Matthew Boulton - the unsung hero of the industrial revolution

Jun 1 2009 Agenda

Councillor Martin Mullaney explains why Matthew Boulton should be ranked among the greats of the Industrial Revolution.

Ask most people to name the key figures of the Industrial Revolution and James Watt will probably be the first name that springs to mind. Samuel Crompton and Richard Arkwright might come next in recognition of their groundbreaking work in the textile industry.

But what about Birmingham’s very own Matthew Boulton – the unsung hero of that startling period of the late 18th and early 19th centuries when Britain led the way in innovation and technology?

‘Matthew who?’ might be a common response or maybe ‘I’ve heard the name but I’m not sure what he did’.

That is nothing short of a tragedy as I believe this man deserves a place alongside the likes of Watt, Crompton and Arkwright. Indeed it could be argued he was the biggest innovator of them all and yet the part he played in one of the most significant chapters in world history has been largely forgotten.

Now one of the endearing qualities of our great city is that we’re not too showy. We don’t go on about our achievements all the time, preferring to let our actions speak for themselves. But in this instance, enough is enough. It is high time Birmingham started to shout about one of its most illustrious sons.

This year marks the 200th anniversary of Boulton’s death and Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery’s Bicentenary Exhibition Matthew Boulton – Selling What All the World Desires opened to the public at the weekend.

One benefit of my new role as cabinet member for leisure, sport and culture is that I get the odd sneak preview of exhibitions and events.

I was given a tour of the Boulton exhibition as curators were applying the finishing touches earlier this week and it really is fascinating, fascinating and awe inspiring.

This man was a giant who put the city of Birmingham on the map as a centre for industry, technology and innovation.

World famous during his lifetime (1728 –1809) he has largely been overlooked since the 20th century as his significant achievements were overshadowed by those of his business partner, Watt.

But the simple fact is that without Boulton’s entrepreneurial vision, drive and ambition it is unlikely that Watt would have fulfilled his potential as an engineer and inventor.

Boulton and Watt pushed the technological boundaries of the time and their work led directly to Britain occupying centre stage as the world’s first industrial nation, something which has shaped our lives ever since.

So what made Boulton so special? I think we need something of a history lesson.

After his death in 1809, James Watt wrote ‘had Mr B. done nothing more in the world than what he has done in improving the coinage, his fame would have deserved to be immortalized’. But, as Watt hinted, Boulton did far more than that.

He was born in Birmingham, where his father, Matthew Boulton the elder, was a “toymaker” – a manufacturer of small metal articles of various kinds.

In 1749, at the age of 21, he became a partner in his father’s business and the family acquired Sarehole Mill, where they rolled sheet metal. Ten years later and shortly after his father’s death, Boulton went into partnership with John Fothergill and in 1762 they established the Soho Manufactory – an early factory which pioneered mass production on the assembly line principle.

The Manufactory produced a wide range of goods from buttons and buckles to boxes, moving onto luxury products such as silverware and ormolu (a type of gilded bronze).

Boulton then teamed up with Watt and the pair were instrumental in the development of the steam engine as a commercial tool.

For 11 years the Soho Foundry made Watt’s steam engines for colliery owners to pump water out of mines, the Boulton & Watt engine being four times more efficient than earlier designs.

The partnership proved to be a huge success and by 1796, there were over 500 Boulton & Watt steam engines in British factories and mines.

It is not overstating the case to say these steam engine developments contributed significantly to the foundation of Britain’s 19th century wealth.

Boulton was not finished there and in 1788 he turned his attentions to coining machinery.

The Soho Manufactory was home to the first steam-powered mint, whose presses were subsequently used at the first Birmingham Mint.

Coins were struck for the Sierra Leone and East India companies and for Russia. In 1797 the mint produced a new copper coinage for Britain.

Boulton helped shape our city and invested in the canal network, instinctively understanding that Birmingham needed vastly improved transport links to thrive as an industrial city.

His campaign to establish the city’s Assay Office (now the world’s busiest) was a vital factor in the expansion of the jewellery and silver trades in Birmingham, still the main centre of gold jewellery production in Britain.

So without Boulton we probably would not have our world famous Jewellery Quarter.

The Birmingham Assay Office continues to test and hallmark millions of precious metal items every year.

You might expect such a giant of the Industrial Revolution to have a poor record in terms of worker relations – we’re all familiar with horrific tales of long hours, poor pay and conditions. But Boulton bucked the trend here as well.

He refused to employ young children, seen as vital and inexpensive members of the workforce by most of his counterparts, and ensured the works were clean, well-lit and well-ventilated

Then, in the 1770s he introduced a very early social insurance scheme, funded by workers’ contributions of 1/60th of their wages, and which paid benefits of up to 80 per cent of wages to staff who were sick or injured or killed.

In all then, Boulton was an amazing man – one deserving a much higher profile than he enjoys.

He was an innovator and an enthusiast who threw himself wholeheartedly into the burgeoning industrial opportunities opening up in the second half of the 18th century.

Still not sure what all the fuss is about? Be sure to visit the bicentenary exhibition at Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery’s Gas Hall between now and September 27 and you will see why Matthew Boulton deserves to rank among the giants of the Industrial Revolution.

Matthew Boulton – Selling What All the World Desires not only includes material from Birmingham museums and the City Archives’ own world-famous collections, but also features significant loans from the Royal Collection, national museums, Birmingham Assay Office, private collectors and other external partners.

The free exhibition showcases the extensive and exceptional collections of Boulton’s personal papers and manufactured products held by the city.

These provide a unique opportunity to explore Boulton’s many interests and partnerships that led to, for instance, his production of national coinage, as well as the decorative silverware, Sheffield plate and ormolu that graced the homes of the rich and famous.

The factories may be gone but the creativity remains and I’m sure Boulton would have spotted opportunities to make his mark and make as profit!

* Martin Mullaney is Birmingham Council Cabinet member for culture.