Record

Ref NoMS 3219/3/3/7/1
Finding NumberMS 3219/3/124
TitleFamily letters and papers
LevelFile
Date1714 - 1781
Extent142
FormatItems
Related MaterialA single receipt from 1744 was discovered at Doldowlod in 2002 and donated to the City Archives. It is listed in the ‘Later additions to the papers of James Watt and Family’ part of the MS 3219 catalogue.
The Watt and Muirhead papers were microfilmed by Adam Matthew Publications as part of Industrial Revolution: A Documentary History. ‘Muirhead I’ was published in Series One: part 2 in 1993; ‘Muirhead II-IV’ in Series One: parts 6 and 8, in 1997; and the ‘James Watt Papers’ in Series Three, in 1999. All the microfilms are available in Birmingham City Archives.
Physical DescriptionPapers and correspondence
Access StatusOpen
ArrangementThis bundle has been item listed.
AdminHistoryThe original bundle wrapper has written on it: 'Bonds, contracts, Tackes etc. at various Dattes'. In addition, James Watt jr. has added 'James Watt of Greenock. Ex[amine]d Feb[ruary] 1820. JW.' and, on the other side of the wrapper, he has written: 'James Watt of Greenock, Family Papers. Bonds, Mortgages, Contracts. etc. etc. 1704 -1775'. The letters had been arranged in chronological order and placed in four modern folders in the ?1970s. It is difficult to know whether the original order of the papers was retained when they were listed. Some small bundles, e.g. 21 pieces making up the accounts for Baillie John Campbell, have been kept together but listed and numbered separately. The previous order as found has been retained.The summaries are copied from the dockets, often added by James Watt jr., possibly when he examined the papers in 1820. Any details in square brackets have been added by the cataloguer.Agnes Muirhead (whose mother was also an Agnes Muirhead), married James Watt of Greenock in 1729. James and Robert Muirhead were her brothers. Unless otherwise noted, James Watt of Greenock's address is always 'Greenock'.
LanguageEnglish
PublisherThree Generations of Watts. Extracts from the Doldowlod Papers, by Julian Gibson-Watt (1995), has a section on the trading correspondence of James Watt of Greenock and on the Finlay & Cation papers. [B&W Pamphlets G/7]
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