| Description | Boulton & Watt frequently sought expert opinion on legal questions. This bundle contains legal opinions by J. Anstruther of Lincoln’s Inn and G. S. Holroyd on the questions of the effects of the 1792 Tool Bill, the possibility of having to refund premiums to Cornish mines should Watt’s patent be deemed invalid, and the case of Abraham Illingworth, a bankrupt Stockport mill owner who owed Boulton & Watt premiums on the two engines he bought.
For a further letter from J. Anstruther concerning patent law, see "Lists and Papers relating to Patents" (MS 3147/2/25). For a copy of the Tool Bill, see "Printed Acts of Parliament" (MS 3147/2/32). |