| Description | The contents of this file were formerly in a portfolio entitled:
cF John Woodward From 1802 to 1805 M R B
This is the title recorded in the Inventory compiled at the Assay Office in 1921, but unfortunately the portfolio was subsequently discarded. Under Matthew Robinson Boulton’s arrangement the file was placed in Box I. I, and it was still in the same place in 1921.
Within the file, the documents were arranged in four chronological sequences, as follows:
Letters.
Copies, 1802-1803.
Copies, 1804.
Copies, 1805.
Each group of Copies was contained in a yellow paper wrapper, all of which survive (104, 120, 113).
In Jan. 1805 Matthew Boulton fell seriously ill and was prohibited by his medical advisers from attending to business, and in particular from receiving and writing letters (113). As a result his correspondence with Woodward was taken up by Matthew Robinson Boulton. For a short period, however, Woodward’s letters continued to be addressed to the elder Boulton, though they were dealt with by the son (cf. 21-26).
In the following List, the summaries in quotation-marks are taken from the contemporary dockets. All Woodward’s letters were dated at (13) London Street. |