Watt’s life, especially 1795-1818, when his son James Watt, jnr, was playing a major role in the various business concerns, social duties and administration of Welsh estates.

Boxes 11-19 cover Family Correspondence and Papers. Much of this material (4 boxes) is a strong sequence of letters from James Watt to his son James Watt, jnr. This covers the period 1784-1818. There are letters from James Watt to his wife Ann Watt (a folder from 1780) and correspondence after James Watt’s death – a sequence of letters from James Watt, jnr to Ann Watt, 1819-1820.

Other family papers cover James Watt of Greenock, Thomas Watt (mathematician at Crawfordsdyk), John Watt, senior and John Watt, junior. The final two boxes of Muirhead IV are Canal Papers mainly devoted to the construction of the Monkland Canal. These papers relate to the period 1770-1772 when James Watt worked as a canal surveyor and engineer on various Scottish canals. There are maps, plans, calculations, notes on dimensions, working papers and accounts relating to this work.

Without doubt the heart of this part of the microfilm project is the section of correspondence in Muirhead IV. The broad cross-section of letters received, with rich detail on business affairs and social life at the end of the eighteenth century/first two decades of the nineteenth century, provide social historians with a substantial goldmine for further research.

The letters from James Watt to his son are also most informative. Many of these letters, whether in the alphabetical sequence or part of the father/son exchange of news and instructions, are crammed with detail and often run to quite a number of pages. The following extracts drawn from Muirhead IV give a flavour of this correspondence:

Box 16, folder 11 of 30

Glasgow, August 21, 1803

“Dear James
We arrived here last night, but Mr Hamilton’s family being out of town, have seen nobody and know not if there are any letters; we go to Glanarbach today and shall write from thence if anything occurs. Gregory is gone into Perthshire and will not be back for 10 days; was well when he went.

For want of chairs we were detailed at Bolton till 5 October; their coming after we left you; After that we had not more stoppages but a pleasant journey and good weather though cold these last 3 days – We came round through Gallaway but made no new observations.

I shall thank you to enquire at Mr Woodward’s if Messrs Cheese and Davies have drawn from him the purchase money for Ystrad Penner, and if they have not to write to them and quicken their motions about that conveyance, and also about the payment of the Ystrad Mortgage, as mentioned in the letter I left for you at Heathfield.

On considering the subject of the Handsworth volunteers it appears to me that there will be no use in furnishing more than the law prescribes, and that after seeing from the lists taken by the Constables what that number is, you should pick out from those who have enrolled the most likely men and those who can best be spared taking the unmarried men in preference to those who have families – I shall probably be called upon for subscriptions for the same purpose in Radnor and Breconshire, in which case you will please write to Mr Crummer; that I shall be willing to come forward with other Landowners in proportion to my rents in the rural parishes, or counties, but that my subscriptions elsewhere will prevent my going further – As I shall write again in a few days I add no more at present.

Mrs Watt and Miss A Hamilton join me in best wishes to you and friends at Soho…

Dear James
Yours affectionably
James Watt.”

Box 17, folder 26 of 30

Heathfield July 27, 1817

“Dear James
I am very sorry to hear of your vexatious disappointments about the boiler and the necessity you have been under of cutting away part of the Boat to get it in and especially of its coming so near the deck which however I hope you will take care to make secure from fire. On the whole I see no chance of your making a very good job of it, but you may get it so that you make proper trials of the engine and boat and I would recommend in the meantime to prepare a Boiler of proper dimensions to suit this boat, and reserve the present boiler for some other boat.

I fully thought Madame Lavoisier had been gone when on Thursday she called here in company with Mrs (Tirtius)? Galton and Miss Adele Galton and consequently we found ourselves obliged to ask her and friends to dinner a ceremony we wished to have avoided on account of the very bad state of Mrs Watt’s neck; the invitation was accepted for Saturday accordingly yesterday we had the Countess Mrs Gurtians (?) and Miss Adele Galton, Dr de Lys, Mr Boulton, Mr Underwood an acquaintance of yours, who is going to Scotland with the Comtesse and Mr Z Walker, and the evening passed off very well. Today the Countess sets out for Scotland, she would have been gone sooner but her nephew Mr Poulzé sized with a fit of the gout and kept constantly growling about ce trieste voyage, he now returns to London in consequence of Madame’s rencontre with Mr Underwood who will answer the purpose much better. Madame Boulton after having promised chose to shirk and in consequence Miss B. followed her example.

After the company were gone Mrs Watt had the plaster taken off, we found her neck much blistered and inflamed, but after dressing with some mild ointment she became easier which continues and I hope it will be enough by the end of the week to permit her to travel. Until the pain caused by the plaster abates we cannot judge whether it has one much good to the original complaint, but at any rate it has been a rough medicine.

We propose to have a plan of the Birmingham Canal engraved, the above ground survey is finished but the situation of the several strata of coals etc. should be laid down, do you think Mr Farey would be a proper person for that purpose? There is to be a committee meeting on Friday and I would like to know your sentiments on that head by that time (say on Thursday).

I copy this upon two sixth parts of a sheet of tissue paper bought at Cross and Parsons in the Strand. Cost 14d per quire.

I beg to be remembered to all friends and remain
Dear James, Yours affectionately
James Watt.”

If James Watt’s tone seems sometimes to be slightly grumpy, this may be due to the difficulties of journeys, ill-health and concerns about his or his wife’s latest ailment. He never quite recovered from Gregory’s early death in 1804. The letters do provide a good overview of business management, social responsibility (such as poor relief, duties as sheriff, policing and the management of the Welsh estates), Watt’s contacts in the business and scientific community. One can also study the transition as Watt jnr and Matthew Robinson Boulton take over a leading role in the continuing operation of both the Soho Works and Soho Foundry, and their fathers assume a slightly less prominent role in the Boulton and Watt concerns. By 1805 the business was conducted most efficiently and in terms of organisation and structure which can be considered modern by the standards of factories as late as the 1920s.

Here are two final extracts. Thomas Barnes of Walker Colliery (in a letter dated February 11, 1800 – see Muirhead IV, Folder B [2 of 8]) explains how domestic misfortunes have prevented his visit to Soho and then writes:

“It remains therefore Sir for me to proceed to such business by Letter, As I should have endeavoured to transact with you personally and as in the present times money is the first consideration I have sent by yesterday’s Post addressed to Messrs. B & W least you should be from home a Bill upon Messrs. Castall Powick & Co for £1115.15.0 being the amount of the Fair Pit Engine goods and the Lawson Main Waggon Road as stated in your favour of 26’ Nov. last.

That this Bill should not have been paid sooner is certainly irregular, but the truth is the present Company at Walker are not Tradesmen and are therefore very liable to forget the routine of business…

The Fair Pit Engine is now currently at work Night and Day and gives the most compleat satisfaction…”

On October 18, 1800 Thomas Barnes (of the Walker Colliery at Newcastle upon Tyne) writes again to James Watt (from the George Inn at Buxton):

“Dear Sir

In acknowledging the receipt of your favour of the 6th instant I should deem myself very ungrateful if I neglected to thank you most cordially for the very obliging manner in which you have offered to receive my Wife and I at Soho, which place I have in consequence of my last advices from Newcastle found myself in a condition to Visit, though it will not be in my power to remain there more than 3 days –

This short time however will be of the first importance to me, and I therefore propose to begin my Journey on Saturday the 25th but from the situation of my partner who is a little too heavy for quick Travelling I shall not have the pleasure of waiting upon you before Sunday morning.

From Mr. Southern’s favour of the 15th I am glad to find that Tyne Main Winding Engine is on your List and I am much obliged to him for the Proverb of the Sheep and Lamb but I cannot afford to be hanged for either.

My wife desires to join me in wishing you every happiness that the Rookery can afford, and with best regards to Mr. Southern, Mr Murdock and Mr. Fishwick I remain Dear Sir,

Your most Obedient and much obliged
Humble Servant,
Thomas Barnes.”

Each part of this project has a clear theme and unity. Libraries can acquire the project part by part confident that each area has clear research and teaching potential.

Parts 6-8 will be accompanied by a paperback guide with full contents of reels information, background information such as data on prominent individuals, detailed listings, chronologies and other relevant bibliographic details.

<back