Year: 1617

page_text: JAMES, by the grace of God Kinge of England, Scotland, Fraunce, and
Ireland, Defendor of the Faithe, &c., &c., to all to whom these Presente shall
come, greetinge.
WHEREAS in our princelic consideracon of the necessarie vse of swordes,
fauchions, skeynes, and rapiers, within our realmes and dominions, aswell for
private as for publicque service, wee have founde yt behovefull in pollicie of
state for our owne honor and the good of the common wealthe that the most
vsefull and necessaric manufacture of makinge swordes, blades, fauchions,
skeynes, and rapier blades, by which alone whole townes and multitudes of
people are maintayned in partes beyond the seas, should be planted and
cherished within our realmes of England and Ireland, our owne domynions
affordinge all materialles thereunto belonginge as good and plentifull and rather
better cheape then any other forraine kingdome whatsoever, by the esta-
blishinge of which soe comodious and needefull a manufacture in these landes
not only many of our lovinge subicctes wilbe sett on worke, and drawne from
that habite of idlenes which is the bane of these common wealthes, to be
imployed in honeste labors, whereby to maintaine themselves and doe good to
others, but alsoe ourselves and our lovinge subiectes shall for all private and
publicke occasions be furnished at home of those most necessarie armes and
weapons at cheape prices, without dependinge vppon the will of others, whoe

page_text: for the present have power in that particuler to give vs false ware at deare
rates, or vtterlic to disarm. vs at pleasure. And whereas our trustic and wel-
beloved servante Thomas Murraye, Esquire, secretarie to our deare sonne
Prince Charles, at the greate costes and charges of himself and his friendes,
and by their painfull labours and endeavors, hath lately founde out the trewe
secrett of temperinge, workinge, and forginge the mettall whereof to make
sworde blades, fauchions, skeines, and rapier blades, and all such like sortes
of defensible weapons, and hath alsoe puided choise workmasters to sett upp
the trade of working & making sworde blades, fanchions, skeines, and rapier
blades, not yet in knowne vse and practice within our said domynions.
KNOWE YEE, THEREFORE, that wee, tendring our owne honor and the
publicque weale of our said realmes and dominions, in giving encouragment to the
setting forward of soe good and necessarie a worke as the plantinge and establish-
inge of the said manufacture and trade within our owne realmes and dominions
aforesaid, at the humble suite of the said Thomas Murraye, and in consideracon
of the yearlie rente in and by these presente reserved, of our especiall grace,
certen knowledge, and meere mocon, have given and graunted, and by these pre-
sentes, for vs, our heires and successors, doe give and graunt, unto the said Thomas
Murray, his executors, administrators, and assignes, the absolute, full, solc, and
free licence, libertie, power, priviledge, and authoritie, that he and they, and
his and their assignes, by his or themselves, his or their deputies, factors, or
servantes, or any other at his or their nomynacon and appointinente, and noe
other person or persons whatsoever, shall and may at all tymes and from tyme
to tyme, for and duringe all the terme and' nomber of yeares hereafter in
and by these presente graunted, make and worke, or cause to be made and
wroughte, all and all manner of sworde blades, fauchions, skeines, and rapier
blades, of any sorte, fashion, or kinde whatsoever, within our said realmes of
England and Ireland, and the dominions of the same, and shall and may
alsoe freely sell and vtter any such sworde blades, fauchions, skeynes, and
rapier blades of any sorte, fashion, or kinde whatsoever, soe made within'
any our said domynions, or elsewhere beyond the seas, to his or their
moste profitt, benefitt, and advantage, and to the intente that the said
Thomas Murray, his executors, administrators, and assignes, shall and may
enioye the full and sole benefitte and proffitt of makinge and workinge of
sworde blades, fauchions, skeines, and rapier blades of any sorte, fashion, or
kinde whatsoever within our said realmes and dominions, duringe all the
tearme of yeares hereafter menconed, our will and pleasure is, and wee doo
by these presentes, of our further especiall grace, certen knowledge, and
ineere mocon, and of our absolute power, prerogative, and authoritie, which

page_text: wee forbidd to be disputed, argued, or broughte in question, for vs, our heires
and successors, straightlie charge and comaunde all and every pson and psons,
of what estate, degree, or condicon soever he or they, or any of them be, that.
none of them, other then the said Thomas Murrey, his executors, adminis-
trators, or assignes, or his or their deputies, servantes, factors, or others by
him or them to be named and appointed, doe at any tyme duringe the said.
terme by these Presents graunted, attempte, presume; or goe about, directlic
or undirectlic, to make or worke any sworde blade or blades of fauchions,
skeines, or rapier blades of any sorte, fashion, or kinde whatsoever, or any
manner of the said tempered or comixed stuffe or mettall to the same
belonginge, within any our realmes of England and Ireland, or the dominions
of the same, duringe the said tearme hereafter in these presentes graunted,
vppon paine of forfeiture of all such blades, tempered or comixed stuffe or
mettall, as shalbe soe founde, made, or wroughte, contrario to the trewe
intente and meaninge of these presentes, and also vppon such further paines,
penalties and imprisonment as by the lawes and statutes of this realme, or
by our prerogative royall, can or may be inflicted vppon them for breache or
contempte of our royall comaundement in that behalfe; to have, houlde, vse,
exercise, and cnioye all the said licences, powers, libties, priviledges and
authorities vnto the said Thomas Murrey, his executors, administrators, and
assigns, from the feast of Saint Michaell Th'archangell last past before the
date of these presentes, vnto the endle of the terme, and for and duringe the
whole terme of one and twentic yeares from thence nexte ensewinge and fullie
to be compleate and ended; yeildinge and payinge therefore yearlie vnto vs,
our heires and successors, from and after the feast of Saint Michaell'
Th'archangell nexte ensewinge the date hereof, the some of five poundes of
lawfull money of England into the receipte of our Exchequer at Westñi, att the
feastes of Saint Michaell the Archangell and the Annunciačon of the Blessed
Virgin Marie, by equall porčons, vntil such tyme as wee, our heires or
successors, shall barre or prohibite the importacon from beyonde'seas of any the
said blades into this our realme or dominions, or otherwise vntill such tymo
as the said manufacture shalbe soc pfected and setled within this our realme
by the said Thomas Murray, his executors or assignes, as there shall happen
to be a cessacon or decaye of importinge from beyonde scas into this realme
or the domynions thereof of. the said blades as aforesaid; and then and thence-
forthe yeildinge and payinge to vs, our heires and successors, into our said
receipt, at the feastes aforesaid, the yearlie rente or some of tenné pounde,
duringe the residewe of the said terme then to come and vnexpired; and
alsoc further yeildinge and payinge to vs, our heires and successors, into our

page_text: said receipte, att the feastes aforesaid, from and after such barr or prohibicon
of importinge the said blades from beyonde seas, or otherwise from and after
such cessačon or decaie of importacon soe happeninge as aforesaid, such
and socmuch yearlie rente or some of money as shall appeare to have
beene answered to vs, our heires and successors, for and in respecte
of our customes, subsedies, and other duties dewe vppon the said blades
soc imported as aforesaid, in any one yeare for the space of seven yeares
last past, accordinge to a medium to be thereof indifferentlie made and
cast vpp in that behalfe. And wee doe further by these presentes, for vs,
our heires and successors, give and graunte vnto the said Thomas Murrey,
his executors, administrators, and assignes, and every of them, full power
and authoritie that he and they, and his and their deputies, servantes,
and factors, or any others by his or their nominacon or appointmente, shall
and may from tyme to tyme duringe the said terme in these presentes, and with
the assistance of a constable, tythingman, or headborough, of any place or.
places whatsoever respectivelie within our said realmes of England and Ireland
and the dominions thereof, or any of them, aswell within libties as without,
at their willes and pleasures, att reasonable and convenient tymes, to goe and
enter into any howse, warehouse, workehowse, shoppe, yarde, or other place or
places whatsoever, by him or them or any of them suspected, and there searche
and see if any sworde blades, fauchions, skeines, or rapier blades of any sorte,
fashion, or kinde whatsoever shalbe made or wrought within our owne
dominions by any pson or psons, contrary to the trewe intent and meaninge of
these presentes, and the said sworde blades, fauchions, skeines, and rapier
blades, of what sorte, fashion, or kinde soever, soe made as aforesaid, as alsoc
all such mixed or tempered stuffe or mettall prepared to make any such blades,
.shalbe, for and in the name of vs, our heires or successors, to seize, take, and
carry away as forfeited, the one moitic thereof to be and remain to vs, our
heires and successors, and the other moitie to the said Thomas Murray, his
executors, administrators, and assignes; and his or their deputies, factors, or ser-
vantes soe seizinge the same, to and for his and their owne pper vse, benifitt,
and advantage, without any accompte or other thinge therefore to be yielded,
rendred, or paide to vs, our heires and successors, for the same. And further,
of our more especiall grace, certen knowledge, and meere mocon, wee doe by
these presentes, for vs, our heires and successors, straightlic charge and
comaunde, aswell all and everie justice of peace, maiors, sheriffes, constables,
bailieffes, headboroughes, and all other officers of and within all and every
cittie, boroughe, towne, or place, aswell within liberties as without, within
either of our said realmes of England and Ireland, and the domynions of the.

page_text: same, that they and every of them shall from tyme to tyme duringe the said
terme by these presentes graunted, be aydinge and assistinge to the said
Thomas Murrey, his exccutors, administrators, and assignes, and his and their
factors, deputies, and servantes, and such as he and they shall therevnto name
and appointe, in the execuĉon of all and singuler the premisses, according to
the true intente and meaninge of these presentes, for his and their most
benefitte and advantage, vppon paine of our indignacon and displeasure, and
vnder such paines and penalties of fines, imprisonment, or otherwise, as
by the lawes and statutes of our said realmes or. by our prerogative royall
cann or may be inflicted vppon them or any of them for their negligence
or contempte in that behalfe. And further, of our more especiall grace,
certen knowledge, and meere močon, for vs, our heires and successors, wee
doe by these presentes require, charge, and comaunde, aswell the Lord
Chauncellor and Lord Keeper of our Greate Seale of England for the tyme
beinge, and the Lord Chauncellor and Keeper of our Greate Seale of Ireland
for the tyme being, as alsoe the Chauncellor of the duchie of Lancaster for
the tyme beinge, that they and every of them respectivelie doe make or cause
to be made vnto the said Thomas Murrey, his executors, administrators, and
assignes, such and soe many severall tres patentes, duplicate, constate, and exem-
plificacons vnder the severall scales of our said realmes of England and Ireland,
and either of them, and the scale of our saide duchie or countic palatine of
Lancaster, of and concerninge all and singuler or any the grauntes, articles,
guiftes, authorities, libties, and other thing in these presente conteyned, to
be had, taken, executed, and pformed in our said realmes of England and
Ireland, and the domynions of the same, and every of them, as they or any
of them shall require. And these present or the inrolmente thereof shalbe
as well to them and everie of them a sufficiente warrante and discharge in that
behalfe, without any further or other warrante from vs, our heires or suc-
cessors, to be in that behalfe had or peured. And alsoe of our especiall grace,
certen knowledge, and meere močon, wee doe, for vs, our heires and suc-
cessors, graunte vnto the said Thomas Murrey, bis exccutors, administrators,
and assignes, that these presentes or the inrolmente .of the same shall stande
and be and shalbe soe construed and taken to be good, firme, effectuall, and
sufficiente in the lawe, and for all the intentes and purposes before menconed
shall be adiudged stronglic against vs, our heires and successors, and moste
availeable for the benifitt of the said Thomas Murrey, his executors, admi-
uistrators, and assigns, in all our courtes of iustice, in either of our said
realmes of England and Ireland, or elsewhere, without any other or further
confirmacons, licences, or tolleracons from vs, our heires and successors, here-

page_text: after in anywise to be pcured or obtayned, notwithstandinge the not pticular.
or not, exacte describinge of the saide arte, skill, way, or invenĉon of makinge
or workinge of sworde blades, fauchions, skeines, and rapier blades, of any
sorte, fashion, or kinde. whatsoever, and notwithstandinge the not pticuler
descripcon of the instrumentes, tooles, engines, or devises belonginge or to be
vsed in the temperinge,, workinge, makinge, or grindinge of the said blades or
any: former, graunte, phibicon, or restrainte, or any other thinge, cause, or
matter whatsoever to the contrarie; in anywise notwithstandinge, althougho
OXPROSCO Danion fro