| Description | Bundle of forty-four letters and papers to James Watt jr. enclosed in a portfolio of card and marbled paper.
There is a label by James Watt jr. which reads 'Correspondence relative to Biographical Notices of my Father, Memoir of his Life etc. etc. 1819, 1820 '.
There are both manuscript letters and printed notices and memoirs of James Watt.
There was only one small packet which was separately numbered, which is the correspondence with Macvey Napier.
There are several small packets where the letters were not numbered.
The packets in the portfolio were arranged as follows :
Portfolio cover.
Correspondence with William Playfair and Correspondence with John Rennie [in one folder].
Correspondence with Macvey Napier.
Correspondence with Dr Brewster.
Correspondence with Longman and Co.
Correspondence with Maria Edgeworth.
Printed biographical articles on James Watt.
The correspondent's name and the date has been written on the letter by James Watt jr.
Any summary in square brackets has been given by the cataloguer.
The packet of ten letters and copy letters between William Playfair and James Watt jr. has a wrapper sheets which reads:
'Correspondence with Mr William Playfair, September 1819 to January 1820. Relative to his Memoir of my father.'
The packet of thirteen letters between John Rennie and James Watt jr. had no wrapper.
The packet of thirteen letters to Napier has a bundle label on which is written:
'Copy of Correspondence with Macvey Napier Esq. and Francis Jeffrey Esq. relative to the Memoir of my father's Life in the Encyc[lopaedia] Brit[annica]. 1823 and 1824 '.
Added in red is : ' No 1 to 13 Letters '. A further addition in black ink, reads as follows:
' Memoir sent 23 Dec[embe]r. Corrections and additions 24th Dec[embe]r. Revised Copy 31 Dec[embe]r 1823. Printed Memoir forwarded by Napier. 4 Feb[ruar]y 1824 '.
The letters had been numbered in red ink and were arranged in chronological order with the most recent letter first. They have now been placed in chronological order beginning with the earliest.
All of the letters have a docket of name and date by James Watt jr. Most also have a summary by James Watt jr. |