A METHOD OF MAKING AND MANUFACTURING SHOES AND BOOTS WITH SOLES MADE OF COMMON SOLE LEATHER PREPARED BY ME FOR THAT PURPOSE BY A PARTICULAR PROCESS, WHICH WILL RENDER SUCH SOLES MUCH MORE DURABLE THAN THOSE THEN IN COMMON USE; AND WHICH SAID SHOES AND BOOTS ARE TO BE FASTENED WITH SPRING FASTENINGS OF A PECULIAR CONSTRUCTION, SO CONTRIVED AS TO CAUSE THEM TO SIT BETTER AND CLOSER ON THE FOOT AND LEG, AND TO BE MUCH EASIER TO THE WEARER, THAN ANY THEN IN USE
Year: 1792

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, BARNETT
GUEST, of London Road, Saint George's Fields, in the County of Surrey,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS in and by certain Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great
Britain, bearing date at Westminster, the Thirtieth day of October last,
His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third did give and grant
unto me, the said Barnett Guest, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
His especial licence, full power, sole priviledge, and authority to make
use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-
upon-Tweed, my Invention of "A METHOD OF MAKING AND MANUFACTURING
SHOES AND BOOTS WITH SOLES MADE OF COMMON SOLE LEATHER PREPARED BY ME FOR
THAT PURPOSE BY A PARTICULAR PROCESS, WHICH WILL RENDER SUCH SOLES MUCH
MORE DURABLE THAN THOSE THEN IN COMMON USE; AND WHICH SAID SHOES AND
BOOTS ARE TO BE FASTENED WITH SPRING FASTENINGS OF A PECULIAR CONSTRUCTION,
SO CONTRIVED AS TO CAUSE THEM TO SIT BETTER AND CLOSER ON THE FOOT AND LEG,
AND TO BE MUCH EASIER TO THE WEARER, THAN ANY THEN IN USE," for and during
the term of fourteen years therein expressed; in which said Letters Patent
there is contained a provisoe, that if I, the said Barnett Guest, 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 His said Majesty's
High Court of Chancery within one calendar month next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent, then the said Letters Patent, and
all liberties and advantages thereby granted, should cease, determine, and be
utterly void, anything therein contained to the contrary thereof notwithstanding.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said provisoe, I, the said

page_text: Barnett Guest, do hereby describe and ascertain the nature of my said
Invention, and do hereby declare that the same is done and performed in
manner following, that is to say :-
To render the common sole leather more durable I prepare it as follows,
viz-To eight gallons of human urine put one pound of Guinea pepper or
capsicum; boil these over a slow fire one hour; then add to this mixture two
pounds of common allum and four ounces of sal ammoniac; boil the whole
together for ten minutes, and it will be fit for use. The sole leather must be
steeped or immersed in this mixture or solution for three days and nights, and
then be taken out and dried gradually by a slow heat till quite hard, and when
used must be put on the boot or shoe, and worn the flesh side outwards, or next
the ground. The shoes are to be made. in most respects as those now usually
worn, only that the horizontal seam which fastens the quarter to the upper
leather must be considerably shorter, and the straps, which are to be made
narrower and shorter than those in common use, are contrived to draw in a
straight line or direction from the hinder part of the quarter to the buckle or
fastening, herein-after mentioned, which is to be fastened to the upper leather by
two small pieces of leather of about half an inch square, sewed to the top of the
upper leather on each side the centre thereof, under the place where the straps
usually cross each other. The shoes are buckled or fastened very close round
the quarter by means of a triangular rim, made of steel or other metal, of any
convenient size, and two small buckles affixed thereto, more particularly
described in the Drawings in the margin hereof by, the letters a, a, a. This
triangular rim is to be fastened to the upper leather by means of studs or
pins affixed thereto, which pass through holes made in the two small pieces of
leather, herein-before mentioned, to be, sewed to the top of the upper leather,
and are described in the said Drawings by the letters 6, b. To the said triangular
rim and buckles may or may not be fixed a common buckle rim, at the
pleasure of the wearer, of any convenient size or form, with or without springs,
similar to those used to Ely's buckle, by means whereof, and a false leather
strap, the triangular rim and small buckles,, herein-before mentioned, and the
straps and small pieces of leather which fasten the same, may be wholly
covered from the sight, and rendered not only useful but elegant: The foot
part of the boots or half boots are to be made in the common manner, and are
sewed to the upper leather in the usual way; the legs thereof must be shaped
to the leg of the wearer, and the seam behind must be left open or unclosed
from the top to within about two inches of the heel on each side of the inner
part of the leg of the boot or half boot; behind where the seam is left unclosed,
must be neatly sewed thereto two small pieces of sole leather from the top to

page_text: the bottom of the leg, which must be rivetted to a piece of very thin tin or
other metal of about half an inch wide, in the manner more particularly
described in the Drawings in the margin hereof by the letters c, c, c, and must
be fastened to another thin piece of tin or other metal of about three quarters
of an inch wide, placed on the under side of the first-mentioned piece of tin or
other metal and sole leather by a hinge or fastening, decribed in the said
Drawings by the letters d, d, d, d. These double pieces of tin or other metal,
which must run all the way down both sides of the seam of the boot or half.
boot, are cut asunder at right angles in several places, to prevent the seam of
the boot from being stiff or unpleasant to the wearer, and in order to accom-
modate it to the shape of the leg; and to each of the said pieces or joints of
tin or other metal must be fixed one or more snap springs, fastenings, or
clasps, described in the said Drawings by the letters e, e, e, e, e, e, in order to
fasten the seam of the boot or half boot together when put on the leg, and to.
keep it quite close. The pieces of tin or other metal herein-before described,
which will go up on each side of the inner part of the seam next the wearer's
stocking, must be covered with a piece of thin leather, cloth, or other covering,
to prevent it from chafeing or fretting the leg. The legs of the boots or half
boots, herein-before mentioned, may not only be made of leather, but also of
cloth, oil cloth, or any other thing capable of being converted into boot legs,
at the pleasure of the wearer; and the said shoes, boots, or half boots may or
may not be padded or wadded in any part of the inside thereof, in order to fit
or accommodate the same to all kinds of persons who may have crooked or
deformed legs or feet. The said herein-before mentioned triangular rims,
buckles, or fastenings may be worn with or without a rose, bow, or shoe-tie; or
any other device, at the pleasure of the wearer, may be affixed over the same
when worn by ladies or gentlemen.
The before-going descriptions and the Drawings in the margin hereof con-
tain a full discovery of the nature of my said Invention, and the manner in
which I make, use, and perform the same.
In witness whereof, I, the said Barnett Guest, have hereunto my hand
and seal subscribed and set, the Twenty-ninth day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand seven hundred and ninety-two
3 Sealed and delivered by the above-named
Barnett Guest (being first duly stamped),
in the presence of
BARNETT GUEST. (L.S.)
Sealed and delivered by the above-named
Barnett Guest (being first duly stamped),
in the presence of
CHAR JONES.
THO BAKER.
BARNETT GUEST. (L.S.)

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the same Twenty-ninth day of
November, in the year above mentioned, the aforesaid Barnett Guest camé
before our Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specifica
tion aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained in form above written.
And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of
the Statute in that case made and provided.
Inrolled the same Twenty-ninth day of November, in the year above
written: