He Opened A Matchmaking Agency In 18Th Century London [EN]: Chapter 15

15. Ann McGregor’s Man

Ann McGregor’s father, John McGregor, was a merchant who had amassed a considerable fortune by running several dyeing factories in the Glasgow area.

Although Mr. McGregor was not of noble birth, his wealth allowed him to live a life comparable to that of the upper aristocracy. He also seemed to harbor dreams of elevating his status by marrying his daughter Ann to the son of a promising noble family.

Then one day, his daughter introduced a man, causing quite a stir in the household.

The man she wanted to marry was not only not a nobleman but also a widower in his forties with children.

“When she first brought that old man home, my husband and I were beside ourselves. My husband was adamant that he would never allow this marriage unless he was dead, and I strongly opposed it as well. But my daughter is stubbornly insisting on marrying him. Ugh.”

The man was over forty and had been living alone since his wife died during the birth of their fourth child.

While recording the consultation, Tae-oh asked Ann McGregor,

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

Ann’s face brightened as she answered about the man’s occupation.

“Yes, he used to handle machinery repairs and engines at the university. A few years ago, he moved to Birmingham and started a company with a partner.”

Throughout her description, she expressed respect and pride for him.

‘Ann’s physical reactions when talking about him go far beyond mere liking. She’s completely in love. Trying to separate them here might backfire.’

Even in the 21st century, a divorced man in his forties with children would not be an easy match.

So, I was curious to know why a young, wealthy lady in the 18th century would make such a decision.

Looking at her closely, she had a gentle smile as fair skin, intelligent-looking eyes, and a mild, amiable personality.

She was the epitome of an 18th-century virtuous woman, but she also seemed to possess the proactive qualities needed to support a businessman.

‘Hmm… It’s hard to say for sure without seeing the man himself, but from what I’ve seen so far, it doesn’t seem like a bad match if he’s a businessman. I need to observe more to be certain.’

As Tae-oh pondered, her mother’s grumbling continued.

“My husband runs a large business, and I’ve been watching him for a long time. Without proper skills and diligence, a business can incur huge debts overnight, leaving you penniless. You’d have to work hard your whole life just to survive.”

“Yes, that’s how business is.”

“But the man she’s seeing doesn’t seem to have the skills or diligence. He’s chasing some wild dream of making a fortune with strange metal inventions. To my husband and me, he seems like nothing more than a con artist.”

“Strange metal inventions?”

“Yes, a very large piece of metal. He recently got a patent for it, saying it could generate the power of 30 to 40 horses with boiling steam. He’s developing some strange machine and even partnering with someone, spending a lot of money. Honestly…”

“And I think that partner is also a con artist, very suspicious. It seems like that old man is surrounded by swindlers, how can I not worry as a mother?”

Ann bristled.

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

Tae-oh’s eyes widened at Ann’s words.

“Wait a minute, what did you just say? A steam engine? And… Bolton?”

Startled by Tae-oh’s reaction, Ann looked anxious, fearing she might hear something bad.

“Yes? Ah… yes. I heard that they installed the steam engine recently and it’s commercially viable. So, his partner, Mr. Bolton, even got a patent…”

“Huh.”

Tae-oh sighed and asked urgently,

“Excuse me, is the name of the man Miss McGregor is seeing… by any chance ‘James Watt’?”

Ann McGregor flinched as the name ‘James Watt’ came from Tae-oh’s mouth without her even mentioning it.

“How… do you know Mr. Watt?”

The bewildered mother clapped her hands and said,

“That’s right, that’s right! He definitely said James Watt. But does Sanderson know him too? Is it because he’s a notorious con artist?”

“Ah, no! It’s nothing like that.”

Tae-oh realized he had been reincarnated into the 18th century whenever he met figures like Adam Smith or Samuel Johnson, whom he had been buried with in this life.

But this time, it was James Watt.

‘I really have entered the 18th-century Industrial Revolution. I talked about James Watt because of Burke’s mine, and now I’m getting a request related to him… If that’s the case, the partner must be the famous Matthew Bolton? Wow.’

James Watt and Matthew Bolton, who led the British Industrial Revolution, were great figures who had their faces on the high-value 50-pound note in the UK until 2021.

However, Tae-oh didn’t know that James Watt was a widower.

‘She definitely said he was a widower earlier. Did James Watt lose his wife? He died around 1820, similar to George III…’

Roughly calculated, James Watt would open the steam engine era with Matthew Bolton for at least 30 more years.

In this era, when a man performs great deeds that shake the world, and for it to be a great success, the proportion of his wife’s support is surprisingly large.

So, whenever Tae-oh saw James Watt in history books, he vaguely imagined that his wife’s support must have been significant.

‘From what I’ve heard, it seems almost certain that it’s the James Watt I know, but I don’t know if he remarried after being widowed.’

Ann McGregor was indeed James Watt’s second wife.

James Watt had been lonely since his wife passed away several years ago, and Ann became a great source of strength for him. Later, she had a significant impact on Watt’s various inventions and business successes.

The wealthy Ann generously provided the materials and equipment needed for research so that her husband could focus solely on his work, and she played a major role in allowing him to devote himself to invention and business by taking care of household matters.

However, Tae-oh, who could not know these minor historical details, had to handle it carefully.

Although the possibility seemed slim, he thought he should meet them in person and decide, in case they were just namesakes.

‘Wow, if this goes well, I might be able to see the true leaders of the Industrial Revolution with my own eyes?’

Ann McGregor, reading Tae-oh’s expression, asked,

“Do you know Mr. Watt?”

“No, I don’t know him personally. It’s just that I think I’ve heard of him through various stories. Anyway, I’ll have to meet him in person and judge how well he matches Miss McGregor based on my own standards.”

“Ah… yes.”

Ann looked slightly disappointed.

However, Ann’s mother was pleased with Tae-oh’s offer to meet and evaluate him directly.

“So, Mr. Sanderson is saying that he will meet Watt in person?”

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

“Oh, thank you so much. Thank you.”

Unlike the mother, who was greatly relieved, Ann’s expression was dark.

Tae-oh, examining her complexion, asked,

“Do you think Mr. James Watt would be reluctant to meet me?”

Ann shook her head.

“No, it’s not that… It’s just that Mr. Watt is too busy with the steam engine business. 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 take about 2 hours by train once the railway was developed, but now it was quite a distance, requiring at least 5 days by carriage.

But if he was really James Watt, Tae-oh was willing to go and meet him, even if it took 50 days instead of 5.

“As it happens, I had some business to go to Birmingham for a mine I invested in, so this is perfect. How about going with me?”

Both happily agreed to Tae-oh’s unexpected proposal.

The mother hoped to prove that James Watt and her daughter were not a good match, and Ann seemed to see it as a golden opportunity to be recognized as her husband.

They agreed to let them know the departure date as soon as the plan was set, and the two mothers and daughters returned home.

◈ A week later. In front of Ann McGregor’s house.

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

Just before departure, Ann’s mother approached Tae-oh, who was standing next to the carriage, and quietly asked.

“Mr. Sanderson.”

“Yes, Mrs. McGregor.”

“My daughter has promised. She said she would give up cleanly if Mr. Sanderson judges that they are not a good match. So, I earnestly ask you to please look at it carefully.”

Ann’s parents had their own agenda for agreeing to this unreasonable trip. It was to clear up the relationship between James Watt and their daughter in any way possible.

And they strongly hoped that Tae-oh would participate in their plan.

However, Ann McGregor did not seem to have any intention of breaking up with James Watt.

Rather, Ann seemed confident that if Tae-oh really knew how to see people properly, he would recognize the true value of the man she loved.

Whatever the case, Tae-oh was able to travel to Birmingham comfortably.

*

Clatter. Clatter.

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

“…So, Mr. Watt recently moved to Birmingham at the recommendation of Mr. Bolton. And together, they started a large partnership company called ‘Boulton & Watt’ in Birmingham.”

“Ah, I see.”

After about 5 days of riding in the carriage, they were able to reach Birmingham, about 200 km northwest of London.

Birmingham was a city of the Industrial Revolution, with various types of factories everywhere, and the bustling figures of numerous workers gave a sense of the irresistible dynamism of the great transformation.

“Ah, that building over there is Mr. Bolton’s factory.”

Following Ann McGregor’s gesture, a large factory appeared before her eyes.

The scale was so large that it was hard to believe it was an 18th-century factory.

“Wow, the factory is really big. What do they mainly make there?”

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

Matthew Bolton was born as the eldest son of a family that made metal goods and grew up in a very wealthy environment from an early age.

In addition, after marriage, a considerable amount of money from his wife’s family was added, allowing him to build the largest factory in England, and based on his innate business acumen, he advanced into various fields such as manufacturing metal trophies and luxury buttons, and minting coins.

‘Hmm, to run such a large factory, the existing hydropower alone would have been limited. Moreover, the river water has decreased due to droughts in recent years, making hydropower unstable. So, James Watt’s steam engine must have caught Mr. Bolton’s eye.’

At this time, most factories had only one or two workers, but Matthew Bolton’s factory had more than 600 workers. Therefore, efficient and stable energy was essential.

Miss Ann McGregor approached a man who seemed to be the manager of the factory building and informed him that she had come to see James Watt.

Then he pointed to a building in the front and told her to go inside.

Following his words, the building they entered was filled with noisy sounds and many workers were engrossed in their work.

“Ah, there he is.”

In the direction Ann was pointing, two middle-aged men could be seen in the distance.

One was holding a tool, examining and fiddling with parts, and the other was explaining something diligently next to him.

Tae-oh, with a slightly trembling heart, walked towards them with Ann.

‘Ah…’

As they got closer, the physical characteristics of the two men, which he had seen in history books and on banknotes, were captured in Tae-oh’s eyes.

It was no longer necessary to confirm whether they were James Watt and Matthew Bolton.

Like a black and white photograph becoming a movie with brilliant colors, the historical figures were vividly alive and moving before Tae-oh’s eyes.

And that sight filled his heart with an unknown emotion.

While Tae-oh was immersed in emotion, Matthew Bolton turned his head first, discovered Ann McGregor, and took off his hat with surprised eyes and greeted her. Ann also bent her knees and bowed slightly.

Bolton nudged James Watt’s shoulder to let him know that Ann had arrived.

James Watt, surprised and delighted by the unexpected visit of his lover, quickly approached Ann McGregor.