Wyatt Papers

A small collection of letters and papers to and from the Wyatt family. The records include fragments of John Wyatt's diary, 1734-1740; deeds and marriage bonds, releases and agreements, accounts and receipts, notes, verses, 1710-1849; and correspondence between various members of the Wyatt family, 1710-1891.

The collection is arranged chronologically. WP/95 is a large boxed item.

Other papers of John Wyatt (1700-1766), inventor, are held at the Birmingham City Archives (GB 0143 MSS93189-90).

John Wyatt (1700-1766), inventor was the son of John Wyatt and Jane (nee Jackson) of Thickbroom, Weeford near Lichfield and one of eight children. He worked as a carpenter at Thickbroom and came to Birmingham, c 1830. His inventions included a spinning machine which was exploited with some success at Birmingham, c 1738; and a compound-lever weighing machine, for weighing loaded wagons, c 1744. He worked for Messrs Boulton and Watt at their Soho Foundry. He married twice and had two sons and four daughters by his second wife, Marabella (nee Craven): Charles (who married Jane, daughter of Benjamin Wyatt of Blackbrook); John (who married Sarah Reeves and also worked for Messrs Boulton & Watt as a foreman at the Soho Foundry); Cordelia Ann, (1749-1809 who married Thomas Dobbs in 1770; their eldest daughter, also Cordelia, 1771-1846 married John Southern in 1793. John Southern, d 1815, was manager of the Soho Foundry); Clarissa (who married Thomas Carter); Sophia; Emily (who married Edward Jee of Liverpool).

Reference: Pedigrees and notes in the collection; Concise Dictionary of National Biography (Oxford University Press).