A SHIELD OR PROTECTION FOR THE PRESERVATION OF THE HUMAN BODY AGAINST SWORD, BAYONET, OR PIKE, AS ALSO BEING PROOF AGAINST A MUSKET BALL AT A MODERATE DISTANCE
Year: 1804

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, JOHN
PETER BARTHELEMY, of Marshall Street, in the Parish of Saint James,
in the County of Middlesex, Stay Maker, and JAMES SHOUBRIDGE, of
Old Bond Street, in the Parish of Saint George, Hanover Square, in
the said County of Middlesex, Hatter, send greeting.
WHEREAS by the King's most Excellent Majesty's Letters Patent
under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at Westminster,
the Eighteenth day of May, in the forty-fourth year of His said
Majesty's reign, after reciting that the said John Peter Barthelemy
and James Shoubridge, had, by their petition, humbly represented
to His Majesty that they had by considerable study and application
discovered, found out, and invented "A SHIELD OR PROTECTION FOR THE
PRESERVATION OF THE HUMAN BODY AGAINST SWORD, BAYONET, OR PIKE,
AS ALSO BEING PROOF AGAINST A MUSKET BALL AT A MODERATE DISTANCE,"
that they were the first and true Inventors thereof, and that the same
hath never been used or exercised by any other person or persons
whomsoever, to the best of their knowledge and belief, the petitioners

page_text: therefore most humbly prayed that His Majesty would be graciously
pleased to grant unto them, their exors, adiñors, and assigns, His
Royal Letters Patent for the sole usc, exercise, benefit, and advantage
of their said Invention, within England and Wales, and Town of Ber-
wick upon Tweed, for the term of fourteen years, according to the
Statute in that case made and provided, and that His Majesty, being
willing to give encouragement to all arts and Inventions which might
be for the public good, was graciously pleased to condescend to the
petitioners request; after which recitals His Majesty, by His said
Letters Patent, made known, and of His special grace, certain know-
ledge, and mere motion, for Himself, His heirs and successors, did give
and grant unto the said John Peter Barthelemy and James Shoubridge,
their exors, aditiors, and assigns, His Majesty's special licence, full
power, sole prividege and authority, that they, the said John Peter
Barthelemy and James Shoubridge, their exors, adñiors, and assigns,
and every of them, by themselves, or their deputy or deputys, servants
or agents, or such others as they, the said John Peter Barthelemy
and James Shoubridge, their exors, adiiors, 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 law-
fully might make, use, exercise, and vend their said Invention within
that part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland called
England, the Dominion of Wales, and the Town of Berwick upon
Tweed, in such manner as to the said John Peter Barthelemy and James
Shoubridge, their exors, adññiors, and assigns, or any of them, should in
his or their discretions seem meet, and that the said John Peter
Barthelemy and James Shoubridge, their exors, admors, and assigns,
should and lawfully might have and enjoy the whole benefit, commo-
dity, and advantage from time to time coming, growing, accruing, 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 granted unto the said John Peter Barthelemy and
James Shoubridge, their exors, adiñors, and assigns, for and during

page_text: and unto the full end and term of fourteen years from the date of the
reciting presents next and immediately ensuing, and fully to be compleat
and ended, according to the Statute in such case made and provided,
under and subject to certain clauses and provisions therein mentioned
and contained, and amongst others, to a proviso, that if the said
John Peter Barthelemy and James Shoubridge should not particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of their said Invention, and and in
what manner the same was to be performed, by an instrument in
writing under their hands and seals, and cause the same to be enrolled
in His Majesty High Court of Chancery within one calender month
next and immediately after the date of the reciting Letters Patent,,
that then the said Letters Patent, and all liberties and advantages
whatsoever thereby granted, should utterly cease, determine, and
become void, any thing therein-before contained to the contrary thereof
in any wise notwithstanding, as in and by the said Letters Patent,
reference thereto being had, will more fully appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said John Peter Barthelemy and
James Shoubridge, in compliance with the said provisoe, do hereby
declare that our said Invention is described in manner following (that
is to say):
First, it consists of five pieces or plates of iron case hardened, and
about the sixteenth of an inch thick. Secondly, two of the said pieces
or plates of iron, being to cover the breast on each side, are a little
hollowed, and so shaped as to make them fit exactly, leaving a sufficient
space (about two inches) between them for the centre plate, to which
the breat plates exactly fit, which centre plate comes up nearly to the
neck and extends below the breast plates till it comes nearly to the
navel, when it terminates in a sweep round the front of the body, in
shape and form somewhat similar to the scat of a saddle. Fourtly,
the two other pieces or platès of iron extend from the top of the breast
plates to the collar bone. Fifthly, cach plate is separately covered with
linen, and the whole are sown together so and in such manner as to yield
to the motion of the body. Sixthly, the whole is afterwards covered
with leather in one piece, and fastened round the body with straps from

page_text: the sides which buckle behind, and two straps over the shoulders, in
the form of slings, for breeches.
In witness whereof, we have hereunto set our hands and seals, the
Eighteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and four.