He formed a partnership with John Roebuck, who had
a two-thirds interest. But when Roebuck needed money, he sold his
interest to Matthew Boulton. Boulton wanted better power that that
of his watermill for his workshops that made metal buttons, watch
chains, shoebuckles of engraved steel, ornamental bronzes, vases,
chandeliers, tripods, silver and plated wares, and imitation gold
and tortoiseshell work. In dry weather, about eight horses were
needed to aid in driving the machinery. A steam pump could pump
water from the bottom of the watermill to the top to be used
again. He had built up this factory of five buildings and six
hundred workers, with 9,000 pounds derived from his marriage to an
heiress. By 1774, the partnership had built a model steam engine
with rotary power whose design could be sold. The price of the
engine was set as the amount of money saved on fuel costs in the
first three years of its operation. This machine was a relatively
economical user of energy, capable of performing almost any kind
of work.
About 1750, John Wilkinson, the son of a farmer who also oversaw
an iron furnace, substituted mineral coal for wood charcoal in the
smelting and puddling of iron ore. In 1766 he made it possible to
transport coal out of mines on rail wagons drawn by horses. As
father of the iron industry, he made iron chairs, vats for
breweries and distilleries, and iron pipes of all sizes.
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