| Description | Two small bundles of letters to James Watt, 1803-1804.
There is a threaded bundle label for each, written in black ink, as follows:
' Letters relative to the Shrievalty. 1803-1804.' 'No. 1 to 16' has been added in red ink; the 6, in black ink, has been changed from a previous number.
Watt gives, as reasons for not wishing to serve as Sheriff, [see 6 below], that he is nearly seventy and subject to habitual bad health, which confines him to the house for the greatest part of winter and spring. He had no property in the county except his house and about 40 acres of land. He was little acquainted with the affairs of the county and did not have the firmness, decision and activity required for such a position.
The Privy Council were to appoint the Sheriff in January 1804.
The other small bundle label reads 'Capt[ain] Huddart's Cause. 1804'. 'No 1 to 13'. has been added in red ink.
James Watt jr proposed that James Watt attend the court as a witness for Captain Huddart in the case called to repeal the patent granted to him, in 1793, for making cables and cordage. Huddart had appeared as a witness in the Boulton v. Bull case. Watt seems to have reluctant to go to court, because of health and concern over Gregory's condition and Ambrose Weston asked John Southern and Peter Ewart to attend instead. Watt sent Weston written remarks on the specifications of Balfour and Huddart.
The letters are numbered in red ink and were arranged in approximately chronological order with the most recent letter first.
They have now been placed in chronological order beginning with the earliest letter, and renumbered.
The letters have a docket by James Watt with the name of the correspondent and the date, and some have a very brief summary.
Any summary in square brackets has been provided by the cataloguer. |