Introduction to the Boulton & Watt papers

The following pages are related to Matthew Boulton, James Watt and Thomas Wilson and chart the story of how these men placed Cornwall at the forefront of mining technology which in so doing gave the county its mining prowess.

During the course of their life, Boulton and Watt kept an immense amount of letters, accounts and other material relating to their business adventures. Much of this is housed at Birmingham City Archives. Recently, however, Cornwall Heritage Trust, with significant help from the Heritage Lottery Fund, purchased a collection of some 1100 letters from Matthew Boulton and James Watt to Thomas Wilson, their mining agent in Cornwall.

This collection of letters is housed at Cornwall Record Office and range in date from 1780 – 1803. They contain information an aspects of Matthew Boulton and James Watts business activity and in particular the battle over the patent. However, they also contain a wealth of information on a range of topics such as travel, health, employment conditions, politics and any other aspect of 18th-early 19th century history making them a rich source for historical study.

Transcripts of the letters can be found on this site but the originals can be viewed at Cornwall Record Office subject to booking. Please contact the office on +44 (0)1872 323127 for further information. A much larger collection of letters and business material can be found at the Birmingham City Archives spanning two centuries and contain correspondence between partners, employees, customers, engineers and agents.

Cornwall was the most important metal mining county in the United Kingdom, with the longest history of continuous production. It produced most of the Country’s tin and arsenic and a large proportion of its copper. During the 18th and 19th centuries advancements in hard rock mining and engineering technologies placed Cornwall and West Devon at the forefront of the Industrial Revolution and radically altered the areas economy, society and landscape. Consequently Cornish mining played a unique role in shaping modern industrial society.

Although the engine houses which litter the Cornish landscape act as a constant reminder its mining history, it is often easy to overlook the extent to which documentary evidence can provide in gaining an insight into understanding the county’s heritage. Whilst physical remnants of Cornish mining heritage give us a visual picture of how the landscape appeared during this time, it is down to the documentary sources to provide the interesting titbits into the life and times of the people involved. Where else would we find out about the engineers journeys to Europe, dining with the ministers of France and travelling at their Kings expense?

Cornwall Record Office holds a wealth of documentary source material relating to its mining heritage and the Bolton and Watt (Wilson papers) are a vital source for research into a range of subjects including Cornish mining, the industrial revolution and social history.

The letters are rich in fascinating information which add value to our understanding of Cornish and English affairs and gives depth to the people characters involved. Not only do we get these people’s thoughts and ideas on everyday life, the letters gives further insight into their characters through their style of writing and language used. Matthew Boulton writes in the third person when separating himself from his business affairs and James Watt is quick to offer medical advice on relieving a range of ailments.

The collection consists of c1100 pieces of regular, incoming correspondence to Thomas Wilson, agent to Boulton & Watt between the years 1780-1803 making them the longest and largest correspondence entered into by Boulton & Watt. They include:

• Letters form James Watt, Matthew Boulton, sons and employers (including John Southern, William Murdock, James Pearson, Edward Bull & David Watson)
  
• Letters from Ambrose Weston, Boulton & Watts lawyer in London
  
• Letters from Cornish mine adventurers, rival engineers (including the earliest known letters of Richard Trevithick) and others to Wilson as local agent of Boulton & Watt/Soho

Through the correspondence, a picture can be built of how Watt’s steam engine came to pre-empt the Industrial Revolution and the importance it played in advancements in the industry. Watt’s steam engine prompted the jump from pumping engine to motive power and kick-started a momentum of advancements which has not faltered since. Consequently, the letters enable us to better understand the how this happened through the firms dealings with the Cornish mines who were Boulton & Watt’s first and most important clients.