A MOST VALUABLE AND BENEFICIAL DYE, WHICH WE CALL CUDBEAR; WHICH SAID DYE IS OF THE MOST EFFICACIOUS NATURE IN DYING CRIMSON AND PURPLE, SO AS IN GREAT MEASURE TO SUPPLY THE USE OF THE ARCHELIA OR SPANISH WEED, AND IS INTIRELY COMPOSED OF MATERIALS THE PRODUCE OF GREAT BRITAIN OR OF HIS MAJESTY'S PLANTATIONS
Year: 1758

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, GEORGE
GORDON, Copper Smith, and CUTHBERT GORDON, Merchant, both of Leith, in
the County of Midlothian, in that part of Great Britain called Scotland, send
greeting.
WHEREAS His present Majesty King George the Second, by His Letters
Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at Westminster,
the Twelth day of August now last past, reciteing that we, the said George
Gordon and Cuthbert Gordon had, by our Petition, humbly represented unto
Ilis said Majesty that, after great study, application, pains, and expence, both
of time and money, in trying various experiments, we had found out "A MOST
VALUABLE AND BENEFICIAL DYE, WHICH WE CALL CUDBEAR; WHICH SAID DYE IS OF
THE MOST EFFICACIOUS NATURE IN DYING CRIMSON AND PURPLE, SO AS IN GREAT
MEASURE TO SUPPLY THE USE OF THE ARCHELIA OR SPANISH WEED, AND IS INTIRELY
COMPOSED OF MATERIALS THE PRODUCE OF GREAT BRITAIN OR OF HIS MAJESTY'S
PLANTATIONS;" and that we verily beleived the composition and efficacy of the
said dye was totally unknown to mankind, save to us, who are the sole
Inventors thereof, and are (as we verily beleive) intirely possessed of its effica-
cious and good qualities; that we therefore humbly prayed His Majesty that
he would grant unto us, our exccutors, administrators, and assigns, His Royal
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, for the sole preparing,
vending, and selling the said dye within His said Majesty's Dominions for the
term of fourteen years, according to the Statute in that case made and pro-
vided; and that His said Majesty, being willing to give encouragement to all
arts and inventions which might be for the publick good, was gratiously
pleased to condescend to our request, and did therefore, of His especiall grace,

page_text: certain knowledge, and meer motion, by the said Letters Patent, for Him,
His heirs and successors, give and grant to us, the said George Gordon and
Cuthbert Gordon, our executors, administrators, and assigns, His especial
licence, full power, sole priviledge and authority, that we, the said George
Gordon and Cuthbert Gordon, our executors, administrators, and assigns, and
every of us, by ourselves, or by our deputy or deputies, servants or agents, or
such others as we, the said George Gordon and Cuthbert Gordon, our exe-
cutors, administrators, and 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 lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend
their said Invention within that part of His said Majesty's Kingdom of Great
Britain called England, His Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-
Tweed, and also in His said Majesty's Plantations and Colonys in America,
in such manner as to us, the said George Gordon and Cuthbert Gordon, our
executors, administrators, and assigns, or any of us, should in our discretion
seem meet; and that we, the said George Gordon and Cuthbert Gordon, our
executors, administrators, and assigns, should and lawfully might have and
enjoy the whole profit, benefit, comodity, and advantage from time to time
coming, growing, accrewing, 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, priviledges, and advantages therein-before
granted or mentioned to be granted unto us, the said George Gordon and
Cuthbert Gordon, our executors, administrators, and assigns, for and during
and unto the full end and term of fourteen years from the date of the said
Letters Patent next and immediately ensuing, and fully to be compleat and
ended, according to the Statute in such case made and provided; in which
said Letters Patent is contained a proviso in the words or to the effect
following (that is to say):-Provided also, that if the said George Gordon and
Cuthbert shall not particularly describe and ascertain of the nature of their
said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, by an
instrument in writing under their hands and seals, and cause the same to be
inrolled in Our High Court of Chancery within four kalendar months after
the date of these Our Letters Patent, that then Our Letters Patent, and all
liberties and advantages whatsoever thereby granted, shall utterly cense,
determine, and become void, anything herein-before contained to the contrary
thereof in anywise notwithstanding, as by the said in part recited Letters
Patent, relation being thereunto had, may more fully appear.
NOW KNOW YEE, that we, the said George Gordon and Cuthbert
Gordon, in compliance with the terms of the said proviso, do hereby describe

page_text: and ascertain the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, as follows (that is to say):-
The name of the first ingredient, of which the same is composed, is lichen,
being a vegetable that grows on rocks or very largo stones. The name of
the second ingredient is muscus rupibus admiscens, or coroloides, being a weed,
plant, or vegetable that mostly grows on shattered rocks or very large stones
where it can have a small portion of earth. The name of the third ingredient
is muscus pyxidatus, being a weed, plant, or vegetable that grows in low,
moorish, turfy grounds. When these three ingredients are gathered, cleanse
them from all their filth by laying them severally in cold water, changing the
water daily so long as any filth remains about them; then dry and pound
them in a mortar, and dilute them with spirit of urine and spirit of soot, to
which add quick lime; digest them together for fourteen days, and they will
produce the cudbear fitt for dyers' use; a more solid kind of which may be
obtained by continued digestion of the several ingredients for fourteen days
more, when it will grow into a paste, and harden like indigo.
In witness whereof, we have hereunto set our hands and scals, the
Twenty-sixth day of October, in the year of our Lord One thousand
seven hundred and fifty-eight.