A WAY OF PRINTING OR STANCHING, WHEREBY CABBINETT, BEDSTEED, PLAYING TABLES, VOYDERS, PICTURE FRAMES, BANQUETTING TABLES, AND SUCH THING ARE WROUGHT WITH MUCH FACILITY, BOTH BENEFICIALL AND DUREABLE
Year: 1638

page_text: CHARLES, by the grace of God King of England, Scotland, France, and.
Ireland, Defendor of the Faith, &c., to all to whom theis psente shall come;
greeting.
WHEREAS our welbeloved subiect, William Billingsley, hath, by his
humble peticon to vs lately exhibited, informed vs that for about twenty
yeares he hath beene a paynter and workeman in liquid gould and silver, and
with much labour, coste, and industry, he hath found out "A WAY OF PRINTING
OR STANCHING, WHEREBY CABBINETT, BEDSTEED, PLAYING TABLES, VOYDERS,
PICTURE FRAMES, BANQUETTING TABLES, AND SUCH THING ARE WROUGHT WITH
MUCH FACILITY, BOTH BENEFICIALL AND DUREABLE," which way hath not beėnė
vsed by any in this kingdome, nor in any other that ever our subiect heard;
but by some whoe of late doe conterfeit the same workemanshipp, 'much
abusing and abasing of yt; in respect therefore that the said William Billings-
ley was the first inventor of the said skill, which in noe sort will be hurtfull
to the comon wealth, small quantities of gould" and silver being therein
ymployed, as by the said peticon we are alsoe informed, he hath therefore
humbly besought vs to graunt vnto him our gracious Lĩřes Patente' authorizing
him, and his assignes instituted therein, for the terme of fourteene years, to
have the sole workemanshipp therein within our realmes and dominions, and
that we would prohibit all others to vse the same, in consideracon whereof he
hath humbly offered to pay into our Exchequer the yearely. rent of fifty
shilling for and during the said terme.

page_text: KNOW YE, that we, graciously favouring and willing to further such
profittable invenĉons for the publique good, of our especiall grace, certeyne
knowledge, and meere močon, have given and graunted, and by these presente
for vs, our heires and successors, doe give and graunt vnto the said William
Billingsley, his executors, administrators, and assignes, full, free, and absolute
licence, power, priviledge, and authority, that he, the said William Billingsley,
his executors, administrators, and assignes, and his and their deputies and
substitute, servante, agente, and workmen, and none other person or persons
whomesoever, shall and may, from tyme to tyme and at all and every tyme and
tymes hereafter menconed, at his, their, and every of their wills and pleasures,
vsé, exercise, and put in vse, within our kingdome of England and dominion
of Wales, the sole printing or staunching of cabbinette, bedsteede, playing
tables, voyders, picture frames, banquetting tables, and all other thinge, with
liquid gould and silver, after the way aforesaid by him, the said William
Billingsley, invented and brought to perfeccon, and the same to vse and putt in
practise, at his and their wills and pleasures, for his and their best benefitt,
profitt, and advantage; wherefore our will and pleasure is, and we doe hereby,
for vs, our heires and successors, straightly charge and comand, inhibitt and
forbidd, all and every other person and persons whomesoever, of what estate,
degree, or, condicon soever he, they, or any of them shalbe, that none of
them other then the said William Billingsley, his executors, administrators, or
assignes, deputies, substitute, or workmen, within our said kingdome or
dominion, doe or shall, during the terme of yeares herein-after menconed,
directly or indirectly, vse, practise, or put in vse the printing or staunching
of cabinette, bedsteede, playing tables, voyders, picture frames, banquetting
tables, or any thing whatsoever, with liquid gould and silver, after the way
and manner by him, the said William Billingsley, first invented and brought
to perfecčon, without, the speciall licence and consent of him, the said William
Billingsley, his executors, administrators, or assignes, or some or one of them,
first had and obteyned; to have, hould, use, exercise, and enjoy the said licences,
priviledges, powers, and authorities, and other the premisses by theis presentⓇ
graunted or menconed to be graunted, from the date of theis present('vnto the
full end and terme of fowerteene yeares from then next ensueing, and fully to
be compleate and ended, yeilding and paying therefore, and the said William
Billingsley, for himself, his executors, administrators, and assignes, and for every
of them, doth covenant and promise to and with vs, our heires and successors, by
theis presente, to yeild and pay yearely, during the said terme, vnto vs, our heires
and successors, the yearely rent of fifty shilling of lawful money of England,
at the receipt of the Exchequer of vs, our heires and successors, at the feast of

page_text: the Añunciacon of the Blessed Virgin Mary onely; and we doe by theis
presente, for vs, our heires and successors, give full power and authority unto
the said William Billingsley, his executors, administrators, and assignes, with
the assistance of a constable or other officer, at all convenient' tyme and
tymes, to search in all place or places, house or houses, where any iust cause
of suspicon shalbe, for discovery of such as shall vse 'the printing or stanching
of cabbinette, beedsteede, playing tables, voiders, picture frames, banquetting
tables, or any any other thing or thing whatsoever, with liquid gould and
silver, contrary to our will and pleasure herein declared, and the true intent
and meaning of theis presente, to the end the delinquent may be discovered,"
and receave condigne punishment, according to their demerritte; and wee doe
also require and comaund all and singuler mayors, sheriffe, justices, of peace,
bailiffe, constables, headborroughes, and other the officers, ministers, and
subiect of vs, our heires and successors, whome the same shall concerne,
that they and every of them be from tyme to tyme during the terme aforesaid,
ayding, helping, furthering, and assisting to him, the said William Billingsley,
his executors, administrators, and assignes, in all thinge in and about the
accomplishment of our pleasure herein declared, and in the exercise and
execucon of this our graunt, and that they, nor any of them, doe in any wise
hinder or interrupt him or them concerning the same, as they tender our
pleasure and will avoide the contrary at their perills, and theis presente, or
the inrolment hereof, shalbe their sufficient warrante in that behalfe; provided
alwayes, that yf the said yearely rent or some of fifty shillinge hereby to vs,
our heires and successors, reserved as aforesaid, or any part or parcell thereof,
shall happen to be behinde and vnpayed as aforesaid, in part or in all, by
the space of forty dayes next after the said feast in which the same ought to
be payed as aforesaid, or yf the said William Billingsley, his executors,
administrators, or assignes, shall not inroll or cause to be inrolled theis our
present graunt before the Clarke of the Pipe for the tyme being within three
moneths next after the date of theis presente, that then the said William
Billingsley, his executors, administrators, and assignes, shall forfeite and pay
vnto vs, our heires and successors, as well the sōme of twenty shilling of
currant money for every moneth in which the said rent shall happen to be
behinde and vnpayde next after the said forty dayes as aforesaid, and alsoe
the some of twenty shillinge in the name of a payne for every three moneths
default of the inrollment of theis presente before the Clarke of the Pype as
aforesaid; and lastly, yf at any tyme during the said terme of fowerteene yeares,
ty shall appeare vnto vs, our heires or successors, or vnto the Lorde and
others of our Privy Councell, that this our graunt is or shalbe inconvenient

page_text: or preiudiciall to the cōmon wealth, then upon significačon and declaračon to
be made by vs, our heires or successors, vnder our or their signett or privy
seale, or by the Lorde and others of our Privy Councell, or sixe of them for
the, tyme being, in writing under their hande, of such preiudice or incon-
venience, theis our Lřes Patente shall forthwith cease, determyne, and be
vtterly, voyd and of none effect, anything in theis presente conteyned to the
contrary in any wise notwithstanding; and we doe hereby graunt for vs, our
heires and successors, that theis our Lřes Patente, or the inrollment thereof,
shalbe firme, good, and effectuall, according to the true intent and meaning
of the same, although expresse mencon, &c.
In witnes, &c. Witnes our selfe at Westin, the Tenth day of December..
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