Early Years at Soho

The next meeting of the Society takes place on Thursday 14th May at 7:30 pm in St. Andrew's Church, Bilston Street, Sedgley.

The very short Annual General Meeting is followed by a presentation featuring the famous Smethwick factory owned by Matthew Boulton. The speaker is Mary Bodfish a favourite with local history groups and Chair of Smethwick Local History Society.

Manufacturing began on the Soho Estate in the 1760s and culminated in building the Foundry where Boulton was joined by James Watt to form one of the most influential partnerships of the Industrial Revolution. Here steam engines were produced to power all kinds of machinery including pumps for clearing water from mines.

Mary uses archive material to tell an entertaining story as the two men set Birmingham on the road to become 'the workshop of the world'.

Admission is £2 - exact amount appreciated.