A CERTAIN COMPOSITION, TO BE USED IN MAKING OR MANUFACTURING CANVAS POR SAIL CLOTH, WHICH WILL PREVENT THE SAME FROM MILDEWING WHEN PACKED OR STOWED UP DAMP, OR IN DAMP PLACES, AND WILL RENDER THE SAME EQUAL, IF NOT SUPERIOR, TO THAT WHICH IS MADE IN HOLLAND, AND CALLED HOLLAND'S DUCK
Year: 1763

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, STEPHEN
GOULDER, of the Parish of Saint Ann's, Limehouse, in the County of Middlesex,
Sail Cloth Weaver, send greeting.
WHEREAS I, the said Stephen Goulder, did, by my Petition, humbly repre-
sent unto His present most Excellent Majesty King George the Third that
canvas made for sail cloth in England is far inferior to that which is made in
Holland, and called Holland's duck, by reason the nature of the ingredients
now used in making or manufacturing such canvas in England is such that it
occasions the sail cloth, when packed or stowed up damp, or laid in damp
places, to mildew, and thereby soon become rotten and unfit for service, to the
great detriment of the stores of His said Majesty's Navy, and of shipping in
that particular in general; that I had, with several years study, application,
and at a considerable expence, invented "A CERTAIN COMPOSITION, TO BE USED IN
MAKING OR MANUFACTURING CANVAS POR SAIL CLOTH, WHICH WILL PREVENT THE
SAME FROM MILDEWING WHEN PACKED OR STOWED UP DAMP, OR IN DAMP PLACES,
AND WILL RENDER THE SAME EQUAL, IF NOT SUPERIOR, TO THAT WHICH IS MADE IN
HOLLAND, AND CALLED HOLLAND'S DUCK;" and when canvas for sail cloth is made
or manufactured with such my new invented composition, it will, as I humbly

page_text: conceived, be of great utility to and general good of the public, that the said
Invention, being entirely new, and solely invented by myself, and I, relying on
His said Majesty's Royal favour, did humbly pray that He would be gratiously
pleased to grant unto me, my executors, administrators, and assigns, His Royal
Letters Patent under His Great Seal of Great Britain, for the sole use of my
said new-invented composition in the making, selling, and vending canvas
for sail cloth, His said Majesty being willing to give encouragement to all
arts and inventions which might be for the public good, was graciously pleased
to condescend to my request; and therefore His said Majesty, by His Royal
Letters Patent, bearing date at Westminster, the Fifteenth day of December,
in the fourth year of His reign, of His especial grace, certain knowledge, and
meer motion, for Himself, His heirs and successors, did give and grant unto
me, the said Stephen Goulder, my executors, administrators, and assigns, His
especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Stephen
Goulder, my executors, administrators, and assigns, and every of us, by myself,
and ourselves, and by mine and our deputy or deputies, servants or agents, or
such others as I, the said Stephen Goulder, my executors, administrators, or
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times thereafter during the term of years therein expressed, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend my said Invention within that
part of His said Majesty's Kingdom of Great Britain called England, His
Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, in such manner as to
me, the said Stephen Goulder, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should
in our discretions seem meet; and that I, the said Stephen Goulder, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, should and lawfully might have and
enjoy the whole benefit, profit, commodity, and advantage from time to time
coming, growing, accrewing, and arising, by reason of the said Invention, for
and during the term of years therein mentioned, to have, hold, exercise, and
enjoy the said licence, powers, privileges, and advantages therein-before granted,
or mentioned to be granted unto me, the said Stephen Goulder, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, for and during and until 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 in such
case made and provided. In which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso,
that if I, the said Stephen Goulder, should not particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and the manner in which the same
is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, and
cause the same to be inrolled in His said Majesty's High Court of Chancery

page_text: within four kalendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent, that then the said Letters Patent, and all liberties and ad-
vantages whatsoever thereby granted, should utterly cease, determine, and
become void, any thing therein-before contained to the contrary thereof in any
wise notwithstanding, as in and by the said Letters Patent (relation being
thereunto had) more fully and at large appears.
NOW KNOW YE. that I, the said Stephen Goulder, in compliance with the
said proviso, do hereby describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, to be as follows (that is
to say)-
The reason of English canvas mildewing is owing to the starch being
made of flour, which, when wet and close confined, causes a mildew, and con-
sequently becomes soon rotten. Instead of such starch made of flour or any
sort of grain, I make use of a liquid made from the animal part of the
creation, and as there is an indispensible necessity for something of a binding
nature to smooth the fibres or flaws on the yarn to prepare it for weaving, so,
instead of flour boilded in water to make a paste or size, I boil bullocks' pates,
sheep's pelts, shreddings of leather, or skins of any animal I can conveniently
come at, to the consistancy of a jelly when cold; then I make use of it instead
of starch made of flour; and such kind of starch, size, or jelly, made from any
part of the animal, whether fish, flesh, or fowl, will have the desired effect
(that is to say), not moulder or mildew any more than canvas made in Holland,
called Holland's duck; and in order to its equalling or excelling the said
Holland's duck, after I have, as above mentioned, starcht or sized the single
chains, I callendar the chains before woven, in order to soften the threads, to
let in the shoot as close as the Holland's duck.
In witness whereof, I, the said Stephen Goulder, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Ninth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand seven hundred and sixty-four, and in the fourth year of
the reign of His Majesty King George the Third, by the grace of God,
of Great Britain, France, and Ireland King, Defender of the Faith,
and so forth.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBRED, that on the aforesaid Ninth day of April,
in the fourth year of the reign of His Majesty King George the Third, the
aforesaid Stephen Goulder came before our said Lord the King in His
Chancery, and acknowledged the Writing aforesaid, and every matter and
thing therein contained, in form above said. And the said Writing was
stampt according to the Statute made in the sixth year of the reign of the
late King William and Queen Mary, and so forth.
Inrolled the said Ninth day of April, in the fourth year of the reign of
His said Majesty King George the Third, 1764.