CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN BEDSTEADS AND BED FURNITURE
Year: 1815

page_text: WILSON'S SPECIFICATION.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JACOB
WILSON, of Welbeck Street, in the Parish of Saint Mary-le-bone, in the County
of Middlesex, Cabinet Maker and Upholsterer, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present Majesty King George the Third, in and by His
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Twenty-seventh day of April last, for Himself, His heirs and suc-
cessors, did give and grant unto me, the said Jacob Wilson, His special licence,
full power, sole priviledge and authority, that I, the said Jacob Wilson, my
exors, adñiors, and assigns, and every of them, by myself and themselves, or by
my and their deputy or deputies, servants or agents, or such others as I, tho said
Jacob Wilson, my exors, adñiors, 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 mentioned, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed,
my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN BEDSTEADS AND BED FURNITURE;"
in which said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso obliging me, tho
said Jacob Wilson, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, and to cause the same to be
inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said recited Letters Patent, as in
and by the same, referenco being thereto had, will moro fully appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Jacob Wilson, do hereby describe and ascertain the nature of my said Inven-

page_text: tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, in manner following,
that is to say-
My said Invention consists in a new method of making bedsteads, namely,
without pillars at the corners of the bedsteads, making the frame of the bed-
stead with round, canted, hollow, or elliptic corners, with four feet to screw
or fix in the frame, and the upper or tester frame made in the same shape,
or any other shape that might be fancied. And in order to support the same
I fix a pillar or pillars, pilaster or pilasters, scroll or scrolls, or anything that
might be thought most agreeable to the fancy, made of wood, whalebone, cane,
or ivory, brass, iron, or steel, or any other metal, at or near the centro of the
foot and head-rail of the bedstead, or at or near the centre of the foot-rail, and
at or near each corner of the head-rail, forming the inside of the head part
elliptic, semicircular, canted, or hollow corners, or returning each side six
inches or more, square, or any other shape that might be thought right, to
screen the head from the current of air, or by fixing a bracket or scroll at the
hicad of the bedstead to support the tester frame without any support at the
foot. And in order to make the aforesaid bedstead lighter, or diversify the same,
I apply a portable domo, or head, of different shapes, by taking away the tester or
top frame and the foot pillar or pillars, pilaster or pilasters, scroll or scrolls, and
fix a stile to the head pillar with a stud and plate, or a screw, or any method to
fix it to the said pillar or bedstead, with a slide or, slides attached to the said
stile, in any shape or form most suitable; and to the same slido is fixed a block
with ribs attached to other ribs hing'd to a block fixed to the said stile or
rail, so as by moving, the aforesaid slide will form the said ribs into a half
circle, square, dome, concave, elliptic, or any shape required, and may be let
down in a small space with or without the furniture; and the aforesaid stile or
rail, ribs, blocks, &c. may be made of wood, whalebone, cane, ivory, brass,
iron, or steel, or any metal suitable; and the aforesaid may be applied to a
sofa, sofa-bed, chair, or chair-bed, or any frame or placo suitable. The fur-
nitures applied to the aforesaid beds are much in tho usual way, consisting
of draperies, Gothic valances, or any fancy way that might be chosen.
Although I have laid down this description, yet I do not confine myself to the
construction of such bedsteads, domes, &c., as they may be varied according
to circumstances, and to the taste of the maker or purchaser.
In witness whereof, I have hereto set my hand and seal, the Thirteenth
day of October, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and fifteen
J. WILSON. (L.B.),

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Thirteenth day of October,
in the year of our Lord 1815, the aforesaid Jacob Wilson came before
our said Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specifi-
cation aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified,
in form above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stampt
according to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Thirteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred-and fifteen.