Bundle of miscellaneous correspondence
- Reference:GB 254 MS 102/12/5
- Dates of Creation:1848
- Physical Description:1 bundle
Scope and Content
William Cruikshank (request for financial assistance);
Thomas Marsden, Salford (engineering, competition, sales, patent and production matters, also comment from a lecture by the Secretary of the London Health of Towns’ Association: In Dundee there was not a single arrangement for drainage, sewerages or the supply of water. ‘Is this so? If it be it is a disgrace to you all.’; Poor state of trade, including the damaging effects of the Revolution in France ‘All the orders I Have had from the continent have been countermanded’; Business news success in getting orders and mention of Prussia’s war with Denmark [First Schleswig War] and its impact on Baxter Brothers; Patent money due to PC; Enclosing legal letter concerning misuse of Carmichael’s patent; encloses letter from Richard Hyde Belfast asking about patent; Chartist demonstrations in London; Strict Sabbath observance)
Lord and Brook, Albion Foundry, Leeds (business matters)
Thomas Greenwood, Wellington Foundry, Leeds (engineering and machinery matters; indicates business is bad)
James Carmichael, Filature d’Ailly, (26 February - Thanks PC for hospitality during visit to Dundee includes account of the revolution including destruction of railway lines and bridges, notes ‘there is no doubt it has been a Bloody affair in Paris’, the declaration of the Republic and rumours of King Louis Phillipe’s offer to abdicate; 16 March - PC’s ill health and business news , the extent of trouble and rioting at Amiens ‘happily without loss of life’, arming of men and the local French attitudes to the English investors in the area; 2 April – is keeping neutral, speaks of his desire to leave France and pass business to a Frenchman, activities in Amiens and planting trees of liberty; 15 May – Political situation in France, ‘This week already another complete revolution’, question of French attitude to Polish rising, ‘I was astonished to find our friends there [in Lille] having the highest opinion of the Republic [Robert?] Baxter is a complete Chartist’; [Robert] Baxter angry at James Carmichael’s view of prospects ‘and full of admiration for the French Character’; 26 June – News from Paris ‘continues horrible’ with 12,000-15,000 killed and 100,000 unemployed; 18 July - Discusses their father visiting France and the drunkenness of Strachan, a Dundee worker; 2 September - Regrets father cannot visits, asks about Strachan, indicates he would like to leave France, views of French people and discusses attendance at Protestant Church in Amiens; 27 November – mildly rebukes PC for not visiting him when he was within ten hours, discusses canvas business and production and quality matters; 24-25 December an invitation to a Swiss Protestant pastor to give discourses in Filature d’Ailly vexes the local Priest)
William Johnson, editor, Buchanan Street Glasgow (letter and notice introducing the Practical Mechanics Journal );
George Lowry, Belfast (machinery)
William Nairne (thoughts on bereavement; taking steamer from Perth to Dundee; discusses machinery including diagram);
Alex Donald, Kirkland works (acknowledges receipt of £6)
James Spence, Portsmouth (Thoughts on political situation in France and Britain, engineering matters; developments in engineering and steam propulsion; family matters, anonymous reports of the poor quality sailcloth from Ferguson’s of Dundee and its subsequent rejection by the Board of Admiralty);
James Martie (report on a visit to a mill in Sweden with comments on the politeness of the Swedes); P Fairbairn & Co, Wellington Foundry, Leeds (Mr Greenwood is on way to visit Baxter Bros; ask PC’s advice on machinery for spinning jute for coffee bags; accepts offer to go to Blairgowrie); Mr Smith, Dudley, (Wishes to visit PC); David Whitton, Dundee (seeking employment);
Cholera in Dundee and Edinburgh, October, 1848 – Does not seem to be in bundle as of April 2018; Robert Baxter, Lille (Discusses his business and possibility of selling Belgian flax to Baxter Brothers).Drummond Thomson, Glasgow [PC’s Uncle] (Requests assistance – writer’s spelling is very poor); George Lowry, Belfast (Business matters); Thomas Willie, Kirkcaldy, (Enquires about prices); David Cruikshank (Thanks PC for sermon on death of Dr Russell* and discusses offer by the Congregational Board of Education in London to manage a Model School in connection with their Normal Seminary)
[61 items]
* Possibly David Russell DD, Minister of Ward Chapel Congregational Church, DundeeAccess Information
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Archivist's Note
Description compiled by Kenneth Baxter, April 2011
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