John Torr Foulds (1742-1815): Millwright and Engineer

References

• R. Thompson, Chronicles of Old London Bridge ( London, 1827).
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• Minutes of the Management Committee, The London Bridge Waterworks Company, 3rd March 1815 formerly held in the Archives of The Thames Water Authority, Metropolitan Water Division, New River Head, Rosebery Avenue, London EC1 (hereafter Minutes). My thanks especially to Mr. W. Whitehead (member) the former Archivist and more recently Mr. Longstaff for allowing generous access and providing assistance. They are now in the Greater London Record Office (GLRO), Ref. Acc. 2558/LB/1/1–9.
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• H. Beighton F.R.S. "A Description of the Water-Works at London Bridge", Philosophical Transactions, Vol. 37 (1731).
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• This folio-sized, hand-written document is also in the GLRO. Beighton's sketch is attached and some of his description retained but Dearne considered the lifter mechanism more a curiosity 'among the mechanical part of the world' than of practical benefit and devotes a long section recommending its removal from the two wheels under the 4th arch (f.41).
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• J. T. Desaguliers, Experimental Philosophy (London, 1744), Vol. 2, p. 528.
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• Dearne, op. cit. (4) f.4–5.
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• Ibid., p. 32.
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• William Matthews, Hydraulia-An Historical and Descriptive Account of the Water Works of London (London, 1835), p. 27.
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• John Smeaton, Reports, Vol. 2, p.1–3 (18 March 1763).
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• Gentlemen's Magazine, Vol. 37 (London, 1767), pp. 337–9; 407–8.
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• A. W. Skempton and E. Wright, "Early Members of the Smeatonian Society", Transactions of the Newcomen Society, Vol. 44 (1973), p. 28.
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• Smeaton op. cit.(9), pp. 27–8 (17 July 1767).
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• Dearne, op. cit.(4), f.40.
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• Ibid, ff. 35–40.
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• Smeaton, op. cit (9). See also Paul N. Wilson, "The Waterwheels of John Smeaton", T.N.S., Vol. 30 (1955), pp. 25–48. Denis Smith "Mills and Millwork", in John Smeaton F.R.S. ( editor A. W. Skempton, London, 1981), pp. 69–70.
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• Smeaton, op. cit. (9) p. 28.
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• Wilson, op. cit. (15) p. 46; Rees Cyclopaedia (1802–19) has a detailed description and Plate illustrating Smeaton's wheel and pumping apparatus, Vol. XXXVIII article 'Water' and Plates, Vol. III.
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• I am indebted to Sir Colin Cole and Mrs. J. Hardy of The College of Arms for sight of their genealogical study of John Torr Foulds. His direct descendant William Foulds attended the meeting for this paper and contributed to the discussion.
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• Dearne, op. cit. (4),, f.125.
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• Ibid, f. 35.
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• Ibid, f. 15.
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• Minutes. There are 8 volumes running from January 1776 until April 1831. I suspect that the earlier records of the Company were destroyed in the fire of 1779.
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• Minutes, 8 March 1776.
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• Dearne, op. cit. (4), f.24.
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• Minutes, 3 November 1779.
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• Smeaton examined this engine in 1777 (Reports, Vol. 2, pp. 29–30.
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• J. Foulds, "Plan and Elevation of Waterworks Receiver and Distributor", (London, 1788) in Guildhall Library (Ref. LA Pr 361/Lon (1)). Smeaton op. cit. (9) p. 54.
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• J. Foulds, "A Crank in Waterworks, sawmills etc., for a method of discharging", Transactions of the Society for the Encouragement of the Arts, Manufacture and Commerce, Vol. 2, pp. 187–8. [T.S.A.].
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• Minutes, 3 March 1780.
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• J. Foulds, "a Machine for cutting off Piles under water", T.S.A., Vol. 13, pp. 241–2, gives a full description and drawing of the machine.
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• Dearne, op. cit.(4), f.32.
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• E. Roll, An Early Experiment in Industrial Organisation: Being a History of the firm of Boulton and Watt 1775–1805 (London 1930), p. 42 (2nd edition 1968).
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• Minutes, 28 July 1789.
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• Ibid., 13 November 1789.
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• Ibid., 14 November 1788.
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• Ibid., 15 November 1793.
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• Ibid., 6 September 1793.
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• Family firm history: G. Rennie, On the Rise and Progress of the Mechanical Establishment of Messrs George Rennie & Sons in Holland Street, Blackfriars Bridge, (1861). Rennie Papers, National Library of Scotland (Ref. MSS.19953).
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• Richard Till seems to have been the driving force in the Management of the Company. He was engaged in June 1780 and remained in charge until the Waterworks was dismantled in 1822.
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• Minutes, 4 September 1795.
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• This theme is the subject of my Ph.D Thesis, "The London Millwrights and Engineers 1775-1825", at London University (1989). This paper arose from research for that thesis, and more details concerning the industrial relations disputes at London Bridge Waterworks are contained in it.
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• House of Commons Journals, Vol. LIV, p. 613 (1799).
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• Minutes, 12 April 1799.
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• B. J. L. Hammond, The Skilled Labourer 1760–1832 (London 1919), Chapter 5, "War on the Trade Uni6ns".
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• Minutes, 3 March 1815.
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• Ibid., 14 January 1791.
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• Skempton & Wright, op. cit.(11), p. 38.
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• A. W. Skempton "Engineering in the Port of London 1789-1808", T.N.S., Vol. 50 (1979), pp. 87–108.
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• Ibid., p. 88.
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• Ibid.
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• Dance's Journal (Guildhall Library), 1792–1801, Vol. 2 p. 91. See also: Charles Hadfield & A. W. Skempton, William Jessop, Engineer, (London, 1979), p. 187.
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• Parliamentary Papers, Commons Port Committee Report, Vol. 102, p. 347, Appendix Cc (1796).
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• Ibid., Vol. 14, p. 313.
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• Dance's Journal, op. cit. (51), p. 95.
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• Hadfield & Skempton, op. cit., (51), p. 193.
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• Dance's Journal, Vol. 2, p. 125, op. cit. (51). Hadfield & Skempton, op. cit. (51), "John Foulds making the first sketch plans and taking levels and soundings", p. 189.
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• Hadfield & Skempton, op. cit. (51), pp. 190–1. (51).
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• Skempton, op. cit. (48), pp. 94–95. (48).
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• Parliamentary Papers, Third Report from the Select Committee upon the improvement of the Port of London, House of Commons (1800), p. 39.
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• Journal, 'Log Book for Steam Engines. London Bridge Waterworks Company', 1 Jan 1797 to 24 Sept 1800), Archives of the Thames Valley Water Company. It is clear from the extensive entries that this Journal refers entirely to Shadwell Waterworks and that the later title reference to London Bridge is misleading. They were separate companies, though the fact that Foulds acted as Engineer for both, suggests a close working relationship.
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• Minutes, 26 July 1805.
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• Ibid.
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• Ibid., 7 June 1799.
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• Ibid., 27 November 1807.
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• Ibid., 8 July 1808.
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• Ibid., 24 March 1809.
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• Probate Office, Public Record Office, Chancery Lane (Reference PROB 11, No. 1566, p. 117–8).
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• Minutes, 27 April 1810.
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• Ibid., 8 July 1814.
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• Ibid., 29 July 1814.
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• Ibid., 9 September 1814.
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• Ibid., 6 September 1816.
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• Ibid., 3 March 1815.
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• Ibid., 17 November 1815.
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• Thompson, op. cit.(1), pp. 564–5.
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• In his Will, Foulds left: " to my son William all my mechanical Books and Drawings and my Air Pumps, Microscope and Electrifying Machine, Spirit Level and other mechanical and philosophical instruments I may possess at the time of my decease" op. cit. (66).
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• A full account is contained in my thesis, op. cit. (41).
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