The story
Founded by Matthew Boulton in 1775, in Birmingham.1
Private company
Boulton and Watt
British engineering firm, 1775–1895
Boulton & Watt was an early British engineering and manufacturing firm in the business of designing and making marine and stationary steam engines. Founded in the English West Midlands around Birmingham in 1775 as a partnership between the English manufacturer Matthew Boulton and the Scottish engineer James Watt, the firm had a major role in the Industrial Revolution and grew to be a major producer of steam engines in the 19th century.2 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0
Last updated Oct 21, 2026.
Overview
1775Founded1
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Boulton & Watt was an early British engineering and manufacturing firm in the business of designing and making marine and stationary steam engines. Founded in the English West Midlands around Birmingham in 1775 as a partnership between the English manufacturer Matthew Boulton and the Scottish engineer James Watt, the firm had a major role in the Industrial Revolution and grew to be a major producer of steam engines in the 19th century.2
Leadership
Who has led Boulton and Watt, and when. Pick a name to see everywhere that person has worked.
- FounderMatthew Boulton1
Products and brands
- steam engine
Listed on Wikidata.1
Smethwick Engine, Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum, manufactured 1779.
Whitbread Engine, Powerhouse Museum, Sydney, manufactured 1785, 25-inch (64 cm) bore, 72-inch (180 cm) stroke.
Crofton Pumping Station manufactured 1812, 42+1⁄4-inch (107 cm) bore, 84-inch (210 cm) stroke.
Kew Bridge Steam Museum manufactured 1820, 64-inch (160 cm) bore, 96-inch (240 cm) stroke.
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Papplewick Pumping Station two engines, manufactured 1884, 46-inch (120 cm) bore, 90-inch (230 cm) stroke. Believed to be the last engines manufactured by the company.
From Wikipedia’s article on Boulton and Watt, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.3
Subsidiaries and ownership
Owners
- James Watt
- Matthew Boulton
- William Murdoch
From Wikidata.1
Timeline
- 1775Founded Founded in Birmingham1
Links
- WikipediaBoulton and Watt
- More imagesWikimedia Commons
- WikidataQ895118
Sources
The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.
- 1WikidataBoulton and Watt on Wikidata
- 2WikipediaBoulton and Watt on Wikipedia
- 3
- 4Wikimedia CommonsBoulton and Watt photo by Murgatroyd49, CC BY-SA 4.0