PILLIONS, OR MAIL PILLIONS
Year: 1775

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
HAWKINS, of the City of Hereford, Sadler, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third hath been
graciously pleased, by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great
Britain, bearing date the Tenth day of June, in the fifteenth year of His
said Majesty's reign, to give and grant unto me, the said Charles Hawkins,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, His especial licence, full power,
sole priviledge and authority, that I, the said Charles Hawkins, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, and every of them, by himself or themselves, or
by my or their deputy or deputies, servants or agents, or such others as
I, the said Charles Hawkins, my executors, admors, and assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, should and lawfully might, from
time to time and at all times hereafter during the term of years therein
expressed, make, use, exercise, and vend, within that part of Great Britain
called England, the Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-
Tweed, my new Invention of "PILLIONS, OR MAIL PILLIONS," in such manner
as to me, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or any of them, should.
in their discretions seem meet, and that I, the said Charles Hawkins, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, should and lawfully might have and
enjoy the whole profit, benefit, commodity, and advantage from time to time
coming, growing, accruing, and arising by reason of the said Invention, to have,
hold, exercise, and enjoy the said licence, powers, priviledges, and advantages
therein granted unto me, the said Charles Hawkins, my executors, adminis-

page_text: trators, and assigns, for and during and unto the full end and term of fourteen
years from the date of the said Letters Patent next and immediately ensuing,
and fully to be compleat and ended, according to the Statute to such case
made and provided; and whereas in the said Letters Patent there is contained
a proviso that I, the said Charles Hawkins, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
performed, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, and cause the
same to be inrolled in the High Court of Chancery within four calendar
months next after the date of the said Letters Patent, as in and by the
said Letters Pattent, relation being thereunto had, will more fully and at
large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in obedience to the said Letters Patent, and the
proviso therein contained, I, the said Charles Hawkins, do hereby declare
my said new-invented Pillions, or Mail Pillions, are made and performed in
manner following (that is to say) :-
The support or frame of the pillion is made of beach board near one inch
thick; two pieces being cut equal in size, twenty-two inches long and five
inches wide, a little rounded on each outside corner, and hollowed on the inside
edges, likewise sloped on one side of the said edges, which slope is set next the
horse; they are then confined from each other about twelve inches by another
piece of board three inches wide, halv'd and glued on the points of the above-
said boards that are designed for the back part of the pillion, which makes the
whole breadth of the pillion frame about twenty inches wide and twenty-two
inches long; the said frame is then covered with lining cloth glued all over it;
next there is two thin plates of well-tempered iron, each about three inches
wide, and rivetted, one on each side the foremost points of the above said
pillion frame which come about six inches before the said frame, and the said
irons are twisted so as to sit flat against the under side of the saddle tree, in
which a grove is cut to receive them before the tree is plated, that the two
irons of the said pillion may go in and out at pleasure between the said plate
and tree. There are also two iron bows rivetted across, the one before, the
other behind, on the top of the said frame, which frame is then covered on
the same side all over with a piece of strong lining cloth, nailed tight thereon.
There are also straps and buckles nailed on each side of the top of the said
frame for the same various purposes as those which are sewed on the bottom of
common pillions. After this the whole bottom, or that part of the said frame
which is to go next the horse, is covered all over with woollen serge, and an
eve or border of lining sewed to that part of the said serge that is put to the.
back part of the said frame. The eve is cut of different breadths, so as to

page_text: contain the stuffing in such sort as the horse's breech requireth to make the
pillion have regular bearing thereon; then the edge of the said eve is nailed
round the outside of the frame; but neither the eve nor any stuffing comes
nearer to the fore part of the pillion than within eight inches or thereabouts of
the foremost points of the wood frame, the top of which is covered with broad
cloth, &c. as other pillions are.
The mail pillions are made on trees commonly used, with no other material
difference than having two irons to the fore part of them, as the above pillions
have, which go between the plate and the saddle tree; they have also stuffing
under the bottom of the frame, done in the same manner as the pillions are, so
that neither the pillions or mail pillions in the least touch the loins and reins
of the horse, and the weight of the burden beareth on the crup, where his
main strength, behind the saddle, lies.
In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal, this
Thirtieth day of September, in the fifteenth year of the reign of our
Sovereign Lord George the Third, by the grace of God of Great
Britain, France, and Ireland King, Defender of the Faith, and so
forth, and in the year of our Lord One thousand seven hundred and
seventy-five.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Thirtieth day of September,
in the year of our Lord 1775, the aforesaid Charles Hawkins came before
our said Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Indenture
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Indenture aforesaid was stampt according to
the tenor of the Statute made in the sixth year of the reign of the late
King and Queen William and Mary of England, and so forth.