Thomas Beddoes to James Watt Jr, 9 November 1794

My dear Sir

I am not sorry to inform you of the death of poor Lord Daer, whose recovery was upon his plan impossible, perhaps absolutely so – He has escaped much suffering on shipboard & his family much expence to no purpose.

I think if you c^d get a series of subscribers down to one guinea, the names you mention will suffice adding that of Josiah & Tho^s Wedgwood for ten guineas now & five guineas annually. Dr Black subscribes five guineas – suppose you add after the enumeration of the subscriptions near you. N.b. the names of Duke and Dutchess of Devonshire &c &c of Dr Black Professor Edinb Dr Darwin Derby, Dr Ewart Bath, Dr Ingenhousz, &c &c Mess^rs Kirwan, More (Secretary to the Adelphi Society) & other persons eminent in medicine & science will appear on the list of subscribers. Their favourable opinion & the reasons, stated above & in the larger proposal are, it is presumed, a sufficient sanction to the design.

If you c^d in my name send a proposal to John Dearman Great Charles Street & John Biddle, they I think w^d not only subscribe some intermediate sum between one & five guineas, but forward the business – I hope to have Mr Cavendish’s name & have written to the Dss of Devonshire for that purpose, but have not her answer & I w^d not keep you in suspence as to cases, I will in a few days print your adver^t separately & refer to 6 or 8 strong cases – of persons whose names are or will be soon given to the public at full length with their cases –

Yours sincerely

Tho^s Beddoes
9 Nov^r 1794

Address: Mr James Watt / Mr Boulton’s / Soho / Birmingham
Endorsement: Dr Beddoes / 9 Nov^r – 1794 / / Death of Lord Daer / subscribers to the Pneumatic Institution
MS: LoB MS 3219/6/02/B/57

The full versions of these letters with textual apparatus will be published by Cambridge University Press.