| Description | (3 pcs.)
My dear Madam,
If you was not one of the best women in the world, you would have lost all patience with me and bounced at my long silence; but I have so many calls upon me, both publick and private, that I am obliged to leave undone many things which ought to be done, and besides, there is no health in me. My son and J. Watt junior have been at Manchester and Liverpool ever since my return from Cheltenham and are not yet come back. I have lately received a notice from Birch to quit Soho Lawn and all that is not express'd in my lease, and in consequence thereof I accepted of the offer Mr. Whately made me of his house and land at 250£ for the joint lives of my self and his mother; but when we came to instruct the lawyer he promised as before but would not sign any other lease than from year to year, nor would he suffer a print or picture or map to be hung up in any part of the house; nither would he make me a liberary room or suffer me to make one, or do any othe[r] thing to the house. All these were such restraints upon my natural liberty that I have declar'd off the bargin.
In order, therefore, to keep out of lawsuits with Birch and Lane, to preserve my liberty and to indulge the partiality I have for my child Soho, I think I shall conclude to give him 5000£ for all the land from Hockley Brook up to Mrs. Scale's and all the water from ditto to the top of Money Bag Hill, and thus I shall be settled for life, for I find it very uncomfortable to be in the unsettled state I have been in for some time past; and if we should have peace I shall soon be able to set such scraps of the land for building upon as will more than pay the interest of the purchase money without incommoding my part of my premisses; and when I consider that the value of my building will decrease apace upon lease land, and that it will not do so if I buy the fee simple, and that the difference of the value in the one case and that of the other will soon amount to £5000, I therefore for the sake of my health and happiness think I had better buy it at that price. But, as I said in a former letter, it would be more convenient to borrow upon the whole of Soho and Money Bank Hill 5000 and thereby prevent inconvenience to my business. Mr. Birch offers to let half the sum lye, but I wish rather to borrow the whole of another, and will write to Mr. Loggin to that purpose.
I have not yet given my final answer, and wish to see whether Holland is taken or not first.
I never saw Mr. Brown's account of the copper till this morning, the whole of which appears to be right, except that of your refuseing interest which I think you are entitled to, and you must take it in meal or in malt.
I shall bring your chaise to town when I come next month and have new wheels put to it of the best kind, and then you shall take your choice either to take it again or debit me in account fifty guineas, or as much more as you please.
I am summoned away.
God bless you. I am ever affectionately yours, &c.,
Mattw. Boulton
[Edited transcript.] |