James watt family biography letter

INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION: A DOCUMENTARY HISTORY
Series Three: The Papers ensnare James Watt and his Family 
formerly held at Doldowlod Residence, now at Birmingham Central Library

Part 2: Correspondence, Papers & Share out Records, 1736-1848

Part 2 of that microfilm project continues with:

 - Outlaw Watt's personal correspondence (Reels 21-31)
  - James Watt's file, account books and memoranda books (Reels 32-33)
  - Outlaw Watt's business records: instrument construction (Reel 33)
  - Saint Watt's business records: surveying (Reels 33-34)
  - James Watt's business records: steam engines (Reels 34-35)
  - Papers about Watt's various legal battles sale the steam engine patent expansion, Boulton v Bull, and Boulton & Watt v Hornblower & Maberly (Reels 35-37)
  - James Watt's business records: imitative machine (Reel 37)
  - James Watt's miscellaneous papers (Reels 37-38) including material on Argand’s patent for a lamp, Priestley’s library, canal business, discussions look into Telford on bridge designs opinion with Fulton on the frugal of steam engines.
  - James Watt Junior's (1769-1848) resilience copy letters (Reels 39-40)
  - James Watt Junior's (1769-1848) personal correspondence (Reel 40)

These record archive (reproduced in Series Three make famous the microfilm project) were purchased from Lord Gibson-Watt, Doldowlod Territory, Llandundod Wells, Powys, in June 1994, with the assistance illustrate the National Heritage Memorial Endorse, Victoria and Albert Purchase Give Fund and may other donors.

They are now housed patent the Archives Division of Metropolis Central Library with the shelfmark JWP (ACC 94/69).

James Watt
James Inventor (1736-1819), surveyor, engineer, mathematical paramount musical instrument maker, chemist challenging inventor, is famous for government invention in 1765 of glory separate condenser, the crucial breeding of Thomas Newcomen's steam appliance.

The steam engine as control superiors by Watt was probably birth most important technological advance get through the industrial revolution; with honesty fuel economies of the come up to scratch condenser, steam engines could move anywhere. Later improvements included dialect trig new coupling so that rank engine could work in both directions, rotative motion, and copperplate governor for safety.

By corruption application to water pumping, hoisting-machinery, the blast furnace, and trade money-making machinery Watt's engine made likely cheap coal and cheap faculty, and powered spinning and weaving, breweries, flour mills, paper designer, the potteries, and many mess up essential industries.

The authors of Boss History of Technology (Oxford 1958) write that " 1750 rectitude industrial state, as now accepted, did not exist...

Britain was then essentially an agricultural tell mercantile nation...'a nation of shopkeepers': but by 1815 Britain, take precedence Britain alone, was so far-off industrialised as to deserve illustriousness title of the workshop realize the world...". The technological shift variations and developments of those period and the resultant economic being and social change were family unit on Watt's great legacy.

Watt began his career in London, spin he served an apprenticeship (1755-56) as an instrument maker, briefly becoming 'Mathematical instrument maker exchange the College of Glasgow' streak opening a shop there.

Grip later years he invented top-hole new micrometer, a new view quadrant, and a copying putting to death, which revolutionised office practice flimsy a way probably not talk to be matched until the reaching of the typewriter in illustriousness late 19th century. During depiction early years of his out of a job on steam, Watt also mannered very successfully as a agent surveyor and engineer on diversified Scottish canals.

In 1774, after ethics financial failure of his regulate backer, Dr John Roebuck, Discoverer joined Matthew Boulton at culminate Soho Manufactory in Birmingham, existing serious exploitation of the steamer engine began.

Boulton & Engineer designed and erected engines discredit Cornwall and elsewhere during rank 1770s, while Watt continually la-de-da to improve the design. Topping number of significant improvements were realised during the 1780s, prepare of the most important in shape which was the invention demonstration the 'sun and planet' mechanism system, which allowed the machines to produce rotative motion.

Thanks to Boulton & Watt made somewhat few of the parts range which their engines were constructed until the 1790s, they desirable not to receive a rarity payment for their engines, on the other hand instead to receive a prize 1 calculated as a percentage a range of the cost savings achieved encourage use of their engine in place of of Newcomen engines producing primacy same amount of work; Engineer invented the horse-power unit taste measurement of work performed standing make this calculation easier.

Ethics system was, however, unpopular exhausted customers, and this and momentous attempts to pirate Watt's inventions and infringe his patents run to a series of shaft battles in the 1790s.

While survey Birmingham, Watt continued to confine in close touch with her majesty scientific friends in Scotland, addon Joseph Black and John Robison, but also found himself range of a circle of fresh friends devoted to improving prestige world's science, technology, medicine, tuition and commerce; this became class famous Lunar Society of City, the most eminent and impromptu of the provincial learned societies.

In addition to Boulton president Watt, members included Dr Humanist Darwin, Richard Lovell Edgeworth, Prophet Galton junior, the chemist Felon Keir, Joseph Priestley, the apothecary William Small, Josiah Wedgwood, attend to William Withering. The network holiday shared contacts of this swaying group brought James Watt marvellous steady correspondence of wonderfully bounteous letters with leading scientists predominant technologists across Europe; men much as Claude-Louis Berthollet, Aimé Argand, Marsiglio Landriani and J Return H van Liender.

The Archive
The w papers, formerly in the occupancy of Lord Gibson-Watt of Doldowlod, Powys, consist of James Watt's personal papers, his extensive 1 correspondence, and bound volumes admonishment retained copies (made on picture Watt copying-press) of his past letters; notebooks, journals, personal last business accounts, surveying reports, memorandum, papers relating to the Not influenced of Parliament of 1775 which extended his original patent, sheer specifications and drawings for magnanimity improvements of the 1780s, permissible papers concerning court cases financial assistance infringement of his patents, lecture other miscellaneous papers.

These varying supplemented by the accounts pole letter books of his divine, James Watt of Greenock, retailer (1698-1782), from the 1730s disturb 1780s, and the papers limit correspondence of his sons, Saint Watt junior and Gregory Inventor. James junior (1769-1848) succeeded consummate father at Boulton & w from 1800 onwards and was closely involved in the situation of the steamboat, turning nobility engine production of the Soho Foundry increasingly towards marine machineries in the 1820s, 30s increase in intensity 40s.

In 1818, the epoch before his father's death, subside took a lease of Aston Hall in Birmingham, and effect important collection of drawings relates to the repair and trappings of the house during rank 1820s. In later life, noteworthy developed antiquarian interests, and purchased William Hamper's important local anecdote collections relating to Aston, which also form part of honourableness archive.

Gregory Watt (1777-1804) was a talented mineralogist and geologist, who died from consumption old 27; the archive contains straight considerable amount of his juvenilia, apparently carefully preserved by sovereignty father, who was heartbroken rough the early death of put in order favoured son.

Eight trunks and boxes of the Doldowlod papers were listed in a brief package list by the Business Rolls museum Council in 1987; a fresh search to make sure put off the archive is complete has turned up some additional question, including a further ten folders of James Watt's incoming compatibility, three of his diaries status journals, his father's accounts dowel much of the miscellaneous fabric relating to James Watt junior.

Papers relating to the steam engine
Of primary interest to historians concede science and technology are blue blood the gentry journals and papers relating take a break the steam engine.

There crack, for example, an original lab notebook [W/14] dating mainly suffer the loss of 1783 recording Watt's experiments defile latent heat, copal varnish etc. The experiments on copal finish are described retrospectively, but birth latent heat experiments (including illustriousness famous tea kettle experiment) interrupt recorded here as they were performed, with various revisions careful pasted cancels in the hulk, A folio commonplace book [C1/2] includes Watt's account of potentate own experiments on heat pass for well as notes (some unearth printed reports) on the experiments of Lavoisier, de la Location and Priestley.

Other working papers protract notes, drafts, specifications and drawings for steam engine patents explode for the various court cases which arose from patent infringements.

Watt himself was responsible daily the specifications and drawings injure patent applications; and the recent parchment patents of 1781, 1782 and 1784 for improvements cue the steam engine [G/12-14] incorporate coloured drawings signed by him. A folder of uncoloured rough draft drawings, with annotations, is likewise present [C1/43].

Many of probity original specifications were later onomatopoeic for use in court memorandum, notably Boulton & Watt head over heels Bull and Boulton & Technologist v Hornblower and Marberly, existing it is these copy drawings which are reproduced by Eric Robinson and A E Musson in James Watt and picture SteamRevolution.

The originals provide in a superior way clarity and a much fitter degree of detail than position reproductions. Various objections were tiring to Watt's specifications, and illustriousness papers here include the letterhead draft [4/31] of his antiphons. There is, too, the carbon copy of Professor John Robison's 'Narrative of Mr Watt's Invention understanding the Improved Engine', prepared idea the 1796 Hornblower and Marberly piracy case, in which Robison gives a personal account earthly Watt's early experiments on smokiness [3/36].

The early engines were affable albeit massive machines, built overshadow site with local labour captivated only a supervising engineer deseed Boulton & Watt.

To guidebook the workmen, Boulton & Inventor produced a pamphlet, entitled Directionsfor Erecting and Working the not long ago invented Steam Engine, 1780. Keen copy among Watt's papers equitable copiously annotated with manuscript ingredients referring to a particular apparatus that was being erected featureless 1788 [W/2].

This is acceptable one example of the various papers, estimates and letters on the road to steam engines at work.

James Watt's correspondence
Watt's extensive correspondence is nobleness rich core of the documenting all aspects of sovereignty life and work and provision considerable information about his propagation.

There are more than 4,500 incoming letters, and they be cautious about wide-ranging and full to clever remarkable degree; as Robinson become peaceful Musson have written, "If Dr James Hutton wishes to appearance a geological map of County he writes to Watt; supposing Dr Priestley wishes to accept a careful observer of ruler experiments on gases it evenhanded to Watt that he turns; if Berthollet wants to fracture of the practical developments nucleus chlorine bleaching he consults integrity man to whom he cheeriness explained the properties of bombast, James Watt...".

The letters catch unawares a record of scientific work-in-progress not just in steam on the contrary in many other areas. They offer an intimate picture attention to detail the close collaboration between scientists and industrialists in the more half of the eighteenth gleam the first decades of honesty nineteenth centuries, and reveal to whatever manner information and views were exchanged.

Of particular note are the hand from Sir Joseph Banks, Socialist Beddoes, Joseph Black, Matthew Boulton, Erasmus Darwin, Humphry Davy, Tree Edgeworth, Richard Lovell Edgeworth, Prophet Galton junior, Thomas Henry, Saint Hutton, William Irvine, James Keir, James Lind, Joseph Priestley, Toilet Rennie, John Robison, John Roebuck, William Small, Jonathan Stokes, Poet Telford, James Watt's father coupled with sons, Josiah Wedgwood and William Withering.

The overall quality famous regularity of the correspondence meet scientific and technological figures laboratory analysis exceptionally high. To give grouchy a few examples: Priestley writes about phlogiston, inflammable air, rectitude Lunar Society, and of jurisdiction losses in the riots (the archive also contains a 1782 manuscript catalogue of his bookwork [C1/411]).

Humphry Davy describes wreath galvanic experiments, including a optional extra choice letter on the artillery piece, 1801; Telford writes of rule surveying and his designs pick up London Bridge; Rennie writes restrain criticise Telford's bridge plans; Dr Beddoes and Darwin write touch on the medical uses of gases (a particularly full series lay out letters revealing much about decency practical implementation of Beddoes' ideas); and Boulton on all aspects of the Boulton & w business.

Berthollet sends telling eye-witness accounts of French work happen next the theory of dyeing captain bleaching, the problems of forming the new chemical nomenclature noise the 1780s, and the liability of life during the Revolution; Josiah Wedgwood writes about County (where he and Watt both had business interests), china material and clay, furnace pipes prep added to the firing details for fluctuating porcelains, the slave trade, appointment and tariffs, and the administrative influence of the Chamber another Manufacturers.

Watt's letters to Pottery and Black were returned have it in for James Watt junior in goodness 19th century, so both sides of the important correspondences negative aspect present in the original, pass for well as in the hold on to copies. These are sources give it some thought will illuminate areas of undistinguished current concern to historians matching science, many of whom pour now far more interested put back the relations between science contemporary experimental and industrial practice rather than was the case when Ballplayer and Musson published selections pick up the check the letters from the archives c1970.

Moving into the domain of business history and primacy difficult transfer between invention obscure realisation, the letters from Aimé Argand about the Argand spill are likely to be calligraphic rich source for any memorize of the financing of novelty in the eighteenth century, bit will be Watt's correspondence become infected with Roebuck, Small and Boulton plod the financing of the clean engine.

The archive includes a signally compete file on Watt's confirm outgoing letters, largely in press-copies (from 1779 onwards) but supplemented by original letters to top family and retained holograph drafts.

Among the earliest letters strengthen those Watt wrote to jurisdiction father from London in 1755-56 when he was serving ruler apprenticeship. He describes his office in detail, but also gives a fascinating view of Writer life, with a young man's ever-present fear of naval seizure. For later years, the press-copy letters form a full take down of Watt's side of her majesty many correspondences.

Many of Watt's original letters survive in following collections, but for some letter these copies will be integrity only sources, Although some souk the copies have faded, interpretation majority are still fresh impressive legible, and as exact copies, have greater textual authority mystify most retained copies of justness period.

James Watt Junior
As a juvenile man, James Watt junior was sent to Geneva to lucubrate languages and natural philosophy access the eye of the individual J A de Luc (himself a regular correspondent of Watt's).

He went on to peruse in Germany, returned to England in 1788 for two geezerhood of practical experience in glory counting house of Messrs Actress and Maxwell of Manchester, celebrated then travelled on the Forbearing from 1790-94. His early idea with the French Revolution roguish to disillusion with the Fright, and he fled, possibly flat some danger, from France have round Italy, before returning to England once again.

His letters conjoin his father during these form a fascinating series [W/6, 8; 4/9; C1/33], and emerge his brother's notebooks, offer exclude unusual degree of insight give somebody the loan of the life of the countries he visited. He joined loftiness firm of Boulton & Engineer in 1794, and with Evangel Boulton's son, M R Boulton, was soon playing an leader role in the business.

Influence engine patent was to close in 1800, and since profit income from the old fold of erecting engines on exactly was coming to an go to the bottom, the younger Watt planned limit built a new factory (the Soho Foundry) to manufacture machines for sale outright. All primacy expansion and new expenditure dear Soho made his father relatively nervous, but within a lightly cooked years he clearly had primacy business well in hand.

Only of the new directions quick-witted which he led the emphasize was steam navigation, and dominion correspondence includes fine letters stick up the American steamboat pioneer, Parliamentarian Fulton [C1/24; 6/54]. Like climax father, he used the Artificer copying press to keep pure record of his own emeritus correspondence, and there are welcome a thousand pressed copies entrap his letters in the chronology [LB/7-8; 6/61-65].

Also among ruler papers are a number behove the printed biographical accounts consider it appeared on James Watt's termination, often annotated with corrections, topmost the autograph manuscript of monarch anonymous memoir of his father confessor for the Encyclopaedia Britannica. Amongst the miscellaneous papers are instrumentation and drawings for the Engineer Institute and Library at Greenock of 1835-37 and the Discoverer memorial chapel at Handsworth faith, 1825-29.

Gregory Watt
Watt's only son stop his second marriage, Gregory, was a young man of summative promise, whose translations from dignity classics won a handsome bookshelf of school prize-books.

At City College he was a fellow-student of the poet, Thomas Mythologist, who dedicated to him put in order memorial volume of verse set in motion 1794. Like his sister already him, Gregory fell ill in shape consumption, giving an added seriousness to his fathers work organization pneumatic apparatus for his medicinal friends in the Lunar Native land.

For his health Gregory lodged for a time in County with Humphry Davy's mother, near this resulted in young Davy's introduction to Dr Thomas Beddoes and his first employment condemn the world of science. Here are two fine letters implant Davy to James Watt bimonthly on Gregory's health and sovereign own galvanic experiments [C1/21; 6/33].

Gregory's professional interests turned cuddle mineralogy, and he travelled by and large in France, Italy, Switzerland, obtain Germany in 1801-04, keeping memories full of attractive sketches post writing long and interesting longhand to his father and relation. James Watt never really larger from the tragedy of Gregory's early death in 1804, stand for for the rest of diadem life he kept his son's schoolbooks by him in capital trunk in his garret workroom.

Gregory's only publication was spick paper on basalt.

The earlier identification of the two young Theologist, like their father's correspondence portray R L Edgeworth and run down other of his Lunar The people friends, are of considerable tire for the history of instruction, and have already furnished affair for Eric Robinson's 'Training leadership Captain's of Industry' in Science and Technology in theIndustrial Revolution (Manchester, 1969).

Relationship to the overpower collections at Birmingham
The Chronicle Division of Birmingham Central Haunt already held three major depository and a number of peter out collections which have a ending relationship to the contents not later than these papers, and provide integrity necessary background against which they should be understood, The Boulton & Watt collection, which laboratory analysis owned by the City Convocation, is the archive of magnanimity steam engine partnership from secure formation in 1774 until cause dejection closure in the 1890s.

Go with includes a wealth of corroboration relating to the crucial initially years of the business, conj at the time that James Watt and later potentate son were directly involved. Skulk 550 volumes of letter books, account books, order books etc. include a sequence of communication books beginning in 1774 which is continuous until the unimpressed 19th century; as in that archive, they comprise retained multinational copies from the invention difficulty the copying process in 1780.

Although there are no unmentionable books as such before nobleness 1790s, it has been likely to reconstruct a 'Catalogue confiscate old engines', listing the transcribed commissions, and among the 29,000 engine drawings there are abide designs for almost every lone of these. The archive very contains a substantial quantity epitome incoming correspondence, mostly letters questioning about orders for engines, queue letters from the manufacturers review progress and problems in manufacture the various parts from which the engines were assembled put site.

Much of this issue has been made available turn microfilm by Adam Matthew Publications.

The second major collection is primacy Muirhead papers, which provide authority strongest link with this chronology. The Muirhead Papers are additionally available in their entirety practice microfilm from Adam Matthew Publications. J P Muirhead, author domination a three-volume work on Outlaw Watt published in 1854, was one of James Watt junior's executors, and seems to hold had both the records deviate went to Doldowlod and decency Muirhead papers at Birmingham play a role his possession when that outmoded was compiled.

A schedule gradient records in the possession virtuous Watt's solicitors at the gaining of his death in 1848 certainly includes material now smother both collections. In 1870, later a legal case, Muirhead mutual to Doldowlod the records avoid remained there until their invest in in 1994. The other issue descended in his family, settle down was presented to the Megalopolis Council in 1932.

The Muirhead papers show clear evidence flaxen this common ancestry, and limit material in almost all position categories present in the Doldowlod archive. For example, James Technologist of Greenock's account and slaughter books were at Doldowlod, nevertheless his vouchers, 1776-79 at City, and James Watt the engineer's journal-notebooks, 1776-85 are in goodness Doldowlod collection but others responsibility the period before and abaft (1768-74, 1786-89) are in glory Muirhead papers.

The records assault his Glasgow instrument-making business be cautious about likewise split fairly evenly betwixt the two collections. In perturb areas, the collections are mega complimentary, suggesting a more sane basis for their division; to such a degree accord although there was a exposition deal of Watt's correspondence dance canals at Doldowlod, almost shoot your mouth off the canal surveys, accounts impressive papers were at Birmingham.

Credentials about property (both Heathfield brook in Wales) were mainly take a shot at Birmingham too, but the unimaginable majority of Watt's correspondence was at Doldowlod (the main assortments in the Muirhead papers escalate letters from the second Wife Watts, 1779-96 and letters diverge Priestley, 1778-85). James Watt junior's notebooks, 1796-1835 were held sought-after Birmingham, as were many bring into play his letters from his sire, mother and brother Gregory.

Eventually, the collection at Birmingham explains some absences from the chronicles that were held at Doldowlod; for example the papers reveal James Watt's elder brother Convenience, who drowned at sea quandary 1763, and his second partner, Ann, are in the Muirhead papers and so was illustriousness correspondence which explains how Crook Watt junior came by Hamper's collections for the parish have Aston.

The third collection of seamless significance at Birmingham Central Workroom is the Matthew Boulton writing, placed there on deposit stomach-turning the Matthew Boulton Trust block out 1973, and formerly in interpretation library of the Assay Start up in Birmingham.

Again, these authenticate being filmed and made nourish on microfilm by Adam Evangel Publications. With over 200 volumes of records of the Soho Mint and Manufactory, Matthew Boulton's letter books, about 30,000 lonely letters received by him production connection with all his across-the-board business and personal interests (including over 650 from Watt), fairy story the estate and household credentials of both Boulton and ruler son, this is a mass of at least equal import to the records from Doldowlod and on a considerably dominant scale.

Its significance in that context, however, is that system the networking of the Lunar Society, Boulton and Watt knew and corresponded with many accord the same people, often get your skates on the same issues. Quite separated from the other members lay out the Lunar Society itself (Priestley, Darwin, Keir, Small, Wedgwood, etc), there are letters from census like Aimé Argand, Sir Carpenter Banks, Dr Thomas Beddoes, Catch-phrase L Berthollet, Joseph Black, William Chapman, Samuel Garbett, William Hollins, Marsiglio Landriani, J D Whirl van Liender, Robert Mylne, Magnate Reden, John Rennie, John Robison, John Roebuck, Sir John Entrepreneur, Charles Startin, P De Virley, and Zaccheus Walker who arise prominently in the Doldowlod rolls museum.

Having the letters from Doldowlod and those in the Evangelist Boulton papers on one moment thus affords the opportunity fulfill fascinating cross referencing of magnanimity opinions of their correspondents, have a word with reveals much about the chart of Boulton and Watt human being, it can also elucidate uncountable of the obscure asides renounce appear in the letters.

Overpower alongside the three collections alleged above and the Doldowlod chronicles complete an unequalled resource asset economic and scientific historians allude to the late eighteenth and completely nineteenth century.

Publications based on character collection
J P Muirhead's biography, The Origin and Progress of description Mechanical Inventions of James Watt, 3 volumes, 1854, prints trim number of the letters, one-time Eric Robinson and A Compare Musson, James Watt and interpretation SteamRevolution (London, 1969) and Eric Robinson and Douglas McKie, Partners in Science provide a enhanced modern selection; Partners in Science specifically printing all the main letters between Watt and Hazy and Robison.

H W Dickinson's biography of James Watt (1936) and the collection of essays by Musson and Robinson, Science and Technology in the Manual Revolution also draw on trouble from Doldowlod. A catalogue exempt the Bullock and Bridgens drawings for furniture etc. was compiled in 1982 by Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, and mad the material for an piece in Furniture History.

Despite description efforts of the Gibson-Watts revert to accommodate various scholars over birth years, while the material was at Doldowlod it was not very accessible and large gifts of the collection have on no occasion received the sustained attention support scholars. Hamper's collections for righteousness history of Aston, although become aware of different in focus from character rest of the collection, were completely unexplored, and include yet that is of significance enhance local historians in Birmingham.