| Description | Dear Father,
I have this moment recieved a letter from George Mynd expressing your surprise at my silence and your wishes relative to the coinage. My time since your departure has been fully taken up, though perhaps you may think not well employed. We have had a constant succession of visitors at Soho—some customers, but the greater part with the plea of curiosity. Amongst those of the latter description was the Chevalier de St. Michel. He only stayed one day; I had not therefore much opportunity of shewing him so many civilities as you wished, but every politeness which my slight knowledge of Chesterfield enabled me to confer upon him, I spared no pains to do. He only took up upon his letter of credit about £25 and the amount of some plated goods he ordered. Mr. Garbet attended him to most of the Birmingham manufactories.
Be assured I will do my utmost to see your wishes and instructions relative to the coining operations punctually attended to. Mr. Dumaret has not been here since your departure; he has been ill and confined to his room, and from Mr. Lawson’s account his indisposition is not alltogether imaginary. In consequence of his abscence the cheeks for the milling tools for Southampton halfpenny are not yet finished; I shall go [to] him this afternoon and see if it is possible to induce him to come out.
I cannot, neither, give you a satisfactory account of Mr. Lawson’s proceedings; he is extreemly dilatory, and I think I may even say indolent. He leaves the management of hte dies almost intirely to Hollins, and between them both I have found it impossible to have any quantity before hand, or even a sufficient number to supply the presses.
Another of your employees in whom I think you should place little confidence is Nicholson; whe has been absent the greatest part of last week, under the pretence of settling his affairs. As he now can no longer plead any excuse for wishing particular[l]y to occupy the engine chamber, I think, if convenient, it would be prudent to place him somewhere else; he seems to pay much more attention to the operations of the Mint than to his own occupation.
Mr. Lawson cannot give any distinct account of the plan of the additions to be made at the Mint. From what little I can learn from him, I suppose it is your intentin to build a shop of equal breadth with wooden house, extending in a parallel line with the Mint to opposite the end of the engine house; but whether will you it have one or more stories high, and should it be divided or one entire shop? He thinks you agreed with Booth to clear the place out a certain rate per cubic foot, but does not recollect the exact price. If you have not made any agreement with him, is it still your wish that he should undertake it?
I have spoken to Busch about the best manner of applying the layers-in to the old presses; he thinks it will not be difficult, but will be better able to determine when he has one of the presses before him.
I suppose you are aware of the difficulty of the rolling mill furnishing a sufficient quantity of sheet copper if they are obliged to pr. . . it from the large tile; I should therefore suppose that, in case you undertake the large order you mention, it will be necessary to lay in a stock of another sort of copper. I should also be afraid that the cuttersout would not be able to supply the Mint, especially with the addition you propose.
Mr. Glover proceeds very slowly with the alterations of the house. The doors for the ground floor are not yet finished, so that the workmen are nearly at a stand; neither does he pay proper attention to them. I am much afraid you will not find it in such a state of forwardness as you may expect, for I find that he has not yet begun one window for the upper stories.
Wishing you and my sister much health and happiness, I remain your dutiful son,
Mattw. R. Boulton
[Edited transcript.] |