| Description | (Directed to William Matthews’.)
Birmingham May 7th 1779
Dear Sir
To day I received your letter from Amsterdam which gave me much pleasure-Mrs Boulton has been very uneasy at not hearing from you but I hope is now satisfied as I saw a letter from you to her to day She is very well-The day after you left us I received a letter from Mr Wilson that all was as bad at Halln: as ever and that he had been at ameeting of the advrs: who complained much and talked of making us pay the costs-Dudley also to excuse himself had thrown the fault on the engine being ill proportioned in which however Mr Wilson proved him to be wrong-I have since heard that the Engine is so much better as to be going but burns 54 bushels coals at 6 strokes pr minute-From all which it appears highly necessary that some body should go down to put matters right Chacewater engine is doing very well but the mine exceeding poor, as is also Scorrier-I have never heard from Mr Fenton since you went-Mr Garbett came home last week I gave him my answers to their paper, which cost me 3 days to compose and write and told him-If he could bring them to agree to rate the average water at the quantity our Engine drew we should agree to it and also give them up the 52 days for standings, I am to write him a letter to that purpose-I dare say nothing will be determined before you arrive-I have made out Poldory drawings and they are now copying-Ale and Cakes remains to be done I have just now heard that Wrensnest engine is going to satisfaction but have never heard from Hall-
Mr Chapmans executed deed has never come here yet I know not if it be come to London-It was directed to Mr Mathews-There is a letter here from a Mr Hodgkinson New Burlington street enquiring after our terms for Engines-reccommended by Sir H: Harbord, and another from Sir Wm. Codrington Davies Street on the same business he has heard tha our engines break & tear every thing in pieces-I have wrote to both of them that you will call upon them; but I beg that you would not undertake to do any thing for them before Christmass it is in fact impossible at least on my part I am quite Crushed-The wheels go on at Soho tolerably but there are very few put together yett Bedworth engine burns 3 tons in 12 hours and goes very well. They have again sett the Old engine on and have burnt down the fire place and Boiler without being able to make it dry the mine-They have turned off Bull and put s. evans fireman to N E -
Mrs W. was safely delivered of a daughter on wednesday evening and is doing very well-I remain with prayers for your safe return
Your's sincerely
James Watt
[Address-label:] Mathew Boulton Esqr: / at Mr William Mathews's / London
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