| Description | In January 1835 William Hawks Senior & Co. of Gateshead offered to survey the extent of steam power in their area, by sending circular forms for completion by factories, iron works, collieries, steam shipping companies etc. The survey was completed by April, when Hawks & Co. sent the circulars to the London office.
The name of the works or company filling in the form is noted in the bottom left-hand corner of the form, and also on the docket. The forms are divided into columns as follows:
HORSES POWER (Condensing / High-pressure),
HOW EMPLOYED,
MAKER’S NAME. |
| AdminHistory | In November 1834 James Watt Jr. requested the firm’s London agent, James Brown, to send him a ‘statement of the engines in London, land and boat.’ (James Watt Jr. to James Brown, 3 Nov. 1834 [MS 3147/12/39/351]). This appears to have marked the beginning of an intended survey of steam power across the whole of Britain. Brown duly sent a list, which Watt Jr. worked on at Soho, and on 20 Nov. 1834 Watt Jr. asked Brown to obtain lists of engines in the Durham and Newcastle areas. (James Watt Jr. to James Brown, 10, 13 and 20 Nov. 1834: MS 3147/12/39/352-354).
In January 1835 William Hawks Senior & Co. of Gateshead, who had bought Boulton & Watt engines in the past and from whom Boulton Watt & Co. occasionally ordered parts, offered to carry out the survey by sending printed circular forms for completion by mills, iron works, collieries, steam shipping companies and other concerns employing steam power. (William Hawks Sr. & Co. to Boulton Watt & Co., 29 Jan. 1835: MS 3147/12/40/240). The forms recorded the engine’s horse power, whether it was condensing or high pressure, what is was used for and who made it. Watt Jr. was initially reluctant for the survey to be carried out in this manner, but agreed to it in February 1835 (James Watt Jr. to James Brown, 11 and 16 Feb. 1835 [MS 3147/12/40/289-290]). The survey was completed in April, when Hawks & Co. sent the circulars to the London office. (William Hawks Sr. & Co. to Boulton Watt & Co., 18 and 20 Apr. 1835: MS 3147/12/40/241-242).
James Watt Jr. then seems to have lost the impetus to continue the survey, if indeed it was ever intended to be a complete survey of all of Britain in the first place. The only other list that James Brown obtained was one of engines in the Arbroath area, which was sent to him by Captain John Jamieson. (Capt. John Jamieson to James Brown, 15 Jan. 1835: MS 3147/12/40/250). This list and the returns from the North East survey remained in the London office. Unfortunately Brown’s first list, of engines in London, is now missing.
(For more information on the people and businesses mentioned in this Introduction, see The Guide to Persons & Firms in the Archives Searchroom). |