| Description | This file is not mentioned in the "Catalogue of Papers, M. B.'s Counting Room, 1760 to 1790," compiled by William D. Brown about 1791; the reason for this is unclear, as it had presumably been opened by that date. When M. R. Boulton re-arranged his own and his father's papers, about 1819, the contents of the file were transferred to a portfolio and the portfolio was placed in Box I. II, though by the time it arrived at the Assay Office it had been moved (presumably without reason) to Box K. III. According to the Inventory compiled by the Assay Office at that time the title on the portfolio was:
Sr. Josh. Banks 1779 to 1806 but unfortunately it was subsequently been discarded.
The contents of the file are records of Matthew Boulton's correspondence with Sir Joseph Banks and with Banks's sister, Miss Sarah Sophia Banks. They comprise original incoming letters, and copies and drafts of outgoing letters. In fact, the file contains an unusual number of duplicates of letters, and it seems very likely that many of these were transferred by the Assay Office from elsewhere in the Matthew Boulton Papers, possibly from one or other of M. R. Boulton's Mint files. The contemporary transcripts, which have been placed in a separate sequence, were clearly prepared in order that a record of a letter might be kept in two or more locations, and it is possible too that some or all of the draft letters were used for the same purpose. The benefit of bringing together several versions of the same document here is doubtful, especially since removing copies from their original locations has obscured the reason for making them; but as it is not possible to determine with certainty which of these documents belong elsewhere, and where, no amendment can be made.
The arrangement of the file is now therefore as follows:
Letters. (1-85)
Copies. (86-123)
Copies: Contemporary Transcripts. (124-139)
Two of the letters (1 and 8) are undated, but both were written at Soho Square, and must therefore have been composed after the summer of 1777, when Banks moved to that address (No. 32). 1 was written before 23 Mar. 1781, when Banks was created a baronet, as the writer refers to himself as Mr. Banks. 8 appears to refer to the same subject as a letter of 10 Jun. 1787 , and was probably written earlier the same day.
Some original letters from Boulton to Banks, which were apparently acquired separately by the Assay Office, are listed elsewhere (with the Additions MS 3782/21). They include the originals of four of the Copies in the present file, viz. 88-90 and 104. Two letters of introduction by Banks are in Matthew Robinson Boulton's file "Introductions, Applications, &c."
In the following list, unless stated otherwise, the copies are press-copies and Banks's letters from London are dated at Soho Square, as are those of his sister from the same place. |