| Description | The letters cover family news, especially health, Jessy's health and treatments, use of oxygen treatments, Gregory's studies, his riding accident, news of friends including the Boultons, estates in Wales, travel, weather, nitrous oxide etc. |
| AdminHistory | This bundle is recorded on the list of ‘Tin Box 6’ [previously in M IV/ [Box 18]: [nd. but probably before 1848] as 'Mr and Mrs Watt's Letters from December 1792 to July 1801. Nos. 1 to 69.' The bundle has an original paper wrapping, which has been sealed with red sealing wax. It has been annotated, [probably by James Watt jr.] in black ink: 'Mr and Mrs Watt. Letters to July 1801.' and in red ink: and 'From Decbr 1792. No 1 to 69.'
There were two letters with the number 3. One, Gregory Watt to James Watt, 09 August, 1801, had originally been part of the bundle previously numbered JWP 6/43, and has been replaced there.
The bundle had been arranged in roughly a chronological order, with the most recent letter at the beginning, and each letter numbered in red ink. The original dockets give only the name of the correspondent and the date; about half the dockets are written in pencil. Most letters also have a tick in pencil by the docket and someone has obviously read through the correspondence and marked various sentences or passages with pencil lines. This may have been J. P. Muirhead, for his intended biography of Gregory Watt. |