A NEW SORT OF COVERING FOR HOUSES MADE OF CLAY, SOME- THING LIKE A FLATT BOARD OF ABOUT FOURTEEN INCHES LONG, AND ABOUT TWELVE INCHES BROAD, WITH A SMALL RIB OR LEDGE LYING DOWNE BOTH SIDES, AND RISEING ABOUT HALFE AN INCH ABOVE THE FLAT PART, BY LAYING TWO OF WHICH TOGETHER, AND COVERING THE SAID RIBS OR LEDGES WITH A SMALL HOLLOW CAP WHICH CLIPS THE SAME; AND EACH LAPPING ABOUT TWO INCHES OVER THE OTHER, DOE MAKE A COVERING FOR THE PURPOSE AFORESAID, WHICH LYETH CLOSE AND TIGHT, AND BEING MUCH LIGHTER MAY BE SUPPORTED WITH LESSE TIMBER, AND ALSO IS MORE SAFE AND SECURE, AND DEFEND BETTER FROM ALL MANNER OF WIND AND WEATHER THAN ANY COVERING NOW USED,
Year: 1701

page_text: WILLIAM THE THIRD, by the grace of God, &c., to all to whome these
Presents shall come greeting.
WHEREAS our trusty and wellbeloved JOHN SHALLCROSS, Esquire, hath by
his humble petičon represented vnto vs that he hath with great industry and
expence found out "A NEW SORT OF COVERING FOR HOUSES MADE OF CLAY, SOME-
THING LIKE A FLATT BOARD OF ABOUT FOURTEEN INCHES LONG, AND ABOUT TWELVE
INCHES BROAD, WITH A SMALL RIB OR LEDGE LYING DOWNE BOTH SIDES, AND RISEING
ABOUT HALFE AN INCH ABOVE THE FLAT PART, BY LAYING TWO OF WHICH TOGETHER,
AND COVERING THE SAID RIBS OR LEDGES WITH A SMALL HOLLOW CAP WHICH CLIPS
THE SAME; AND EACH LAPPING ABOUT TWO INCHES OVER THE OTHER, DOE MAKE A
COVERING FOR THE PURPOSE AFORESAID, WHICH LYETH CLOSE AND TIGHT, AND BEING
MUCH LIGHTER MAY BE SUPPORTED WITH LESSE TIMBER, AND ALSO IS MORE SAFE
AND SECURE, AND DEFEND BETTER FROM ALL MANNER OF WIND AND WEATHER THAN
ANY COVERING NOW USED;" and the said John Shallcross hath humbly prayed vs
to grant him our Letters Patents for the sole vse, exercise, and benefitt of his.
said new Invention.
KNOW YEE, THEREFORE, that wee, being graciously pleased to con-
descend to that his request, and willing to encourage the inventers of such
arts as may be of publique vse and benefitt, of our especiall grace, certaine
knowledge, and meer močon, have given and granted, and by these Presents,
for vs, our heires and successors, doe give and grant vnto the said John
Shalcross, his executors, administrators, and assignes, speciall lycence, full
power, sole priviledge and authority, that he, the said John Shalcross,

page_text: his executors, administrators, and assignes, and every of them, by themselves
or his or their deputy or deputies, servants or agents, or such others as the
said John Shaleross, his executors, administrators, or assignes, shall at any
time agree with, and noe others, from time to time and at all times dureing
the terme of yeares herein expressed, shall and lawfully may make, vse,
exercise, and enjoy the said Invenčon for covering houses within our Kingdome
of England, Dominion of Wales, and Towne of Berwick-vpon-Tweed, or any
other our dominions, in such manner and according to such reasonable and
lawfull rates and limitačons as to him, tho said John Shallcrosse, his executors,
administrators, and assignes, or any of them, shall in their discrečons seem
meet, and that he, the said John Shallcross, his executors, administrators,
and assignes, shall and may have and enioy the sole profitt, benefitt, comodity,
and advantage from time to time comeing, growing, accrewing, and ariseing by
reason of the said Invenĉon for and dureing the full terme of yeares herein
menčoned; to have, hold, exercise, and enioy the said lycence, powers,
priviledges, and advantages herein-before granted or menconed to be granted
vnto the said John Shallcross, his exccutors and assignes, for and dureing
and vnto the full end and terme of fourteen yeares from the date of these
Presents next and immediately ensueing, and fully to be compleate and ended
according to the Statute in this case made and provided. And to the
end that the said John Shallcrosse, his executors, administrators, and assignes,
and every of them, may have and enioy the full benefitt and the sole makeing,
vsc, and exercise of the said Invenĉon, according to our gracious intencons
herein-before declared, wee doe by these Presents, for vs, our heires and suc-
cessors, require and strictly command alland every person and persons, bodies
politique and corporate, and all other our subiects whatsoever, of what estate,
quality, or degree, name, or condicon soever they be, within all and every our
kingdoms and dominions, that neither they nor any of them at any time
dureing the continuance of the said terme of fourteen yeares hereby granted,
either directly or indirectly, do make, vse, or put in practice the said Invention,
or any part of the same soe attained vnto by the said John Shallcross, as
aforesaid, nor shall in any wise counterfeit, imitate, or resemble the same, nor
shall make or cause to be made any addičon thereunto, or substracčon from
the same, whereby to pretend themselves the inventer or inventers, deviser or
devisers thereof without the lycence, consent, or agreement of the said John
Shalcross, his executors, administrators, or assignes, in writeing, vnder his,
their, or some of their hand and seales, first had and obtained in that behalfe,
vpon such paines and penalties as can or may be iustly inflicted on such
offenders for their contempt of this our royall command. And, further, to be

page_text: answerable to the said John Shalcrosse, his executors, administrators, and
assignes, according to law, for his and their damages thereby occasioned.
And moreover, wee doe by these Presents, for vs, our heires and successors,
will and comand all and singular our justices of the peace, mayors, sherriffs,
bayliffs, constables, headboroughs, and all other officers and ministers whatso-
ever of vs, our heires and successors, now and for the time being, that they or
any of them do not, nor shall at any time hereafter dureing the said terme
hereby granted, in any wise molest, trouble, or hinder the said John Shalcross,
his executors, administrators, or assignes, or any of his or their deputies,
servants, or agents in or about the due and lawfull makeing, vse, or exercise of
the aforesaid Invenčon, or any thing relateing thereto: Provided alwaies, and
these our Letters Patents Patents are and shall be vpon this condičon, that if at
any time dureing the terme hereby granted, it shall be made appeare to vs, our
beires, or successors, or any six or more of our or their Privy Councill, that
this our grant is contrary to law, or preiudiciall or inconvenient to our subiects
in generall, or that the said Invention is not a new invention as to the pub-
lique vse and exercise thereof within this our Kingdom of England, and not
invented and found out by the said John Shallcross, as aforesaid, then vpon
significačon and declaračon thereof to be made by vs, our heires or successors
vnder our or their signett or privy seale, or by the Lorde and others of our or
their Privy Councill, or any six or more of them, vnder their hand these our
Letters Patents shall forthwith cease, determine, and be vtterly void to all
intents and purposes, any thing before herein contained to the contary in any
wise notwithstanding: Provided also, that these our Letters Patents, or
any thing herein contained, shall not extend or be construed to extend to give
priviledge vnto the said John Shallcross, his executors, administrators, or
assignes, or any of them, to vse or imitate any invention or worke whatsoever,
which hath been heretofore found out or invented by any other of our subiects
whatsoever, and publickly vsed or exercised within our said realmes and
dominions, or any of them vnto whome like Letters Patents or priviledge have
been already granted for the sole vse, exercise, and benefitt thereof; it being
our will and pleasure that the said John Shalcross, his executors, administrators,
and assignes, and all and singular other person and persons to whome like
Letters Patents or priviledges have been already granted, as aforesaid, shall
distinctly vse and practice their severall Inventions by them invented and found
out, according to the true intent and meaning of the same respective Letters
Patents, and of these Presents. And, lastly, wee do by these Presents, for vs,
our heires and successors, grant vnto the said John Shalcross, his executors,
administrators, and assignes, that these our Letters Patents, or the inrollment

page_text: thereof, shall be in and by all things good, firme, valid, sufficient, and effectuall
in the law, according to the true intent and meaning thereof, and shall be
taken, construed, and adiudged in the most favourable and beneficiall sence
for the best advantage of the said John Shallcross, his executors, adminis-
trators, and assignes, aswell in all Courts of Record as elswhere, and by all
and singular the officers and ministers whatsoever, of vs, our heires and
successors, in all and singular our realmes and dominions whatsoever, and
amongst all and every the subiects of vs, our heires and successors whatsoever
and wheresoever, notwithstanding the not full and certaine describeing the
nature or quality of the said Invention, or of the materialls thereto conduceing
and belonging.
July.
To accOTAL AL
By Writt of Privy Seale.