MAKING AND ORNAMENTING ALL SORTS OF RAILING, BALUSTERS OR BALUSTRADES AND PANNELS, FOR STAIRCASES, BALCONIES, GALLERIES, ALTERS, OR ANY OTHER PARTS OF CHURCHES, HOUSES, AND BUILDINGS, AND OF MAKING AND ORNAMENTING CHIMNEY PIECES
Year: 1782

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FRANCIS
UNDERWOOD, of the Parish of Saint Mary-le-bonc, otherwise Marybone, in
the County of Middlesex, Plumber and Glazier, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third hath
been graciously pleased, by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great
Britain, bearing date the Twentieth day of April, in the twenty-second year
of His reign, to give and grant to me, the said Francis Underwood,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, His especial license, full power,
sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Francis Underwood, my
executors, 'administrators, and assigns, and every of them, by myself or
themselves, or by my or their deputy or deputies, servants or agents, or
such others as I, the said Francis Underwood, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, should and might
at all times thereafter during the term of years therein expressed, make,
use, exercise, and vend, within that part of Great Britain called England,
the Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my new Inven
tion of "MAKING AND ORNAMENTING ALL SORTS OF RAILING, BALUSTERS OR
BALUSTRADES AND PANNELS, FOR STAIRCASES, BALCONIES, GALLERIES, ALTERS, OR
ANY OTHER PARTS OF CHURCHES, HOUSES, AND BUILDINGS, AND OF MAKING AND
ORNAMENTING CHIMNEY PIECES," in such manner as to mc, my executors, admi-
nistrators, or assigns, or any of them, should in our or their discretion seeni
meet, and that I, the said Francis Underwood, my executors, administra-
tors, and assigns, should and lawfully might have and enjoy the whole profit,
benefit, commodity, and advantage from time to time coming, growing, accruing,

page_text: 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 license, powers,
privileges, and advantages therein-before granted or mentioned to be granted unto
mo, the said Francis Underwood, my 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 complete and
ended, according to the Statute in such case made and provided; and whereas
in the said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso that I, the said Francis
Underwood, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is performed, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, and cause the same to be inrolled
in the High Court of Chancery within four calendar months next after
the date of the said Letters Patent, as in and by the said Letters Patent,
reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in pursuance of the afore-mentioned proviso
contained in the said Letters Patent, and in order effectually to secure to me,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, the full benefit thereof, and of all
and singular the several powers, priviledges, liberties, and advantages thereby
given and granted, and intended to be given and granted, to the said Francis
Underwood, do, by this present Instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, intended to be inrolled in His Majesty's said Court of Chancery, declare
and make known that my said new Invention consists of the several materials,
and is made and performed in manner following (that is to say):-
By preparing a composition made of grain or block tin, regulus of
antimony, and copper or zink, mixt together in such proportions of the
harder and softer metals as are requisite to bring the mass or composition to
the degree of hardness and stiffness whith the nature or purpose of the work
requires; then by making or providing moulds of iron, brass, copper, or other
hard metal or stone, either plain or for ornaments, as scrolls, leaves, husks, shells,
flowers, or whatever ornaments the work or drawings after which I am to
work may require; within which moulds I place plain rods, bars, or wires of
iron, brass, copper, steel, or other strong or hard metal, the length or size of
the railing or balusters, or of whatever form or size may be requisite to
strengthen the work; I then cast the composition first mentioned upon those
rods, bars, or wires, in the moulds, and I afterwards form the work thus
prepared by bending, setting, and soldering it to whatever form is wanted,
either by way of frame for the reception of basso relievos of plaster of Paris,
paintings, drawings, or ornaments of any other kind, or to exhibit the orna-
ments of this composition. And in the setting or fixing of balustrades upon

page_text: wood or stone with a pediment or base, I first let the baluster, plain or
without its plinth, into the wood or stone; and then, being provided with the
proper mould for the plinth to go round the foot of the rail or baluster, I cast
the composition round the baluster when fixed. And in order to the
making and ornamenting of chimney pieces, I make use of small rods
or wires, upon which to cast the before-mentioned composition, which
I bend or turn, and solder so as to become a frame of whatever figure or
dimensions I want to receive plate or other glass, either plain or silver,
behind which, if plain, I place paintings, drawings, bass reliefs, or other
ornaments, and which chimney pieces I finish round with mouldings
strengthened with bars or rods as aforesaid if requisite, and with pediments
of the same metal or composition cast in moulds, and cased or covered behind
with a plate of the same of any other kind of metal or other body.
In witness whereof, I, the said Francis Underwood, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Eight day of August, in the year of our
Lord Christ One thousand seven hundred and eighty-two, and in the
twenty-second year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord George the
Third, by the grace of God of Great Britain, France, and Ireland
King, Defender of the Faith, and so forth.