| Description | (Directed to Thomas Wilson’s.)
Dear Father,
Your letters of the 2d and 3d are both duly arrived.
The arrangements you point out with respect to the workmen have all been punctually observed. Zack has called upon Venables, Ingrams, &c., but met with no success, and indeed their orders would be so very trivial as scarcely to be worthy of your consideration. Mr. Foreman takes most of the filers and turners; the other[s] cannot, in the present circumstances, be provided for. All branches of trade in Birmingham are very dull. Mr. Scale has been obliged to nurse his business and to reduce several hands to 3/4 of the day. The accounts Mr. Brown forwards to day, with a letter.
Your desire to be silent, for the present, upon Monneron’s affairs is a precaution that we have it not in our power to comply with. The sudden stoppage of the Mint has already given the world too much ground to form conjectures upon, and Monneron’s imprisonment will doubtless soon appear in the public papers. Nothing has been said to Mr. Hurd upon the subject, as far as I know; whether or not Miss M— has given him any intelligence I cannot form a guess. He has had notice to deliver more copper, and he promises some in the course of week. He set off for London last night; the purpose of his journey, you may be sure, is a secret; certain it is he has some scheme, and I believe he intends establishing brass works, for which purpose several buildings are erected at the steel works. His orders not to dispose of any of the stock at Birmingham Warehouse may probably originate from this cause. I hope you will not diferr longer than necessary to settle with him. Query, whether or not a demand from Bourdieu & Chollet (as agents of Monneron) to deliver the remainder of his contract or pay the difference, have a good effect.
Dr. Withering thinks it probable he shall see you in Cornwall, beeing quite determined not to proceed to Paris or even the southern part of France, but embark from Falmouth for Lisbon.
My sister continues well and is going to Shenstone to day.
I remain your dutiful son,
M. R. Boulton
PS. My compliments to Mr. and Mrs. Wilson and Mr. Watt.
[Edited transcript.] |