[2] As eldest son, it was expected Henry would follow his father in that business and was sent to a Dr. Shepherd, a Presbyterian minister in the nearby village of Gateacre for instruction.

Henry later replaced his father and quickly became noted for organisational and promotional skills and enthusiasm for the endeavour which was to an extent stalling by 1823 and least in part due to the difficulties and over-commitment of William James.

Appointed as committee secretary and noted as becoming second only to Joseph Saunders in commitment to the project Booth was one of the four members of a working party sent to visit other railways at Bedlington Ironworks, Killingworth and Hetton colliery, returning with a report recommending steam locomotive haulage for the L&M.

[7] A meeting of 20 May 1824 accepted the report but also took the steps to forming a Joint Stock Company, Booth writing the prospectus which was issued on 29 October 1824.

[citation needed] On 29 May 1826 following the achievement of the enabling act for the L&M, at a meeting of subscribers Booth was appointed treasurer at a salary of £500 a year.

[16][a] As the building of the railway continued toward conclusion the board was split as whether to use stationary engines or mobile locomotives particularly over the significant inclines around Rainhill.

The single flue design used by locomotives was one of the constraints to raising steam due to the limited heating surface between the hot tubes and water in the boiler.

[22] The first record of Booth first referring to "method of producing steam without smoke", or the multi-tube boiler, occurs in the Minutes of an L&M board meeting in the Spring of 1827.