into financial difficulties, and Boulton, to whom he owed
L1200, accepted the two-thirds share in Watt's patent held by him in
satisfaction of the debt. Three years later Boulton and Watt formally
entered into partnership, and it was mainly through the energy and
self-sacrifice of the former, who devoted all the capital he possessed
or could borrow to the enterprise, that the steam-engine was at length
made a commercial success. It was also owing to Boulton that in 1775 an
act of parliament was obtained extending the term of Watt's 1769 patent
to 1799. In 1800 the two partners retired from the business, which they
handed over to their sons, Matthew Robinson Boulton and James Watt
junior. In 1788 Boulton turned his attention to coining machinery, and
erected at Soho a complete plant with which he struck coins for the
Sierra Leone and East India companies and for Russia, and in 1797
produced a new copper coinage for Great Britain. In 1797 he took out a
patent in connexion with raising water on the principle of the hydraulic
ram. He died at Birmingham on the 18th of August 1809.

BOUND, or BOUNDARY (from O. Fr. _bonde_, Med. Lat. _bodena_ or _butina_,
a frontier line), that which serves to indicate the limit or extent of
land. It is usually defined by a certain mark, such as a post, ditch,
hedge, dyke, wall of stones, &c., though on the other hand it may have
to be ascertained by reference to a plan or by measurement. In law, the
exact boundary of land is always a matter of evidence; where no evidence
is available, the court acts on presumption. For example, the boundary
of land on opposite sides of a road, whether public or private, is
presumed to be the middle line of the road. Where two fields are
separated by a hedge and ditch the boundary line will run between the
hedge and the ditch. Boundaries of parishes, at common law, depended
upon ancient and immemorial custom, and in many parishes great care was
taken to perpetuate the boundaries of the parish by perambulations from
time to time. The confusion of local boundaries in England was the
subject of several commissions and committees in the 19th century, and
much information will be found in their reports (1868, 1870, 1873,
1888). The Local Government Act 1888, ss. 50-63, contains provisions for
the alteration of local areas.

BOUNDS, BEATING THE, an ancient custom still observed in many English
parishes. In former times when maps were rare it was usual t