| Description | This file contains correspondence between Matthew Boulton and his London agent, John Woodward (see the Guide to Persons and Firms). The contents were formerly in a portfolio entitled:
John Woodward 1804 1805 M B
This is the title recorded in the Inventory compiled by the Assay Office, but unfortunately the portfolio was subsequently discarded. Under M. R. Boulton’s arrangement the file was placed in Box I. i.
Most of the documents are arranged in one chronological sequence, but at the end are a few items of correspondence between Woodward and William D. Brown, 1803, which were apparently transferred from elsewhere by the Assay Office. It is possible that some of the other documents, too, may originally have been in other files, particularly those concerning the Rose Copper Company.
Nearly all the documents date from before 28 Jan. 1805, the grand climacteric of Boulton’s life, when, owing to illness, he signed over to his son the powers necessary to conduct his various business affairs. The main correspondence with Woodward was thereafter conducted by M. R. Boulton and will be found among his papers.
Woodward’s letters were all written at 13 London Street, except 177 and 210, which were dated at his private residence in Mark Lane.
The copies are all press-copies, except 21, which is a transcript. |