CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE FLAGEOLETTE OR ENGLISH FLUTE
Year: 1807

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ANDREW
KAUFFMAN, of the Parish of Saint Leonard, Shoreditch, in the County of
Middlesex, Musical Instrument Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King George the Third,
in and by His Royal Letters Patent under His Great Seal of the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland; bearing date at Westminster, the
Twentieth day of February, in the forty-seventh year of His reign, for Him-
self, His heirs and successors, did give and grant unto me, the said Andrew
Kauffman, my executors, administrators, and assigns, His special licence, full
power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Andrew Kauffinan, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, and every of them, by myself and them-
selves, or by my and their deputy or deputies, servants or agents, or such
others as I, the said Andrew Kauffman, 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, within that part of His said
Majesty's United Kingdom called England, His Dominion of Wales, and the
Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE FLAGEOLETTE OR ENGLISH FLUTE;" in which said
Letters Patent there is contained a proviso obliging me, the said Andrew
Kauffman, 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 said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within one calendar month

page_text: in and by the same, relation being thereunto had, will more fully and at largo
appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Andrew Kauffman, do hereby describe and ascertain the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, by the
Drawings and Scales in the margin of these Presents, and as follows, that is to
say:―
The flageolette constructed according to my improvements is calculated to
play in all keys, which was never before attempted. The following are its
principles: It is made with only six holes in front, see Fig. 1, and no back
thumb hole, but three keys, the lowermost of which, marked No. 1, makes
C natural; the second key, marked No. 2, makes C sharp below the lines;
and the third key, marked No. 3, makes E flat. With the assistance of these
keys I make the following notes without cross fingering:-The lowermost
key, marked No. 1, makes C natural below the lines, C natural third space,
and C natural in alt. The second key, marked No. 2, makes C sharp below
the lines, C sharp third space, and C sharp in alt. The uppermost key, marked
No. 3, makes E flat first line, E flat 4th space, and E flat in alt. With the
assistance of the C keys I make D natural, and D sharp in alt., also F natural,
Fsharp, and double G natural in alt. The C sharp key and E flat key will
also make D natural, very essential in the key of D in two sharps, key of A
three sharps, or three flats,-keys never before in use by any other flageolette,
by making B flat in alt., as in Scale No. 2, and the C key will make A
without moving the other fingers in coming down the scale or going up the
same. Upper E flat, made as in the Scale No. 2 in the annexed Drawing,
and the C key, will make D natural in coming down or going up the scale,
very essential in the music of two or three flats. E flat key, as in the said
scale No. 2, and C sharp.key, will also mak D natural below the lines, and D
natural fourth line, in coming down or going up the scale, as will be seen on
referring to the said Scale No. 2.
The above improvements will be further explained on examining the different
Scales in the annexed Drawing.
My said Invention consists further in an ivory or box cap to cover over the
wind chest, to prevent any moisture or wet from getting into the plug, see "a,"
Figure II. in the annexed Drawing, but which is quite out of sight when the
top of the instrument is on. I have contrived, by the boring of my flageolette,
and having no thumb hole, to enlarge the compass of the scale to a much
greater extent than any before made, by which means it will admit of two

page_text: octaves and a fifth. The improvement of my keys, and the easy mode of
fingering, gives the performer scope to play in all keys in use in music, an
improvement long wished for. The scales I have written will give a sufficient
idea when the additional keys may be used with advantage. They contain
various ways of fingering, which may be used on certain occasions on account
of facility and smoothness.
My said improved keys are applicable to flageolettes of different sizes, with
plugs as well as with flaps, and also where two keys only are wished, for the
accommodation of those who prefer one with two keys to those with three.
If desired, flageolettes with my improvements may be made with two C keys
on one side, which will be more convenient to many performers. The keys
may be put in different situations, as convenience may require, tho' all on the
same principle.
In witness whereof, I, the said Andrew Kauffman, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of March, in the forty-seventh
year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord George the Third, by the
grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
King, Defender of the Faith, and in the year of our Lord One thousand