| Description | (Dated 31 Nov. in error. Directed to William Matthews’, Green Lettice Lane. Postmarked 2 Dec.) (Muirhead No. 161.)
Soho Nov 31-1776
Dear Sr.
I had some hopes I should have heard from you by this days post as I am anxious to learn some tydings of your self, of the Engine, of Joseph, & of Mr Henderson. If I dont hear tomorrow I shall conclude each hath been in serch of ye other & all have perished in some damp or fixable air
I sent per Yesterdays dillegence a letter from Hornblower inclosed in one to Mr Matthews requesting he will deliver it to You. by wch. youl perceive we have a possitive order for an Engine for Ting tang Mine & from what I heard this day from Mr Glover we may soon expect other orders from Cornwall Our Plot begins to thicken apace & if Mr Wilkinson dont bustle a little as well as our selves we shall not gather our harvest before Sun set
This morning Perrins came from Coventry to Soho & said he had not a stroke to do at Bedworth that Messrs. Perrott & Taylor were much alarmd at ye state of their pits, that ye Engine worked 24 hours per day & could scarcely keep down ye water that if the rain increased they feard they should be drownd out wch. they have been, in one pit, that if the work was stoped it wd. be a much greater loss than ye whole value of an Engine as all their underground work is supported upon wood & no one can pretend to say what may be the consequence if the Water should get master. Their sales of Coals are upwards of 500£ per A[nnum] wch. is a small consideration in comparison to the starving to death ye poor ribon Weavers & a great part of Oxfordshire. Birmgm. can afford em no relief for it, & Soho, is likely to share the same fate. Coals are 9d & 10d Per C & 'tis said they will be a shilling at Birmgm. on Monday I sent my Man Henry Yesterday to ye Wharf & afterwards all along the Navigation up to the pits at Tipton but without success not a Coal could be bought I do not yet distinctly know ye Cause of all this. Some say John Woods pits were on Fire & are now drownd out by ye Canal. Others say 'tis a Combination amongst ye Workmen Colliers. But to return to Bedworth Engine. Perrins says they have neither, the Windbore pipe , nor the Buckett door pipes, nor ye Brass for the axis for ye great Beam, nor the Cylinder lid, nor the Stufing Box,-However I have seen Mr Johnston this afternoon & he says they are now sent to the Birmgm. Wharf & I shall accordingly write Mr Taylor this night & request the Team to come on Monday or Tuesday Mr Johnson says they had no order for a stufing Box Qr. if Bloomfield pattn. will do. Neither have . . . cast ye Clacks I believe for Bedworth pump all that are at Soho are for ye Buckets & not for Clacks I have heard nothing yet of ye Piston Rod I hope to hear that Joseph hath made a finish for he is much wanted here. There were two letters for you to day wch. I gave Mrs. Watt who is very well & proposes dineing at Soho tomorrow
I perceive we shall be hard pushed in Engine work, but I have no fears of being distanced when once ye exact course or best track is determind upon
I am with much regard
Dr. Sr Yours sincerely
Mattw Boulton
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