William and Mary College Quarterly Historical Magazine, 1916

Introduction and summary.

Letter text

Page 154

LETTERS OF JAMES RUMSEY, INVENTOR OF
THE STEAMBOAT

James Rumsey was born at "Bohemia Manor," Cecil County, Maryland, in 1743. His father was a farmer of good social standing with a large family and limited means, but the son acquired a pretty fair education, considering the times, as his letters show. He served as a soldier in the Revolution, and at the close of the war, in 1783, with Nicholas Orrick as partner, Rumsey went into the mercantile business at Bath, now known as Berkeley Springs, in Morgan County, West Virginia. In 1784 with Robert Throgmorton he kept a boarding house for visitors to the springs, and when "the Potomac Improvement Co." was established became its secretary.

His mind, however, had a mechanical turn, and several years previous to 1783 he applied himself to perfecting a boat for navigating rivers. His first boat appears to have been propelled by mechanical power alone and in 1784 he showed a model of it to General Washington, who had a cottage at Berkeley Springs, and Washington became an eye-witness of the working powers of the model by an actual experiment in running water. In the fall of the same year Rumsey obtained from the Virginia Legislature an act protecting his right of navigation within that State for ten years, and soon after the Maryland Legislature passed a similiar provision. Rumsey was no novice in the possibilities of steam, and about September, 1784, he began to study how to apply its power to boat navigation. He removed about this time to Shepherdstown, constructed a new boat fifty feet long, and on December 3, I787, after a preliminary private trial in March, 1786, made his first public exhibition of the invention at Shepherdstown in the presence of many persons-comprising General Horatio Gates, Colonel William Darke, Colonel Joseph Swearinger, Jeremiah Morrow, afterwards Governor of Ohio, John Mark and other prominent people. The trial was repeated December 14, I787, and the boat attained a speed against the current of four miles an hour

Shortly after this Rumsey in January, 1788, published a pamphlet, entitled "A Paean or Short Treatise on Steam," in which, alluding to this second experiment, he claimed that a speed of ten miles an hour might readily be obtained through the use of steam.

The same winter (1788) Rumsey went to Philadelphia, and the interest awakened there in his steamboat resulted in the formation of the "Rumseian Society." The May following, aided by this Society, he went to Europe, bearing letters of introduction from Washington, Franklin, Patrick Henry, Benjamin Rush, and other distinguished Americans.

Page 155

In England he made the acquaintance of the Society of the Arts, and procured various patents from the British government for various improvements in steam engines, pumps, boilers and mill machinery, but the main object of his visit was to introduce the steamboat, this he addressed himself with his accustomed energy. He was a poor man, however, and was constantly short of funds. In order to pay his way he had to engage in various side labors, some of which are referred to in the letters that follow. He struggled on, however, and the boat was at length finished and made ready for public trial. It was 100 feet long, with proportionate breadth of beam and depth of hold.

But after all the burden borne, on the very eve of triumph, Mr Rumsey was not spared to witness the consummation. On December 20, 1792, he delivered an address before the Society of Arts in London, on hydrostatics, immediately after which he busied himself in wording resolutions to be entered in the Society's book. While thus engaged he complained of a violent pain in his temple. He became speechless, and though competent medical assistance was rendered him, expired at the Adelphi Hotel the next evening at about quarter past nine, December 21, 1792. His remains were interred in the churchyard of St. Margaret's, Westminster, London.

In spite of his decease the trial was made of his steamboat, and as stated in the "Gentleman's Magazine" for February, 1793, page 182, the trial proved very successful, for the boat sailed against wind and tide at the rate of "four knots an hour."

Rumsey's claim to precedence was fiercely contested by John Fitch, of Philadelphia, but the question is settled against the latter by his own words, as he states himself that the first idea of a steamboat occurred him in April, 1785. Moreover, Rumsey gave the first public demonstrations of the steamboat's success.

Rumsey will always remain an interesting figure for he paved way for the success of Fulton, whom he met in England and doubtless influenced. Anything like a full biography of him has never been written, though a sketch of the man and his work was prepared for the West Historical and Antiquarian Society by George M. Beltzhoover, and printed in 1900 by the West Virginia Historical Society.

The helmsman on Rumsey's boat at Shepherdstown at the demonstration, December 3, 1787, was Colonel Charles Morrow, a brother of Rumsey's wife. Two other brothers of his wife were among the spectators, John Morrow, who afterwards was a member of Congress from Virginia (March 4, 1805-March 3, 1809) and Jeremiah Morrow (born at Gettysburg in 1771), Senator of the United States (1813-1819) from Ohio, Governor of that State (1823-1826). One of the passengers on the steamer was Ellen Mark, who before marriage was also a Morrow, probably sister or cousin of Rumsey's wife. Her husband, John Mark, was a Scotch-

Page 156

Irishman from Ulster, and founder of the first Presbyterian Church in Fredericksburg. His daughter Ann, who was with her mother on the steamer, married Hon. John Baker, of Shepherdstown, and had a daughter Ann Baker, who married Thomas W. Gilmer, Secretary of the Navy under Tyler.

In the archives of the Virginia State Library are the papers of a suit originally begun in the High Court of Chancery for Staunton, Virginia. These papers were deposited in the Library by order of the Circuit Court of Augusta County, in I907, at the instance of Armistead C. Gordon, chairman of the Library Board. The suit was brought by Doctor James McMechen against Rumsey's executor, Edward Rumsey, for settlement of alleged indebtednesses of his testator. These papers have never been published before and of them the most important are now published with the consent of Doctor Henry R. Mcllwaine, State Librarian. They are chiefly valuable for throwing light on Rumsey's movements while in England.¹

To The Honble George Wythe Chancellor of Virginia

Respectfully complaining sheweth unto Your Honor his Orator

James McMeechen of the County of Berkeley.

That some time in or about the year 1784 a certain James Rumsey and your Orator entered into Articles of agreement (here ready to be produced) for the purpose of prosecuting and receiving

---

¹The following is a list of the documents filed in the cause of McMechen vs. Rumsey.

I. Copy of order of Circuit Court of Augusta County, Virginia, directing that the papers in the ended chancery cause McMechen vs. Rumsey be deposited in the Virginia State Library.

2. Bill filed by James McMechen. (Printed in full.)

3. Writ of summons (to sergeant of corporation of Winchester) against Edward Rumsey, executor of James Rumsey. deceased. Dated 13 December, I799.

4. Writ of attachment (personal), to sergeant of corporation of Winchester, against Rumsey for contempt of court.

5. Copy of order in the High Court of Chancery, May I6, I8oi, taking as confessed the bill of the complainant, McMechen, in view of Rumsey's refusal to answer a writ of attachment for contempt.

6. Answer of Edward Rumsey, executor of James Rumsey, deceased, to a bill of complaint exhibited against him in the High Court of Chan-

Page 157

profit by an Invention of constructing boats to sail agt stream, by which agreement it will appear that the said James Rumsey and your orator stipulated to pursue jointly and severally with their utmost deligence & attention every Most sucessfull Measures for obtaining either premiums or exclusive Rights from the several states of America or from the States in Congress or from any principality, State or Kingdom the eastern World at the joint expense of them the said Rumsey & your Orator their heirs &c. and upon obtaining such premiums or exclusive Rights, the said Rumsey should be entitled to fourth parts thereof and Your Orator to one fourth. Among other things stated in said agreet the parties bound themselves in the penal sum of one hundred thousand pounds.

And your Orator further sheweth that the said James Rumsey being a man of abilities, well versed in the Doctrines of Hydro-

---

cery wherein James McMeechen is complainant, and exhibits A, B, C, E, F, G, H referred to in said answer. (Printed in full.)

A. Articles of agreement between James Rumsey and James McMeechen, Io November, I784.

B. Letter from James Rumsey to James McMeechen, dated London, April I5th, I792.

C. Letter from James Rumsey to Charles Morrow, dated Philadelphia, May I4th, 1788.

D. Letter from James Rumsey to Charles Morrow, dated London, September I2th, I791.

E. Letter from James Rumsey to Charles Morrow, dated London January 5, 1791.

F. Letter from James Rumsey to Charles Morrow, dated London, August 23d, 179I.

G. Joseph Barnes with Daniel Parker, award. Dated, London, 9 March, I795.

H. Letter of James Rumsey to Charles Morrow, dated London March 30, 1792.

7. Letter from James Rumsey to Charles Morrow, dated London August 4th, 1789. (Printed in full.)

8. Letter from Joseph Barnes to Charles Morrow, dated Philadelphia, January 29th, 1792. (Printed in full.)

See also

• S. Bassett French Biographical Sketch
• Other Related Wythepedia Pages

External links

• Read this book in Google Books.