| Description | Letters from Richard Fothergill, iron merchant, of South Wales, from 1801 to 1806. Fothergill, along with Samuel Homfray, had interests in the Sirhowy Iron Works near Abergevanny, and the Tredegar Iron Works. A 20 horse power engine was purchased for Sirhowy in 1799, and the letters refer to repairs being made to this engine.
However the letters are generally concerned with the engines for Tredegar, a blowing engine with a forty inch cylinder purchased in 1801, and a crank engine which was originally intended to power either a forge or a rolling mill.. The firm originally ordered a 45 horse power engine, but changed their order to a 56 horse engine circa January 1803. The engine was not erected until 1806, as the firm initially refused to take it, threatening to erect a Trevithick engine instead. The engine lay at Gloucester until May 1805, then it was moved to Newport, but attempts to sell it came to nothing. Richard Fothergill wrote on 25 May 1805 saying that they proposed to put up the engine if a customer could not be found, and by Nov. the engine house was under construction.
For drawings of the engines see Portfolios 5/327b, 5/685, 5/698. |