HOMA18CL 15

Chapter 15: Ann Macgregor’s Man

The father of the consulting client, Miss Ann Macgregor, Mr. John Macgregor, was a merchant who had amassed great wealth by operating several dyeing factories in the Glasgow region. Although not an aristocrat, Mr. Macgregor’s success allowed him to enjoy a lifestyle comparable to the upper nobility. He also seemed to harbor the dream of elevating his family’s status by marrying his daughter, Ann, to the son of a promising noble family.

Then one day, his daughter introduced a man, and the family became extremely noisy. The reason was that the man she wanted to marry was not only non-aristocratic but also an over-40 widower with children.

“When she first brought that old man home, my husband and I thought we were losing our minds. My husband flew into a rage, swearing he would never allow the marriage unless hell froze over, and I strongly objected, but my daughter is stubbornly insisting on marrying that man. Oh dear.”

The man was over forty, and his wife had died while giving birth to their fourth child, leaving him a single father ever since.

Tae-oh, recording the consultation details, asked Miss Ann Macgregor.

“May I ask what he does for a living?”

At the question about the man’s profession, Ann’s face immediately brightened as she replied.

“Yes, he used to work on repairing machine parts and engines at a university, and a few years ago, he moved to Birmingham and established a company with his business partner.”

Throughout her description of the man, her respect and pride for him were evident.

‘Ann’s physical reaction when talking about the man goes far beyond mere attraction. She’s completely entered the stage of love. Trying to separate them now would likely be counterproductive…’

Even in the 21st century, a widower in his 40s with children wouldn’t be an easy choice of partner. Tae-oh was curious what led a young lady from a wealthy 18th-century family to make such a decision. Observing her carefully again, he noted her gentle smile, wise-looking eyes, and calm, uncontentious personality, matching her clear skin. She was the quintessential 18th-century virtuous wife and wise mother, but she also seemed to possess the progressive character needed to support an entrepreneur.

‘Hmm… I’d need further observation to be certain, but from what I’ve seen, if the man is a businessman, their relationship doesn’t seem bad. Since I haven’t met the man in person, though, it’s hard to give a definitive answer.’

As Tae-oh pondered, the mother’s lament continued.

“My husband is also a major businessman, and I’ve watched him for a long time, so I know that without proper skill and diligence, a business can incur massive debt overnight, leading to ruin. Besides, you have to work hard your whole life just to survive.”

“…Yes. That’s true of business.”

“But the man she’s seeing doesn’t have skill or diligence. He seems to be chasing a pipe dream of making a fortune by inventing some strange piece of scrap metal. To my husband and me, he was nothing more and nothing less than a con man.”

“A strange piece of scrap metal?”

“It was literally a very large chunk of iron. I heard he recently patented that piece of iron for something… something ridiculous about it generating the power of 30 or 40 horses all at once with boiling steam. Anyway, he developed this strange machine and is pouring a lot of money into a partnership for it, honestly! Furthermore, I suspect that business partner is also a con man; he seems suspicious. With nothing but fraudsters surrounding that old man, how can I, his mother, not be worried?”

Ann flared up.

“Mother! It’s not a strange machine, it’s a steam engine! And Mr. Boulton, his partner, is not a con man. He’s a highly respected businessman in Birmingham. He saw the great potential of the steam engine and is a good man who invested generously!”

At Ann’s words, Tae-oh’s eyes widened, and he asked.

“Wait a moment, what did you just say? Did you say steam engine? And… Boulton?”

Seeing Tae-oh’s startled reaction, Ann was clearly anxious, worrying that she might hear something negative.

“Pardon? Ah… yes. I heard it was a steam engine and that the machine was recently installed and even became commercially viable. So, his partner, Mr. Boulton, even took out a patent…”

“Ha.”

Tae-oh let out a sigh and then urgently asked again.

“Excuse me, is the name of the gentleman Miss Macgregor is seeing… ‘Mr. James Watt’?”

Ann Macgregor flinched when the name ‘James Watt’ came out of Tae-oh’s mouth even though she hadn’t mentioned it.

“How on earth… do you know Mr. Watt?”

The bewildered mother clapped her hands and said.

“That’s right, that’s right! She definitely said James Watt! Oh, but is that a name you know, Mr. Sanderson? You don’t happen to know him because he’s a notorious con man, do you?”

“Oh, no! That’s not it at all!”

Tae-oh sometimes didn’t feel the reality of his reincarnation into the 18th century while immersed in the daily life here, but meeting historical figures like Adam Smith or Samuel Johnson—and now James Watt—brought the reality sharply home.

‘I must truly be in the 18th-century Industrial Revolution era. I talked so much about James Watt for Sir Burke’s mining project, and now I get a consultation request connected to him… And if so, the partner is the famous Matthew Boulton? Well, I’ll be.’

James Watt and Matthew Boulton, key figures who led Britain’s Industrial Revolution, were great men whose faces would later appear on the expensive 50-pound banknote used in the UK until 2021—a testament to their tremendous achievements. However, Tae-oh hadn’t known that James Watt had been widowed.

‘She clearly said he was a widower a moment ago. Did James Watt lose his wife? His death was around 1820, similar to George III…’

A quick calculation suggested that James Watt, along with Matthew Boulton, would usher in the age of the steam engine for at least another 30 years. In this era, when a man undertakes a monumental task that will shake the world and succeeds greatly, the wife’s assistance plays a surprisingly huge role. That’s why whenever Tae-oh saw James Watt in history books, he vaguely imagined that his wife’s support must have been extraordinary.

‘The details suggest this is almost certainly the James Watt I know, but I don’t recall him being widowed and remarrying.’

Ann Macgregor was indeed James Watt’s second wife. After Watt was widowed several years prior, he fell into loneliness, and Ann became a great source of strength for him. She subsequently had a profound influence on the success of Watt’s numerous inventions and business ventures. The wealthy Ann generously provided the necessary materials and equipment for his research so her husband could focus solely on his work, playing a major role in allowing him to devote himself entirely to invention and business without worrying about domestic affairs.

However, since Tae-oh didn’t know these minor historical details, he had to be cautious. Although the possibility was small, he felt he needed to meet the man directly to rule out the possibility of a namesake.

‘Wow, if this works out, I might get to see the real key figures of the Industrial Revolution with my own eyes!’

Ann Macgregor, reading the expression on Tae-oh’s face, asked.

“Do you happen to know Mr. Watt?”

“No, I don’t know him personally. I’ve only heard about him through various stories. In any case, I think I need to meet him in person and judge how compatible he is with Miss Macgregor based on my own criteria.”

“Ah… yes.”

Ann looked slightly disappointed.

But Ann’s mother was delighted by Tae-oh’s willingness to meet and evaluate the man.

“So, you’re saying you’ll meet this Mr. Watt yourself, Mr. Sanderson?”

“Yes, I think that would allow me to make a more accurate judgment.”

“Oh, thank you so much. Thank you truly.”

In contrast to the relieved mother, Ann’s expression was dark.

Tae-oh observed her and asked.

“Is there a chance Mr. James Watt might be reluctant to meet me?”

Ann shook her head.

“No, it’s not that… but Mr. Watt is so busy with the steam engine business right now. He’s in Birmingham, so he won’t be able to come to London for a while.”

Birmingham was about 160 km away from London. It would be a two-hour trip once the railway was developed, but now it was quite a distance, requiring at least five days of travel by carriage.

However, if he was indeed James Watt, Tae-oh would be eager to meet him even if it took 50 days, let alone 5.

“As it happens, I have some business in Birmingham concerning a mine I invested in, so this works out well. How about you travel with me?”

Both mother and daughter happily agreed to Tae-oh’s unexpected proposal. The mother hoped Tae-oh would determine that James Watt and her daughter were incompatible, while Ann seemed to feel this was a golden opportunity for her chosen husband to be approved.

Agreeing to inform them of the travel date once the plan was set, the two women returned home.

.

◈ One Week Later. Outside Ann Macgregor’s House.

Ann Macgregor’s mother provided a retinue of servants and maids, as well as a luxurious four-wheeled carriage, for her daughter’s journey to Birmingham from London.

Just before their departure, Ann’s mother approached Tae-oh, who was standing by the carriage, and quietly urged him.

“Mr. Sanderson.”

“Yes, Mrs. Macgregor.”

“My daughter promised. She said she would give up cleanly if you judged them to be incompatible. So, I earnestly ask you to pay close attention.”

Ann’s parents had their own agenda in agreeing to this strenuous journey: they wanted to somehow terminate the relationship between their daughter and James Watt. They strongly wished for Tae-oh to join their plan.

However, Ann Macgregor herself seemed to have no intention of breaking up with James Watt. Instead, Ann seemed confident that if Tae-oh truly knew how to judge people, he would recognize the true worth of the man she loved.

Regardless of the situation, Tae-oh was able to travel to Birmingham comfortably.

Clip-clop. Clip-clop.

Inside the carriage, Tae-oh was able to hear many details about James Watt from Ann.

“…So Mr. Watt recently moved to Birmingham at Mr. Boulton’s suggestion. And together, they established a large partnership company there called ‘Boulton & Watt.’“

“Ah, I see.”

After about five days of travel by carriage, they arrived in Birmingham, located about 200 km northwest of London. True to its identity as the city of the Industrial Revolution, Birmingham was lined with various types of factories, and the bustling sight of countless laborers gave a sense of irresistible, revolutionary vitality.

“Oh, that building over there is Mr. Boulton’s factory.”

Following Ann Macgregor’s gesture, Tae-oh looked out the window to see a massive factory appear before his eyes. It was considerably large, unbelievable for an 18th-century factory.

“Wow, that factory is huge. What do they mainly produce there?”

“I don’t know exactly, but I heard they manufacture various metal products.”

Matthew Boulton was born the eldest son of a family involved in metal goods manufacturing and grew up in a very wealthy environment. After marriage, he combined his wife’s considerable funds with his own to build the largest factory in Britain. Leveraging his innate business acumen, he expanded into various ventures, including making metal trophies and luxury buttons, and minting coins.

‘Hmm, running such a massive factory must have been limited by existing water power. Furthermore, the river’s flow must have been unstable due to the drought in recent years. That’s why James Watt’s steam engine must have caught Mr. Boulton’s eye.’

While most factories at the time employed only one or two artisans, Matthew Boulton’s factory had over 600 workers. This made the need for efficient and stable energy absolutely essential.

Ann Macgregor approached the man who seemed to be the factory manager and announced that she was there to meet James Watt. He pointed to a building ahead and told them to enter.

Entering the building as instructed, they were met with loud noise, and many artisans were engrossed in their work.

“Ah, there he is.”

In the distance, two middle-aged men were visible in the direction Ann was pointing. One man was holding a tool, examining and tinkering with a part, while the other was passionately explaining something next to him.

Tae-oh, with a slight tremble of excitement, walked toward them with Ann.

‘Ah…’

As they got closer, the physical features of the two men, which Tae-oh had only seen in history books or on banknotes, came clearly into view. There was no longer any need to confirm whether they were James Watt and Matthew Boulton. It was as if a black-and-white photograph had come to life in vibrant color, and the great men of history were vividly moving right before Tae-oh’s eyes. The sight filled his heart with an indescribable emotion.

While Tae-oh was lost in his thoughts, Matthew Boulton turned his head first, spotted Ann Macgregor, and, looking surprised, took off his hat and bowed in greeting. Ann also curtsied and slightly lowered her head. Boulton nudged James Watt’s shoulder to let him know Ann had arrived.

Surprised but delighted by the unexpected visit of his lover, James Watt quickly approached Ann Macgregor, a mix of surprise and welcome on his face.