THE ART OF WEAVING TAPISTRY IN THE LOOM
Year: 1727

page_text: come greeting.
WHEREAS our trusty and welbeloved JAMES CHRISTOPHER LE BLON and
others of our subiects have by their petition humbly represented vnto, vs that
he, the said James Christopher le Blon, has by his great study and labour, as
well as at a very great expence, invented and brought to perfeccon "THE ART
OF WEAVING TAPISTRY IN THE LOOM," a secret never known or practised before,
which, for the beauty, durableness, and cheapness, far exceeds any tapistry ever
yet, made, and has given the rest of the peticoners full satisfaction that that
the manufactory of this new tapestry excells all that has been produced by
the best masters, and will be extremely beneficial to this our kingdom if
carried on with effect, which cannot be done with safety to the vndertakers
vntill the secret and property thereof can be secured from being carried
abroad or imitated by other persons at home, and the peticoners humbly
conceive.the same cannot be prevented but by our Royal Charter of Incoracon,
that considering what great sums of money the Kingdom of France has got
from other parts of Europe by their manufactories of tapistry in the Gobelins
and elsewhere, and that the making of this tapistry will be no less advan-
tagious to our Kingdom of Great Britain, and that the petitioners have respec-
tively promoted this vndertaking, and are willing and desireous to carry on the
same, and to raise such a fund. as shall be necessary for the compleating
thereof according to the Inventor's direccons, and having therefore humbly
prayed-vs that wee would be gratiously pleased to inake them a body corporate,

page_text: by granting to them our royal charter for that purpose, thereby empowering
them to raise such a ioynt stock as should be necessary for the effectual
carrying on so advantageous an vndertaking, and also restraining all other
persons from making or imitateing the said tapistry, with all such powers,
restrictions, and limitačons as weo in our royal wisdom should think meet,
wee being willing to give encouragement to all arts and invenčons which may
be for the publick vse and benefit are gratiously pleased to grant vnto the said
James Christopher le Blon our Royal Letters Patents for the sole vse and
benefit of the said Invention for and during the term of fourteen yeares
herein-after menčoned.
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 James
Christopher le Blon, his executors, administrators, and assignes, our especial
lycence, full power, sole power priviledge and authority, that he, the said
James Christopher le Blon, his executors, administrators, and assignes, and
every of them, by himselfe or themselves, or by his or their deputy and deputies,
servants or agents, or such others as he, the said James Christopher le Blun,
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 vse, exercise, and enioy bis
said new Invention of the art of weaving tapistry in the loom as above
described, within that part of our Kingdom of Great Britain called England,
our Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-vpon-Tweed, in such manner as
to him, the said James Christopher le Blon, his executors, administrators, and
assignes, or any of them, shall in their discretions seem meet. And that be,
the said James Christopher le Blon, his executors, administrators, and
assignes, shall and lawfully may have and enioy the whole profit, benefit,
comodity, and advantage from time to time coming, growing, accrewing, and
ariseing by reason of the said Invenčon for and during the term of yeares
herein menčoned, to have, hold, exercise, and enjoy the said lycence. powers,
priviledges, and advantages herein-before granted or menconed to be granted
vnto the said James Christopher le Blon, his executors, administrators, and
assignes, for and during and vnto the full end and term of fourteen
yeares from the date of these Presents next and immediately ensuing, and
fully to be compleat and ended according to the Statute in such case made
and provided. And to the end that the said James Christopher le Blon,
his executors, administrators, and assignes, and assignes, and every of them,
may have and enjoy the full benefit and the sole vse and exercise of the said

page_text: Invenčon according to our gratious intention herein-before declared, wee do
by these Presents, for vs, our heires and successors, require and strictly
comand all and every person and persons, podies politick and corporate, and
all other our subiect whatsoever, of what estate, quality, or degree, name or
condition soever they be, within that said part of our Kingdom of 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 during 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 James Christopher le Blon as aforesaid, nor
in any wise counterfeit, imitate, or resemble the same, nor shall make or
cause to be made any addition thereto or substraction from the same, whereby
to pretend himselfe or themselves the inventor or inventors, devisor or
devisors thereof, without the lycence, consent, or agreement of the said James
Christopher le Blon, his executors, administrators, or assignes, in writing
vnder his or their hande 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 James Christopher le Blon, his executors, adminis
trators, and assignes, according to law, for his and their damages thereby
occasioned. And moreover, wee do by these Presente, for vs, our heires and
successors, will and comand all and singular the justices of the peace, mayors,
sheriffs, bayliffs, constables, headboroughs, and all other officers and ministers
whatsoever of vs, our heirs 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 any wise molest, trouble, or hinder the said James
Christopher le Blon, his executors, administrators, or assignes, or any of them,
his or their deputies, servante, or agente, in or about the due and lawfull vse
or exercise of the aforesaid Invenčon, or any thing relating thereto: Provided
always, and these our Letters Patente are and shall be vpon this condition, that
if at any time during the said term hereby granted, it shall be made appear 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 preiudicial or inconvenient to our
subiects in general, or that the said Invenčon is not a new invenĉon as to the
publick vse and exercise thereof in that said part of our Kingdom 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 James Christopher
le Blon as aforesaid, then, vpon signification or declaration thereof, to be
made by vs, our heires and successors, vnder our or their signet or privy

page_text: seal, or by the Lorde 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 intente and purposes, any thing herein-
before contained to the contrary thereof in any wise notwithstanding: Provided
also, that these our Letters Patente, or any thing herein contained, shall not
extend or be construed to extend to give priviledge vnto the said James
Christopher le Blon, his executors, administrators, or assignes, or any of
them, to vse or imitate any invention or work whatsoever which bath here-
tofore been found out or invented by any other of our subiecte whatsoever,
and publickly vsed or exercised in that said part of our Kingdom of Great
Britain called England, our Dominion of Wales, or Town of Berwick-vpon-
Tweed aforesaid, vnto whom like Letters Patente or priviledges have been
already granted for the sole vse, exercise, and benefit thereof, it being our
will and pleasure that the said James Christopher le Blon, his executors,
administrators, and assignes, and all and every other person and persons to
whom like Letters Patents or priviledges have been already granted as afore-
said, shall distinctly vse and practice their several Inventions by them invented
and found out, according to the true intent and meaning of the same respective
Letters Patents and of these Presente: Provided likewise, nevertheless, and
these our Letters Patents are vpon this express condition, that if the said
James Christopher le Blon, his executors or administrators, or administrators,
or any person or persons which shall or may at any time or times hereafter
during the continuance of this our grant, have or claime any right, title, or
interest in law or equity of, in, or to the power, priviledge, and authority of
tlie sole vse and benefit of the said Invention hereby granted, shall presume
to act as a corporate body, or shall comitt or do or procure to be committed or
done any act, matter, or thing whatsoever which would be contrary to the
true intent and meaning of an Act of Parliament made in the sixth year
of our reign, entituled (An Act for better securing certain Powers and
Priviledges intended to be granted by His Maiestic by Two Charters for
Assurance of Ships and Merchandizes at Sea, and for lending Money vpon
Bottomry, and for restraining severall extravagant and vnwarrantable Prac-
tices therein menconed,) that then and in such case these our Letters Patente
and all liberties, priviledges, and advantages whatsoever hereby granted shall
vtterly cease, determin, and become voyd, any thing 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 James
Christopher le Blon, his executors, administrators, and assignes, that these
our Letters Patents, or the inrollment or exemplificačon thereof, shall be in

page_text: and by all things good, firme, 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 advan-
tage of the said James Christopher le Blon, his executors, administrators, and
assignes, aswell in all our Courts 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 aforesaid, and amongst all and
every the subiects of vs, our heires and successors, whatsoever and where-
soever, notwithstanding the not full and certain describing the nature or
quality of the said Invenčon, or of the materials thereto conducing and
belonging.