MELIORATE OR RECTIFY SPIRITS DISTILLED FROM MOLOSSOS, SUGAR, &C., IN SUCH A MANNER AS WILL BENDER THEM SAFE AND PLESANT
Year: 1728

page_text: Presents shall come greeting.
WHEREAS WILLIAM STAMMERS hath by his petition humbly represented
vnto vs that he hath with much labour and study and at a great expence,,
invented, found out an art and discovered a new ingredient by which he can
"MELIORATE OR RECTIFY SPIRITS DISTILLED FROM MOLOSSOS, SUGAR, &C., IN SUCH A
MANNER AS WILL BENDER THEM SAFE AND PLESANT;" that the said art and invention
haveing been found out to render such spirits equally wholsome with French
brandy will be of vniversall benefit, occasion a greater revenue to vs and
enable the exercisers of such art to bear chearfully any duty that is or shall be
laid on spirits; that the common methode now vsed in rectifying spirits by
aquafortis, spirit of vitriol, and other vnwholsome ingrediente are extreamly
pernicious to our subiecte; that no person besides the petitioner hath ever
invented or found out the said new method of rectifying spirits or made vse
of the same ingredient for that purpose; that in regard the exercise of the said
art or invention will be of such publick vse and benefit, and that the petitioner
is ready to communicate the said art to others of our subiects vpon reasonable
terms so as to have the same vniversally practised, he hath therefore humbly
prayed vs to grant him our Royal Letters Patents for the sole benefit, vse, and
exercise of the said art or invention of meliorating and rectifying spirits drawn
from malt, molosos, and other liquors by the vse of the said new ingredient for
the term of fourteen yeares pursuant to Statute in such case made and pro-
rided; wee being willing to give encouragement to all arts and invencons

page_text: which may be for the publick vse and benefit, are graciously pleased to gratify
him in his request.
KNOW YEE, THEREFORE, that wee of our especial grace, certain
knowledge, and meer motion, have given and granted, and by these Presents,
for vs, our heires and successors, do give and grant vnto the said William
Stammers, his executors, administrators, and assignes, our especial lycence,
full power, sole priviledge and authority, that he the said William Stammers,
his executors, administrators, and assignes, and every of them, by himselfe
and themselves, or by his and their deputie and deputies, servants or agente, or
such others as he, the said William Stammers, his executors, administrators,
or assignes, shall at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and
at all times hereafter during the term of yeares herein expressed, shall and
lawfully may make and exercise his said art or invention of meliorating
and rectifying spirite drawn or distilled from malt, molossos, and other liquors
by the vse of the said new ingredient as above described, within that part of
our Kingdome of Great Britain called England, our Dominion of Wales, and
Town of Berwick-vpon-Tweed, in such manner as to him the said William
Stammers, his executors, administrators, or assignes, or any of them, shall in
their discrečons seem meet; and that he, the said William Stammers, his
executors, administrators, and assignes, shall and lawfully may have and enioy
the whole profit, benefit, commodity, and advantage from time to time coming,
growing, accrewing, and ariseing by reason of the said Inventon, for and
during the term of yeares herein menčoned, to have, hold, exercise, and enioy
the said lycence, powers, priviledges, and advantages herein-before granted or
menčoned to be granted vnto the said William Stammers, his executors, admi-
nistrators, and assignes, for and during the term of yeares herein menconed,
to have hold, exercise, and enioy the said lycence, powers, priviledges, and
advantages herein-before granted or menčoned to be granted vnto the said
William Stammers, his executors, administrators, and assignes, for and during
and vnto the full end and term of fourteen yeares from the date of these
Present next and imediately ensueing, and fully to be compleat and ended
according to the Statute in such case made and provided. And to the end
that the said William Stammers, his executors, administrators, and assignes,
and every of them, may have and enioy the full benefit and the sole vse and
exercise of the said Invention according to our gratious intencon herein-before
declared, wee do by these Presents, for vs, our heires and successors, require
and strictly command all and every person and persons, bodies politick and
corporate, and all other our subiects whatsoever, of what estate, quality, degree,
name, or condičon soever they be, within that said part of our Kingdome of

page_text: Great Britain called England, our Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-
vpon-Tweed aforesaid, that neither they or any of them, at any time dureing
the continuance of the said term 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 so attained vnto by the said William Stammers as
aforesaid, nor in anywise 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 himself or themselves the inventor or inventors,
devisor or devisors thereof, without the lycence, consent, or agreement of the
said William Stammers, his executors, administrators, or assignes, in writing
vnder his or their hands and seales first had and obtained in that behalfe, vpon
such pains and penalties as can, or may be iustly inflicted on such offenders for
their contempt of this our royal command, and further to be answerable to the
said William Stammers, his executors, administrators, and assignes, according
to law for his and their damages thereby occasioned. And moreover wee do by
these Presents, for vs, our heires and successors, will and command all and
singular the justices of the peace, mayors, sheriffes, bayliffes, constables, head-
boroughs, and all other officers and ministers whatsoever of vs, our heires and
successors, for the time being, that they or any of them do not nor shall at any
time hereafter during the said term hereby granted, in anywise molest, trouble,
or hinder the said William Stammers, his executors, administrators or assignes,
or any of them, or his or their deputies, servants, or agents, in or about the due
and lawfull vse or exercise of the aforesaid Invention, or anything relating thereto:
Provided always, and these our Letters Patents Patente are and shall be vpon
this condition, that if at any time during the said term hereby granted, it shall;
be made appeare to vs, our heires or successors, or any six or more of our or their
Privy Council, 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 publick- vse and exercise thereof, in that said part of our Kingdome
of Great Britain called England, our Dominion of Wales, or Town, of Berwick-
vpon-Tweed aforesaid, or not invented and found out by the said William
Stammers as aforesaid, then vpon signification or declaration thereof, to be.
made by vs, our heires or successors, vnder our or their signet or privy seal, or.
by, the lords and others of our or their Privy Council, or any six or more.
of them, vnder their hande, these our Letters Patents shall forthwith cease,:
determine, and be vtterly void to all intents and purposes, anything herein-.
before contained to the contrary thereof in anywise notwithstanding: Provided:
also, that these our Letters Patents, or anything herein contained, shall not.
extend or be construed to extend to give priviledge vnto the said William

page_text: Stammers, his executors, administrators, or assignes, or any of them, to vse or
imitate any Invenčon or work whatsover which hath heretofore been found
out or invented by any other of our subjects whatsoever, and publickly vsed or
exercised in that said part of our Kingdome of Great Britain called England,
our Dominion of Wales, or Town of Berwick-vpon-Tweed aforesaid, vato
whom like Letters Patent or priviledges have been already granted for the
'sole vse, exercise, and benefit thereof, it being our will and pleasure that
the said William Stammers, his executors, administrators, and assignes, and
all and every other person or persons to whom 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 Patent and
of these Presente: Provided likewise, nevertheless, and these our Letters
Patents are vpon this expresse condičon, that if the said William Stammers,
his executors or administrators, or any person or persons which shall or may at
any time or times hereafter during the continuance of this grant, have or
claym any right, title, or interest in law or equity, of, in, or to the power,
priviledge, and authority of the sole vse and benefit of the said Invencon
hereby granted, shall make any transfer or assignement, or any pretended
transferr or assignment, of the said liberty and priviledge, or any share
or shares of the benefit or profit thereof; or shall declare any trust thereof to
or for any number of persons exceeding the number of five; or shall open or
cause to be opened any book or bookes for publick subscripcons, to be made
by any number of persons exceeding the number of five, in order to the raising
any sume or sumes of money vnder pretence of carrying on the said liberty or
priviledge hereby granted; or shall by him or themselves, or his or their
agents or servante, receive any sume or sumes of money whatsoever of any
number of persons exceeding in the whole the number of five, for such or the
like intents or purposes; or shall presume to act as a corporate body, or
shall divide the benefit of these our Letters Patente or the liberty and privi-
ledges hereby by vs granted into any number of shares exceeding the number
of five or shall commit or do, or procure to be committed or done, any act,
matter, or thing whatsoever during such time as such person shall have any
right or title, either in law or equity, in or to the said premisses, which would
be contrary to the true intent and meaning of a certain Act of Parliament
made in the sixth year of the reign of our late Royal Father King George
the First, intituled (An Act for the better securing certain Powers and
Priviledges, intended to be granted by His Maiestie, by Two Charters for
Assurance of Ships and Merchandizes at Sea, and for lending Money vpon

page_text: Bottomry, and for restraining severall extravagant and vnwarrantable Prac-
tices therein menconed,) if these our Letters Patents had not been granted;
or in case the said power, priviledge, or authority shall at any time hereafter
become vested in or in trust for more than the number of five persons or their
representatives at any one time (reckoning executors or administrators as and
for the single person whom they represent, as to such interest as they are or
shall be entitled to in right of such their testator or intestate), that then and
in any of the said cases these our Letters Patents, and all liberties, priviledges,
and advantages whatsoever hereby granted, shall vtterly cease, determine, and
become voyd, anything herein-before contained to the contrary thereof in any-
wise notwithstanding. And lastly, wee do by these Presents, for vs, our
heires and successors, grant vnto the said William Stammers, his executors,
administrators, and assignes, that these our Letters Patente or the inrollment
or exemplification thereof, shall be in and by all things good, firm, valid,
sufficient, and effectual in the law, according to the true intent and meaning
thereof, and shall be taken, construed, and adiudged in the most favourable
and beneficial sense for the best advantage of the said William Stainmers, his
executors, administrators, and assignes, as well in all our Courte of Record as
elsewhere, and by all and singular the officers and ministers whatsoever of vs, our
heires and successors, in that part of our said Kingdom of Great Britain called
England, our Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-vpon-Tweed afore-
said, and amongst all and every the subiect of vs, our heires and successors,
whatsoever and wheresoever, notwithstanding the not full and certain describing
the nature or quality of the said Invention, or of the materials thereto con-
ducing and belonging.
In witnesse, &c. Witnesse ourselfe at Westminster, the Fourth day