EMBELLISHING BOOKS BOUND IN VELLUM, BY MAKING DRAWINGS ON THE VELLUM WHICH ARE NOT LIABLE TO BE DEFACED BUT BY DESTROYING THE VELLUM, ITSELP
Year: 1785

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, JAMES
EDWARDS, late of Halifax, in the County of York, but now of Pall Mall, in
the County of Middlesex, Bookseller, sendeth greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third hath
been graciously pleased, by Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great
Britain, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of January, in the twenty-fifth year
of His said Majesty's reign, to give and grant unto me, the said James
Edwards, my exors, adñiors, and assigns, His especial licence, full power, sole
privilege and authority, that I, the said James Edwards, my exors, adñiors,
and assigns, and every. of us, by myself and themselves, or by my and their
deputy or deputies, servants or agents, or such others as I, the said James
Edwards,, my exors, adiñors, 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 Invention of "EMBELLISHING BOOKS BOUND IN VELLUM, BY MAKING DRAWINGS
ON THE VELLUM WHICH ARE NOT LIABLE TO BE DEFACED BUT BY DESTROYING THE
VELLUM, ITSELP," within that part of His Kingdom of Great Britain called
England, His Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and
also in all His Colonies and Plantations abroad, in such manner as to me, the
said James Edwards, my exors, adiñors, and assigns, or any of us, should in
our discretions seem meet, and that I, the said James Edwards, my exors,
adiñors, and assigns, should and lawfully might have and enjoy the whole
profit, benefit, commodity, and advantage from time to time coming, growing;
accruing, and 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

page_text: granted unto me, the said James Edwards, my exors, adiñors, 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 in such case made and provided; and
whereas there is contained in the said Letters Patent a proviso that if I, the
said James Edwards, should not particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be 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 one calendar month next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent, that then the said
Letters Patent, and all liberties and advantages whatsoever thereby granted,
should utterly cease, determine, and become void, as by the said Letters
Patent, relation being thereunto had, may 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 James Edwards, do hereby declare:
my said
new Invention is made and performed in manner following (that is to say):
Having chosen a skin with a firm grain, take off with a sharp knife all the
loose spongy part of the flesh, then soak the part to be ornamented with water,
in which a small quantity of pearl ash has been dissolved, till it is thoroughly
wet, afterwards press it very hard, and it becomes transparent. In that state
it may be drawn upon, beginning with the most light and delicate shades,
afterwards with the stronger, and ending with the coarsest, because a rough
outline at first cannot be concealed with a fine finishing or shading, as where
the drawing is made upon the surface which is looked at. When it is made
a finished drawing, it may be painted with strong opake colours; but in this
case the shades must be painted first, and the lights afterwards. Copper plates
may also be impressed, so as to have a similar effect. When the ornaments
are compleated it must be lined with fine wove paper, put on with paste made
of the best flour, and is then ready for covering, as other vellum books.
In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Nineteenthi
day of February, in the twenty-fifth 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 eighty-five.
JAMES EDWARDS. (L.S.)
{
Signed, sealed, and delivered, being first
duly stamped, in the presence of
JAMES FARRER,
THO ATKINSON.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Nineeenth day of February,
in the year of our Lord 1785, the aforesaid James Edwards came before our
said Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
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 Statutes made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Nineteenth day of February, in the year of our Lord One
thousand seven hundred and eighty-five.