| Description | The citation of terms and details of previous patents, both for steam engines and other mechanical inventions and industrial processes, was an important part of Boulton & Watt’s defence of Watt’s patent and their prosecution of those they perceived as having pirated Watt’s engine. They therefore had various lists of patents drawn up, and they also obtained copies of patents that were particularly relevant. This bundle contains lists of patents that Boulton & Watt and their attornies identified as being useful or relevant, and various other documents relating to patents in general and Watt’s patent in particular.
As will be seen from the old references, the contents of this bundle were scattered around the collection. The following documents listed on the cover note were not found:
"A Voyager on Patents"
"Patents Mechanical Inventions"
"General Information on foregoing Lists of Patents"
For the draft lists of patents that formed the appendix to "The Arguments of the Judges in Two Causes relating to the Letters Patent granted to James Watt, Engineer, for his Method of lessening the consumption of steam and fuel in fire engines", which Boulton & Watt had printed in 1799 following the successful outcome of their action against Jabez Hornblower and Stephen Maberly (MS 3147/2/50), see "Further Papers relating to Patents, Watt’s Specification etc." (MS 3147/2/26). |