A NEW ENGINE TO CONVEY AIRE INTO PIPES BY NEW CONTRIVED BELLOWS WITH PLATES COVERED WITH LEATHER, FOR SECUREING THE HEAD AND RETAINEING THE AIRE ABOUT THE VPPER PART OF THE BODY, AND GIVES LIBERTY FOR A MAN TO SEE, WALKE, AND WORKE A CONSIDERABLE TIME IN MANY FATHOM VNDER WATER, AND IS VSEPULL FOR TAKEING VP PLATE, GUNNS, WRECKS, OR OTHER GOODS LOST IN THE SEAS AND DEEP WATERS
Year: 1692

page_text: WHEREAS our trusty and welbeloved JOHN OVERING hath, by his humble
petition, represented vnto vs, that he hath at his great costs and charges, after
much study and labour, found out and invented "A NEW ENGINE TO CONVEY
AIRE INTO PIPES BY NEW CONTRIVED BELLOWS WITH PLATES COVERED WITH
LEATHER, FOR SECUREING THE HEAD AND RETAINEING THE AIRE ABOUT THE
VPPER PART OF THE BODY, AND GIVES LIBERTY FOR A MAN TO SEE, WALKE, AND
WORKE A CONSIDERABLE TIME IN MANY FATHOM VNDER WATER, AND IS VSEPULL
FOR TAKEING VP PLATE, GUNNS, WRECKS, OR OTHER GOODS LOST IN THE SEAS
AND DEEP WATERS;" which hath not been heretofore knowne or practiced
by any of our subiects, and hath humbly prayed vs to grant him our Letters
Patents for the sole vse thereof.
KNOW YEE THEREFORE, that wee, being graciously pleased to con-
descend to that his request, and willing to encourage the inventers of such
arts as may be of publick vse and benefitt, of our especiall grace, certaine
knowledge, and meer močon, have given and granted, and by these presents,
for vs, our heires and successors, doe give and grant vnto the said John
Overing, his executors, administrators, and assignes, speciall lycence, full power,
sole priviledge and authority, that he, the said John Overing, his executors,
administrators, and assignes, and every of them, by themselves, or his or their
deputy and deputies, servants or agents, or such others as the said John
Overing, his executors, administrators, or assignes, shall at any time agree

page_text: with and noc others, from time to time and at all times durcing the terme of
yeares herein expressed, shall and lawfully may vse, exercise, and enioy the
said Invention, within any part or parts, place or places whatsoever, of, in, or
belonging to our kingdome of England, dominion of Wales, and towne of
Berwick-upon-Tweed, and all and every or any of our kingdomes and demi-
nions whatsoever, in such manner and according to such reasonable and
lawfull rates and lymittacons, as to him, the said John Overing, his executors
administrators, and assignes, or any of them, shall in their discretions scemo
meet, and that he, the said John Overing, his executors, administrators, and
assignes, shall and may have and enioy the sole benefitt, profitt, comodity,
and advantage from time comeing, growing, and ariseing by reason of the
said Invention, for and dureing the full terme of yeares herein mentioned,
to have, hold, exercise, and enioy the said lycence, powers, priviledges, and
advantages herein-before granted or menconed to be granted vnto the said
John Overing, his executors, administrators, and assignes, for and durcing and
vnto the full end and terme of fourteen yeares from the date of these presents
next and immediately ensucing, and fully to be compleate and ended, according to
the statute in this case made and provided; and to the end that the said John
Overing, his executors, administrators, and assignes, and every of them, may enioy
the full benefitt and the sole vse and exercise of the said Invention according to
our gratious intentions herein-before declared, wee doe by these presents, for vs,
our heires and successors, require and strictly comand all and every person and
persons, bodies politick and corporate, and all other our subiects whatsoever, of
what estate, quality, or degree, name, or condicon soever they bec, within all and
every our kingdomes and dominions, that neither they nor any of them, at any
time, dureing the continuance of the said terme of fourteen yeares hereby granted,
either directly or indirectly doc vse or put in practice the said Invention, or
any part of the same soe attained vnto by the said John Overing, as aforesaid,
nor shall in anywise counterfeit or resemble the same, nor shall make or
cause to be made any addition thereto or substraccon from the same, whereby
to pretend themselves the inventers or devisers thereof, without the lycence,
consent, or agreement of the said John Overing, his executors, administrators,
or assignes, in writeing, vnder his, their, or some of their hands and seales
first had and 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
royall command; and further, to be answerable to the said John Overing, his
executors, administrators, and assignes, according to law, for his and their
damages thereby occasioned, and wee doe by these presents, for vs, our
heires and successors, will and command all and singular our justices

page_text: of the peace, mayors, snerrms, bayiis, constables, and all other officers and
ministers whatsoever, of vs, our heires and successors, that neither they nor
any of them doe or shall, at any time hereafter dureing the said terme hereby
granted, in anywise molest, trouble, or hinder the said John Overing, his
executors or assignes, or any of them, his or their deputies, servants, or agents,
in or about the due and lawfull vse or exercise of the aforesaid Invention, or
anything relateing thereto. Provided allwaics, and these our Letters Patents
are and shall be vpon this condicon, that if at any time dureing the terme
hereby granted, it shall be made appeare to vs, our heires or successors, or any
six or more of our or their Privy Councill, that this our grant is contrary to
law, or preiudiciall 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
within this our kingdome, and not invented and found out by the said John
Overing as aforesaid, then, vpon signification and declaračon thereof, to be
made by vs, our heires or successors, vnder our or their signet or privy scale,
or by the lords and others of our or their Privy Councill, or any six or more of
them, vnder their hands, these our Letters Patents shall forthwith cease,
determine, and be vtterly void to all intents and purposes, anything before
herein contained contrary in any wise notwithstanding. Provided alsoe, that
these our Letters Patents, or anything therein contained, shall not extend
or be construed to extend to give priviledge vnto the said John Overing, his
executors, administrators, or assignes, or any of them, to vse or imitate any
invention or worke whatsoever which hath been heretofore found or invented
by any other of our subiects whatsoever, and publickly vsed or exercised within
our said realmes and dominions, or any of them, vnto whome like Letters
Patents or priviledge have been already granted for the sole vsc, exercise,
and benefitt thereof; it being our will and pleasure that the said John Overing,
his executors, administrators, and assignes, and all and singular other person
and persons to whome like Letters Patents or priviledges have been already
granted, as aforesaid, shall distinctly vse and practise their severall inventions
by them invented and found out, according to the true intent and meaning of the
same respective Letters Patents and of these presents. And lastly, wee doc, by
these presents, for vs, our heires and successors, grant vnto the said John Overing,
his executors, administrators, and assignes, that these our Letters Patents, or
the inrollment thereof, shall be in and by all things good, firme, valid, sufficient,
and effectuall in the law, according to the true intent and meaning thereof, and
shall be taken, construed, and adiudged in the most favourable and beneficiall
sence, for the best advantage of the said John Overing, his executors, admi-
nistrators, and assignes, aswell in all courts of record as, elsewhere, and by all

page_text: and singular the officers and ministers whatsoever of vs, our heires and successors,
in all and singular our realmes and dominions whatsoever, and amongst all and
every the subiects of vs, our heires and successors, whatsoever and wheresoever,
notwithstanding the not full and certaine describeing the nature or quality of
the said Invention, or of the materialls thereto conduceing and belonging.
on cre
day of September.
By Writt of Privy Seale.