Riches from Copper: the Adoption of the Boulton & Watt Engine by Cornish Mine AdventurersFootnote

I am indebted to the Revd Dr. R. L. Hills and Mr. Kenneth Brown for comments on an earlier draft. Naturally any remaining errors are my own. References to archive material and the abbreviation s used are as follows: Birmingham Ref. Lib; M. Boulton MSS (MB MSS), formerly at Assay Office; Boulton & Watt MSS (B&W MSS); J. Watt MSS (JW MSS), formerly at Doldowlod. Truro Record Office: Wilson MSS.

NOTES AND REFERENCES

• lam indebted to the Revd Dr. R. L. Hills and Mr. Kenneth Brown for comments on an earlier draft. Naturally any remaining errors are my own. References to archive material and the abbreviations used are as follows: Birmingham Ref. Lib; M. Boulton MSS (MB MSS), formerly at Assay Office; Boulton & Watt MSS (B&W MSS); J. Watt MSS (JW MSS), formerly at Doldowlod. Truro Record Office: Wilson MSS.
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• e.g. H. Hamilton, The English Brass and Copper Industries to 1800, (1926); R. O. Roberts, Copper and Economic Growth in Britain 1729–84, Nat. Lib. Wales Jourrz.; X, 1, 1957; W. J. Rowe, Cornwall in the Age of the Industrial Revolution, (Liverpool, 1953); J. R. Harris, The Copper King, (Liverpool, 1964).
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• H. W. Dickinson & Rhys Jenkins, James Watt and the Steam Engine (1927 repr. Ashbourne, 1981).
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• ibid, p. 328.
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• G. N. von Tunzelmann, Steam Power and British Industrialization to 1800, ( Oxford, 1978) p. 29; D. B. Barton, The Cornish Beam Engine, ( Truro, 1965) pp. 272–3.
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• Jennifer Tann, 'Mr Homblower and His Crew', Trans. Newcomen Soc. 51, 1979–80 (1981).
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• B&W MSS, Mr. Wilson's statement . . . Box 9 V (1); R. Lanyon (Truro), to B&W, 7 June 1781, Box 9 I (4); Wilson MSS Account of the Principal Mines. . . I am indebted to the Revd Dr. R. L. Hills for this and all other references (cited) to the Wilson MSS.
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• MB MSS M. Boulton to J. Watt, Sept 1775, JW (1) 52. These were at Consolidated Mines (7), Poldice (4), Chacewater (2), Tresavean (1), Wheal Chance (2), Dolcoath (1), Godolphin (1) and possibly one at Polgooth. B&W MSS, Mr. Wilson's Statement. . . Box 9 V (1).
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• B&W MSS, Mr. Wilson's Statement. . . Box 9 V (1).
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• ibid, Boulton told his wife in 1770 'There never was so important a crisis in the Cornish mines as the present as there is fourteen engines stoped [sic] and dead since we were here last year and if their circumstance is made the best of, it may turn out a happy thing for us'. MB MSS, MB to Mrs. Boulton, 25 Dec 1779, MB Private Box.
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• B&W MSS, Mr Wilson's statement. . . Box 9 V (1).
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• ibid.
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• ibid.
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• ibid.
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• B&W MSS, T. Dudley to J. Watt, 14 September 1779, Box 9 11 (2).
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• ibid.
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• B&W MSS R. Mitchell to M. R. Boulton, 30 June 1800, Box 9 1(5).
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• B&W MSS, Mr. Wilson's Statement. . . Box 9 V (1).
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• B&W MSS Catalogue of Old Engines.
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• quoted in Dickinson & Jenkins, op. cit., p. 129. The drawing had been taken by Richard Trevithick Snr.
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• B&W MSS, M. Boulton to J. Watt, Sept 13 1777, Box 20; W. Phillips to M. Boulton, 23 Oct 1777, Box 911 (3).
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• H. W. Dickinson & Rhys Jenkins op. cit., p. 129.
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• MB MSS, L. Henderson to MB, 26 Nov 1776.
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• ibid.
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• a. The Author favours Murdoch's original spelling of his name, that being the form usually used by Boulton and Watt in Griffiths' biography and in the General Indexes to the Transactions of the Newcomen Society.
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• See e.g. MB MSS, L. Henderson to MB, 29 Jan 1781; B&W MSS, T. Wilson to B&W, 15 Jan 1795, Box 9 I. Boulton described Murdoch as 'indefatigable', B&W MSS MB to Watt Jnr, 30 Sept 1782. In another letter (29 Nov 1776) Henderson comments 'I fancy your late discoverys [sic] in the Engine way is little known in this part of the World'.
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• MB MSS J. Keir to MB, 15 Jan 1780.
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• ibid.
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• H. W. Dickinson & Rhys Jenkins, op. cit., p. 130.
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• ibid, p. 131.
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• ibid, pp. 132–3.
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• ibid, p. 132.
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• ibid, p. 132.
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• B&W MSS, Mr. Wilson's Statement. . . Box 9 V (1).
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• H. W. Dickinson & Rhys Jenkins, op. cit., pp. 340–343; G. N. von Tunzelmann, op. cit., p. 29.
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• Wilson MSS, M. Boulton to T. Wilson, 13 Jan 1795. Henderson was particularly keen to 'hear of your success in the rotative Engines as they are much wanted here tho' they will not be quite so applicable here as in perpendicular shafts at colleries'. L. Henderson to M. Boulton, 29 Jan 1781, MB MSS.
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• Wilson MSS. B&W & Co to T. Wilson, 26 Feb 1785. Even Boulton was a little uneasy about this, since the engine had `so many combinations of untried things that lam frightened when I behold it', B&W 1785, MB to JW, 21 Oct 1785.
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• J. Watt MSS, J. Watt to Count Reden, 18 Sept 1786.
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• Wilson MSS, J. Watt to T. Wilson, 22 April 1795.
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• H. W. Dickinson & Rhys Jenkins, op. cit., p. 329.
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• B&W MSS, Mr. Wilson's Statement. . . Box 9 V (1).
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• MB MSS, M. Boulton Notebook 43, pp. 8–9.
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• MB MSS, L. Henderson to MB, 5 April 1781; B&W MSS, W. Harris to L. Henderson, 28 Jan 1782, Box 911; Wilson MSS, MB to T. Wilson, 17 Dec 1784; ibid, JW to T. Wilson, 12 Feb 1789; B&W MSS, T. Wilson to MB 1795, Box 9 V (1).
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• B&W MSS, W. Harris to L. Henderson, 28 Jan 1782, Box 9 11 (3).
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• B&W MSS, J. Edwards to B&W, 15 May 1780, Box 9 1(6).
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• B&W MSS, Deed of Partnership, 30 July 1783, Box 9 1(6).
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• MB MSS, Boulton Notebook 43, p. 26; B&W MSS, Plan for the Management of Hallamanin, Box 9 I.
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• J. Watt MSS, J. Watt to Anne Watt, 12 Sept 1785.
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• J. R. Harris, op. cit., pp. 67–107.
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• MB MSS, J. Lawson to M. Boulton, 7 July 1786. Mr. Phillips was a timber merchant, Thomas Wilson a candle merchant 'and his mining ideas wants much candle light'.
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• J. R. Harris, op. cit., p. 6.
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• ibid, pp. 36, 131–134.
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• ibid, p. 131.
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• ibid, pp. xiv-xiv, 55–68, Boulton spent 92 days in Cornwall between July and December 1785, MB MSS, M. Boulton Notebook, p. 66. Watt reported to Boulton that the capital of £300,000 was inadequate, MB MSS, JW to MB, 5 June 1785.
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• B&W MSS, John Wilkinson to MB, 24 Aug 1780, Box 20 B7; J. Watt MSS, JW to Anne Watt, 26 Sept 1787; J. R. Harris, op. cit., pp. 55–68.
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• J. R. Harris, op. cit., pp. 68–87, B&W MSS, Resolutions of Select Committee of Cornish Metal Co, 28 Feb 1788, Box 9 1(2).
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• J. R. Harris, op. cit., p. 135.
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• Jennifer Tann, 'Boulton & Watt's Organisation of Steam Engine Production Before the Opening of Soho Foundry', Trans. Newcomen Soc. 49, 1977–8, (1979).
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• Wilson MSS, MB to T. Wilson, 26 Feb, 1796.
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• B&W MSS Box 9; see also B&W MSS, A Comparative Statement of the Effects of Boulton & Watt Steam Engines with Newcomen's and Mr. Homblowers by Thomas Wilson, 1792, M IV misc.
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• see also B&W MSS, Engine Calculations, Box 9 III (1); ibid, Memorandum at Redruth, 23 Oct 1780, Box 9
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• B&W MSS, (Undated) Calculations by MB on Performance of Cornish Engines, Box 9 I.
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• Wilson MSS, B&W to A. Daniel, 3 Nov 1786.
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• MB MSS, JW to MB, 10 Oct 1780, J. Watt Box 2; ibid, Cornish Engines, 1784, Steam Engine Box B&W MSS, Case of Consolidated Mines, 17 Oct 1794, Box 9 I.
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• MB MSS, JW to MB, 10 Oct, 1780, J. Watt Box 2.
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• MB MSS, JW to MB, 17 Oct 1780, J. Watt Box 2.
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• B&W MSS, MB to Proprietors of North Downs, 1784, Box 9 I.
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• Wilson MSS, J. Watt to T. Wilson, 2 Aug 1786; B&W MSS B&W to Poldice, Box 9 VI.
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• JW MSS, J. Watt to G. Hamilton, 2 Aug 1786.
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• B&W MSS, G. Simmons to B&W, 19 Sept 1788, Box 9 VI.
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• B&W MSS J. Watt to T. Mitchell, 11 Jan 1788, Box 9 VI; B&W to R. Daniel, 16 April 1791, Box 91; Wilson MSS, J. Watt to T. Wilson, 5 Feb 1788.
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• B&W MSS, List of Debts due in Cornwall, 1 Nov 1781, Box 9 IV; Wilson MSS, S. Garbet to T. Wilson, 10 Oct 1787.
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• B&W MSS, Sums Owing to B&W from Cornish Mines up to 1 Aug 1795, Box 9 V (1).
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• B&W MSS, Box 9 IV. The Figures vary, another version (Wilson MSS, Account of the State of the Principal Mines . . . states £76,158 9s 10d.
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• J. Watt MSS, J. Watt to W. Craig, 2 June 1782; J. Watt to G. Hamilton, 12 Aug 1783.
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• ibid, J. Watt to T. Wilson, 19 Feb 1791; ibid, J. Watt Jnr to T. Wilson, 16 Feb 1799; B&W MSS, List of Cornish Mines. . . Captains, Sept 1796, Box 9 VI.
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• ibid.
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• B&W MSS, In M. Boulton's hand, n.d. Box 9 1 (6).
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• I am grateful to the Revd Dr. R. H. Hills for this point. Wilson MSS, Extracts from Wilson's letters re Hornblower & Winwood, 29 Nov 1791.
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• B&W MSS, T. Wilson to B&W, 15 Jan 1795, Box 9 1(6).
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• ibid, JW to J. Watt Jnr, 3 Oct 1797, M IV Watt.
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