John Southern of Boulton & Watt Contracts to Build a Steam Engine for the Hebburn Colliery

On March 1, 1797 engineer John Southern of the firm of Boulton and Watt of Birmingham sent a draft contract to agents of the Hebburn Colliery, a well-known coal mine in the County of Durham, England, for a steam engine. Southern filled out the contract in ink but wrote in pencil in several places the need for the names of the owners of the mine to be filled in the printed contract form. The draft contract in my collection was not officially signed by either party, though Southern signed a note and sealed the contract. It was addressed to Mr. Thos. Barnes /Walker Office / Newcastle-on-Tyne, and mailed from Birmingham.

Because the steam engines built by Boulton and Watt were the iconic invention of the Industrial Revolution, the text of the contract is of historic interest. Since the contract cannot be easily read from the photographs attached to this entry I typed out the printed and manuscript text. I placed what is written in manuscript in bold type. From the contract we may draw certain conclusions:

1. The size of the steam engine was deterimined by the size of its cylinder.
2. The cost of the engine described in this contract was £631. This was undoubtedly a very high price at the time. The Office of National Statistics website indicates that the price equates to around £75,000 pounds today, but that number does not reflect the actual buying power of £631 in 1797, which presumably was much, much higher.
3. Boulton & Watt guaranteed the power of the engine, which in this case was measured by its ability to lift 66,000 pounds ten feet in one minute.
4. Boulton & Watt reserved the right to access the engine at any time until June 24, 1800. They also required that the engine could not be moved beyond a certain distance before that date. The significance of that date, which was printed in the contract form and must also have applied to other steam engines, was unclear to me when I wrote this entry. Here is the text of the contract:

"The Indenture, made the 1st day of March in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and -97- and in the 37th  year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord George the Third, by the grace of God, of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, King, defender of the faith &c, between James Watt, of Soho, in the county of Stafford, Engineer, and Matthew Boulton, of the same place Engineer, the one part....

of the other part.

"WHEREAS the said ....being about to erect a Steam Engine at Hebburn Colliery in the County of Durham and being desirous to avail Themselves, as well of the skill and experience of the said James Watt and Matthew Boulton, in constructing such Engines, and in applying them propertly to the work wanted to be performed, as of the savings in fuel which are effected by the said James Watt's invention, whereby Steam Engines have been greatly improved in their construction, and made more useful, several of which inventions are described, mentioned, or referred to in divers letters patent granted by the King to the same James Watt, and in the specifications inrolled in Chancery in pursuance thereof, and in a certain Act of Parliament passed in the fifteenth year of the reign of his present Majesty, entitled "An Act for vesting in James Watt, Engineer, his executors, administrators, and assigns, the sole use and proptery of certain Steam Engines, commonly called Fire Engines, of his invention, described in the said Act, throughout his Majesty's dominions for a limited time," and of other advantages appertaining thereto have- desired the said James Watt and Matthew Boulton t contract with them- for the concurrence and assistance of them, the said James Watt and Matthew Boulton, in and towards the said ....setting up, erecting, completing, and finshing at their own cost and charge, at Hebburn Colliery aforesaid, a Steam Engine of the improved construction according to his, the said James Watt's invention as aforesaid, and of the dimensions following; that is to say, the cylinder of the said Engine to be Twenty four inches-- in diameter, and 5-- feet long in the stroke, and the piston thereof to be acted upon by the force of steam, both in its ascent and descent with [deletion] sundry [deletion] inventions of his, the said James Watt, applied thereto, such Engine to be employed in turning machinery for the purpose of raising coals out of the said colliery, and to be maintained and kept in order and repair at the expense of them, the said. . . . and the said James Watt and Matthew Boulton have, for the considerations, upon the terms and under and subject in the provisoes, conditions, restrictions, and limitations herin after mentioned, consent and agreed to contract with the said...accordingly.

AND the said....have agreed to pay to the said James Watt and Matthew Boulton, the sum herein after mentioned, for and in considekration of their skill, care attention, and assitance, in and about the construction and erection of the said Steam Engine, and as a reward and compensation for the same; and also for the materials to be found and provided by them as herein after mentioned, and for the benefit to be received by the said...thereby and otherwise as aforesaid....

NOW this Indenture witnesseth, That the said...conveant, promise, and agree to, and with the said James Watt and Matthew Boulton, their executors, adminstators, and assigns, that they the said ...shall and with all convient speed, at their own proper cost and charge, set up erect, complete, and finish at Hebbern Colliery aforewaid, a Steam Engine, with the said [deletion] inventions applied thereto, of the dimensions herein before recited, and according to the plans, directions, and materials to be furnished by the said James Watt and Matthew Boulton, their executors, administrators, and assigns as herein after mentioned.

AND in order to tive and make the said James Watt and Matthew Boultton a compensation as aforewaid the said owners, their, heirs, executors, and adminstrators do and each of them doth  hereby further convenant, promise and agree to and with the said James Watt and Matthew Boulton, their executors, administors, and assigns, that they....executors, adminstors, or assigns, or some or one of them shall and well and truly pay, or cause to be paid into the said James Watt and Matthew Boulton, their executors adminstrators, or assigns, at the expiration of three calendar months next after the day on which the materials herein after mentioned or referred to shall, by the said James Watt and Matthew Boulton, their executors, adminstators, or assigns to be delivered to the order of the said....executors, administators, or assigns the sum of £631-- lawful money of Great Britain.

AND further, that the said Engine so to be erected at Hebburn Colliery, as aforesaid, or the materials thereof, or any part thereof, shall not previously to the twenty-fourth day of June in the year One Thousand Eight Hundred be removed out of the kingdom of Great Britain, to any place beyond the seas, nor to any place more than ten miles distant from the said place of erection, withou the consent of the said James Watt and Matthew Boulton, their executors, adminstrators, or assigns, in writing under their hands for the purpose first had and obtained.

AND the said James Watt and Matthew Boulton, for the considerations aforesaid, for themeselves and each of them jointly and severally, and for their, and each of their heirs, executors, adminstrators, and assigns, do, and each of them doth covenant, promise, and agree to and with the said...executors, adminstrators, and assigns that they, the said James Watt and Matthew Boulton, or one of them, their or one of their executors, adminstrators, or assigns, shall and will from time to time, when thereunto required, furnish and provide the said ...executors, administrators, or assigns or...agent or deputy, with all necessary directions in writing, and with proper plans and drawings for the erecting , completing, using, and working the said Engine, in the most useful and beneficial manner, according to the improvements and inventions aforesaid; and also shall and will, at their own proper costs and charges, furnish and provide all such materials requisite for the construction, as mentioned in the schedule heruntio annexed, or hereunder written, and that the said Engine, when compleated and finished, and in good and proper order [deletion] shall be equal to the raising of 66 thousand pounds weight, ten feet high in one minute, And further, that they, the said James Watt and Matthew Boulton, their executors, adminstors, or assns, shall and will at the costs and charges of the said....furnish and provide an experrienced workman to direct and assist in the erection of the said engine.

PROVIDED always, and it is herby agreed and declared by and between the said parties hereto, for themselves respectively, and their respective partners, executors, adminstrators, and assigns, and the true intent and meaning of them, and these presents, that if the said payment, hereby agreed to be made, or an sum or sums of money due for or on account of materials, or workmanship, furnished, provided or orderd by the said James Watt and Matthew Boulton, for the use of the said Engine shall be in arrear and unpaid for the space of three calendar months after the same shall respectively become due and payable, and be demanded, that then and in such case, the said Engine and all the materials therefor, shall be charged and chargeable with, and subject and liable to the payment thereof, and the said...shall cease or bear to use, work or exercise the said Engine; and they or any of them shall not use work, or exercise the said Engine, until such payment, and all sums of money due for or on account of materials or workmanship so in arrer and unpaid, together witht eh lawful interest due thereon, shall be fully paid and satisfied.

AND it is herby further agreed, by and between the said parties to these presents, for themselves respectively, and their respective partners, executors, adminstrators and assigns, that it shall be lawful and for the said James Watt and Matthew Boulton, their executors, adminstrators, and assigns, deputies and agents, from time to time, and at all times, until the twenty-fourth day of June, in the year One Thousand Eight Hundred, to examine, view, and see the state and condition of the said Engine, so to be erected at Hebbern Colliery-- or at such other place the same may be removed to, with all the other appurtenances therunto belonging, with any lett, hindrance, molestation, or trouble, by or from....

In Manuscript John Southern added a letter to Mr. Barnes at the end of the contract:

Sir:
Be pleased to hand this [deleted] to the Proprietors of Hebburn Colliery for the appropbation and acquaint us with the names &c of those who are to form the contracting party. The articles to be furnished are the same as for the other similar engines with the addition of a steam case.
We are Sir, Your abed. Servants,
John Southern for
Boulton & Watt

John Southern, the engineer who was handling this installation for Boulton and Watt, had co-invented the indicator diagram with his employer, James Watt, in 1796. This strategic tool helped the company understand how to improve the efficiency of steam engines, and gave them an edge over the competition. Boulton and Watt kept the use of the indicator diagram a trade secret for a generation; it was made public only in the 1830s.^[3] Southern became a partner in the firm of Boulton and Watt in 1810.