AN ENGINE OR NEW METHOD FOR THE MORE EXPEDITION WORKING THE SAID FLINT STONE, WHEREBY ALL THE SAID HAZARD AND INCONVENIENCES ATTENDING THE SAME WILL EFFECTUALLY BE PREVENTED
Year: 1726

page_text: GEORGE, by the grace of God, &c., to all to whom theso Presents shall
come greeting.
WHEREAS our trusty and welbeloved THOMAS BENSON, of Newcastle-
vnder-Line, in our County of Stafford, Engineer, hath by his peticon humbly
represented vnto vs, that in Staffordshire and some other parts of our kingdom
there is a manufacture carried on of making white pots, the chief ingredient of
which is flint stone, and the method hitherto vsed vsed in preparing whereof
has been by pounding or breaking it dry, and afterwarde sifting it through
fine lawns, which has proved very destructive to mankind, insomuch that any
person ever so healthfull or strong working in that business cannot probably
survive above two yeares, occasioned by the dust sucked into his body by the
air he breaths, which being of a ponderous nature, fixes there so closely that
nothing can remove it, insomuch that it is now very difficult to find persons
which will engage in the business, to the great obstrucčon and detriment of
the said trade, which would otherwise, by reason of the vsefulness thereof, be
of great benefit and advantage to our kingdom; that the petičoner has with
great pains and expence invented and brought to perfeccon "AN ENGINE OR
NEW METHOD FOR THE MORE EXPEDITION WORKING THE SAID FLINT STONE,
WHEREBY ALL THE SAID HAZARD AND INCONVENIENCES ATTENDING THE SAME WILL
EFFECTUALLY BE PREVENTED;" that he has at his own charge made severall
experiments of his said Invenčon, whereby he fully knows the same will
answer the ende above proposed in every particular to the manifest improve-
ment and advantage of the said manufacture, and preserving the lives of many

page_text: of our subiects imployed therein, and proposes to performe the same in manne
herein-after described, viz,:-The flint stones are first sprinkled with water
insomuch that no dust can arise to the hurt or damage of the workmen, then
crushed as small as sand by two large wheels of the bigness and shape of mill
stones, made of iron to turn round vpon the edges by the power of a water
wheel, and afterwarde conveyed into large pans made of iron for that purpose
circular, in which there are large iron balls, which by the power of the water
wheel above named are driven round by such a swiftness of motion that in a
little time the flint stones so broken are made as fine as oyl itself, without the
vse of lawns, and when so done by turning of a cock empties itselfe into casks
provided for that purpose, and so kept therein for the vses above menčoned;
and having humbly prayed vs to grant him our Royal Letters Patent for the
said Invenčon according to the Statute in such case made and provided, wee,
being willing to give encouragement to all arts and invenĉons which may be
of publick vse and benefit, are gratiously pleased to gratify him in his request.
KNOW YEE, THEREFORE, that wee, of our especial grace, certain know-
ledge, and meer močon have given and granted, and by these Presents for vs.
our heires and successors, do give and grant vnto the said Thomas Benson,
his executors, administrators, and assignes, especial lycence, full power, sole
priviledge and authority, that he, the said Thomas Benson, 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 Thomas Benson, his executors, administrators, or assignes, shall at any
time agree with, and no others, shall and lawfully may make, vse, and exercise,
the said new invented engine or method for the more expeditious working the
said flint stones for the purposes aforesaid, as is 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 Thomas Benson, his executors, administrators, and assignes, or any of
them, shall in their discrečons seem meet; and that he, the said Thomas
Benson, his executors, administrators, and assignes, shall and lawfully may
have and enioy the whole profit, benefit, comodity, and advantage from time to
time comeing, growing, accrewing, and ariseing by reason of the said Invention,
for and during the term of yeares herein menconed; to have, hold, exercise, and
enioy the said lycence, powers, priviledges, and advantages herein-before granted
or menconed to be granted vnto the said Thomas Benson, his executors, admi-
nistrators, and assignes, for and during and vnto the full end term of fourteen
yeares from the date of these Presents next and immediately ensueing and fully
to be compleat and ended, according to the Statute in such cases made and

page_text: provided. And to the end that the said Thomas Benson, his executors,
administrators, and assignes, and every of them, may have and enioy the full'
benefit and the sole vse and exercise of the said Invention, according to our
gratious intention herein-before declared, wee do by these Presents, for vs,
our heires and successors, require and strictly command all and every person
and persons, bodies politick and corporate, and all other our subiects whatso-
ever, of what estate, quality, 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 nor
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
Thomas Benson as aforesaid, nor in any wise counterfeit, imitate, or resemble
the same, nor shall make or cause to be made any addition thereunto or
substraction from the same, whereby to pretend himself or themselves the
inventor or inventors, devisor or devisors thereof without the lycence, consent,
or agreement of the said Thomas Benson, his executors, administrators, or
assignes, in writing vnder his or their hands and seales first had obtained
in that behalfe, vpon such paines 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 Thomas Benson, his executors, administrators,
and assignes, according to law for his and their damages thereby occasioned.
And moreover wee do by these Presents, for vs, our heires and successors,
will and command all and singular the justices of the peace, mayors, sheriffes,
bayliffes, constables, headboroughs, and all other officers and ministers what-
soever of vs, our heires 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 Thomas Benson, his
executors, administrators, or assignes, or any of them, or his or their deputies,
servants or agents, in or about the due and lawfull vse or exercise of the
aforesaid Invention or any thing relating thereto: Provided always, and these
our Letters Patents are and shall be vpon this condičon, 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 prejudiciall or inconvenient to our
subiects in generall, or that the said Invention is not a new invention 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 Thomas Benson

page_text: as aforesaid, then vpon significacon or declaracon thereof, to be made by vs,
our heires or successors, vnder our or their signet or privy seal, or by the
Lorde and others of our or their Privy Council, or any six or more of them,
vnder their bande, these our Letters Patents shall forthwith cease, determine,
and be vtterly void to all intents and purposes, any thing herein-before con-
tained to the contrary thereof in any wise notwithstanding: Provided also,
that these our Letters Patents, or any thing herein contained, shall not extend
or be construed to extend to give priviledge vnto the said Thomas Benson,
his executors, administrators, or assignes, or any of them, to vsc or imitate
any invention or work whatsoever which hath heretofore been found out or
invented by any other of our subiect whatsoever, and publickly vsed or
exercised in that said part of our Kingdom of Great Britain called Eng-
land, our Dominion of Wales, or Town of Berwick-vpon-Tweed aforesaid,
vnto whom like Letters Patents or priviledges have been already granted, for
the sole vse, exercise, and benefit thereof, it being our will and pleasure that
the said Thomas Benson, his executors, administrators, and assignes, and all
and every other person and persons to whom like Letters Patents or privi-
Lodges have been already granted as aforesaid, shall distinctly vse and practice
their severall inventions by them invented and found out according to the true
intent and meaning of the same respective Letters Patente and of these
Presents Provided likewise. nevertheless, and these our Letters Patents are
vpon this expresse condičon, that if the said Thomas Benson, his executors or
administrators, or any person or persons which shall or may at any time or
times hereafter, during the continuance of this grant, have or claym any right,
title, or interest in law or equity of, in, or to the power, priviledge, and autho-
rity of the sole vse and benefit of the said Invention hereby granted, shall
make any transferr or assignment, or any pretended transferr or assign-
ment, of the said liberty and priviledge, or any share or shares of the benefit
or profit thereof, or shall declare any trust thereof to or for any number of
persons exceeding the number of five, or shall open or cause to be opened any
book or books for publick subscriptions, to be made by any number of persons
exceeding the number of five, in order to the raising any summe or sumes of
money vnder pretence of carrying on the said liberty or priviledge hereby
granted, or shall by him or themselves, or his or their agents or servants,
receive any sume or sums of money whatsoever of any number of persons ex-
ceeding in the whole the number of five, for such or the like intents or purposes,
or shall presume to act as a corporate body, or shall divide the benefit of these
our Letters Patents, or the liberty and priviledges hereby by vs granted, into
any number of shares exceeding the number of five, or shall committ or de, or
:

page_text: procure to be committed or done, any act, matter, or thing whatsoever, during
such time as such person shall have any right or title either in law or equity
in or to the said premisses, which would be contrary to the true intent and
meaning of a certain Act of Parliament made in the sixth year of our reign,
intituled, (An Act for the better securing certain Powers and Priviledges in-
tended to be granted by His Maiestie by Two Charters for Assurance of Ships
and Merchandizes at Sea, and for lending Money vpon Bottomry, and for re-
straining severall extravagant and vnwarrantable Practices therein menčoned,)
if these our Letters Patente had not been granted, or in case the said power,
priviledge, or authority shall at any time hereafter become vested in or in
trust for more than the number of five persons or their representatives at any
one time (reckoning executors or administrators as and for the single person
whom they represent, as to such interest as they are or shall be intituled to in
right of such their testator or intestate,) that then and in any of the said cases,
these our Letters Patents, and all liberties, priviledges, and advantages what-
soever hereby granted, shall vtterly cease, determine, and become void, any-
thing herein-before contained to the contrary thereof in any wise notwith-
standing. And lastly, wee do by these Presents, for vs, our heires and suc-
cessors, grant vnto the said Thomas Benson, his executors, administrators,
and assignes, that these our Letters Patents or the inrollment or exempli-
fication thereof, shall be in and by all things good, firme, valid, sufficient and
effecuall 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 advantage of the said Thomas Benson, his executors, admi-
nistrators, and assignes, as well in all our Courts of Record as elswere, and by
all and singular the officers and ministers whatsoever of vs, our heires and suc-
cessors, in that part of our Kingdom of Great Britain called England, our
Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-vpon-Tweed aforesaid, and amongst
all and every the subiect of vs, our heires and successors, whatsoever and
wheresoever, notwithstanding the not full and certain describing the nature or
quality of the said Invenĉon, or of the materialls thereto conducing and be-
longing.
TUAL