| Description | The contents of this file were formerly in a portfolio (139) entitled
Agents / Private
Correspondence / J: Robinson / 1819 to 1830
It is not clear where this file was placed under M. R. Boulton's arrangement. On the inside of the front panel is the following legend, in Boulton's hand:
NB. For letters of Private Agents of prior date see under their several names in General Correspondence:
W. D. Brown
W. Cheshire
Z. Walker
J. Roberts
This is puzzling, as Special Correspondents files had previously been kept for all these agents and their letters were therefore not placed with the General Correspondence.
The present file contains mainly letters to Matthew Robinson Boulton from John Robinson, and copies of letters by Boulton to Robinson. There are also some letters written by Robinson to John Mosley, the London agent, and passed on to Boulton, as well as a few memoranda, mostly on the subject of Robinson's salary.
The title suggests that the file begins in 1819, but in fact it contains no document earlier than 31 Jul. 1820 (1). It is possible that some documents have been removed from the file, but on the other hand the date may simply have been chosen because this file follows on (at least as regards Robinson's correspondence) from the "M. R. Boulton, J. Watt, & Co." file, which covers the period 1802-1818. Moreover it may be observed that in March 1820 Robinson removed from the London House to Soho at Boulton's request, to take up the duties of William D. Brown, who had died in December 1819. It would therefore be natural for a new file to be opened at this point.
It is likely that all Robinson's letters were written at the Mint Office at Soho, though only a few of them are explicity dated there. Most of them were written when Boulton was absent from Soho. The subject-matter is varied, but many merely enclosed bills of exchange for Boulton's signature, or letters to Boulton received at Soho in his absence.
The documents are arranged in two chronological sequences, as follows:
Letters. (1-133)
Copies. (134-138)
The copies are all press-copies, except 136, which is a transcript.
Two letters found in this file were apparently misfiled, and they have now been transferred to the General Correspondence:
J. Hemsley to Matthew Robinson Boulton, 7 Oct. 1823.
Sir George Abercrombie Robinson to Matthew Robinson Boulton, 23 Jun. 1826.
|