A NEW ENGINE (THE MODELL WHEREOF 18 HEREUNTO ANNEXED) FOR THE CARRYING OF FOUR MEN FIFTEEN FATHOM AND MORE UNDER WATER IN THE SEA, WHEREBY THEY MAY WORKE TWELVE HOURS TOGETHER WITHOUT ANY DANGER
Year: 1692

page_text: WHEREAS JOHN WILLIAMS, of Exeter, hath by his humble petition repre-
sented unto us that he hath, by his industry and at his great charge and
expence, found out and invented "A NEW ENGINE (THE MODELL WHEREOF 18
HEREUNTO ANNEXED) FOR THE CARRYING OF FOUR MEN FIFTEEN FATHOM AND MORE
UNDER WATER IN THE SEA, WHEREBY THEY MAY WORKE TWELVE HOURS TOGETHER
WITHOUT ANY DANGER," which said engine will be of great use and advantage
for the takeing up of wrecks and shipps that have been and shall be lost in
the sea, and hath not been hitherto used by any person, and hath humbly
prayed us to grant him our Letters Patents for the sole use, exercise, and
benefit of the said Invention for the term of fourteen years, according to the
Statute in that case made and provided, we are graciously pleased to con-
descend thereunto.
KNOW YEE, THEREFORE, that we, being willing to incourage the inven
tors of such arts as may be of publick use and benefit, of our especiall grace,
certaine knowledge, and meer motion, have given and granted, and by these
Presents, for us, our heires and successors, do give and grant unto the said
John Williams, his executors, administrators, and assignes, speciall lycense,
full power, sole priviledge and authority, that he, the said John Williams, 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

page_text: John Williams, his executors, administrators, or assignes, shall at any time
agree with, and no others; from time to time and at all times durcing the
terme of years herein expressed, shall and lawfully may make, use, exercise,
and enjoy the said Invention, within any part or parts, place or places what-
soever, of, in, or belonging to our Kingdom of England, Dominion of Wales,
and Towne of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and all and every or any of our kingdoms
and dominions whatsoever, in such manner and according to such reasonable
and lawful rates and lymittations as to him, the said John Williams, his
executors, administrators, and assignes, or any of them, shall in their discre-
tions seem meet; and that he, the said John Williams, his executors, adm",
and assignes, shall and may have and enjoy the sole benefitt, profitt, commodity,
and advantage from time to time coming, growing, and ariseing by reason of
the said Invention, for and during the full terme of years herein mentioned;
to have, hold, exercise, and enjoy the said lycense, powers, priviledges, and
advantages herein-before granted or mentioned to be granted unto the said
John Williams, his executors, adms, and assignes, for and during and unto
the full end and terme of fourteen years from the date of these Presents
next and immediately ensucing, and fully to be compleate and ended, accord-
ing to the Statute in this case made and provided: And to the end that
the said John Williams, his executors, administrators, and assignes, may
enjoy the full benefitt and the sole makeing, use, and exercise of the said In-
vention, according to our gratious intentions herein-before declared, we doe by
these Presents, for us, our heires and successors, require and strictly command
all and every person and persons, bodies politique and corporate, and all
other our subiects whatsoever of what estate, quality, or degree, name or
condition soever they be, within all and every our kingdomes and domi-
nions, that neither they nor any of them at any time during the continu-
ance of the said terme of fourteen years hereby granted, either directly or
indirectly do make, use, or put in practise the said Invention, or any parts of
the same so attained unto by the said John Williams as aforesaid, nor shall in
any wise counterfeite or resemble the same, nor shall make or cause to be made
any addition thereto or substraction from the same, whereby to pretend them-
selves the inventors or devisers thereof without the lycence, consent, or
agreement of the said John Williams, his executors, administrators, or assignes,
in writeing under his, their, or some of their hands and seals first had and
obtained in that behalfe upon such paines and penalties as can or may be
justly inflicted on such offenders for their contempt of this our royall comand,
and further to be answereable to the said John Williams, his executors,
administrators, and assignes, according to law, for his and their damages

page_text: thereby occasioned: And moreover, we do by these Presents, for us, our heirs and
successors, will and comand all and singuler our justices of the peace, mayors,
sheriff's, bayliff's, constables, headboroughs, and all other officers and ministers
whatsoever of us, our heires and successors, for the time being, that they or
any of them do not nor shall at any time hereafter during the said terme
hereby granted in any wise molest, trouble, or hinder the said John Williams,
his executors, administrators, or assignes, or any of his or their deputies,
servants, or agents, in or about the due and lawfull makeing, use, or exercise
of the aforesaid Invention, or any thing relating thereto: Provided alwaies,
and these our Letters Patents are and shall be upon this condition, that if at
any time during the terme hereby granted it shall be made appeare to us, our
heires or successors, or any six or more of our or their Privy Councill, that this
our grant is contrary to law or prejudiciall or inconvenient to our subiects in
generall, or that the said Invention is not a new invention as to the publick
use or exercise thereof, within this our kingdom, and not invented and found
out by the said John Williams as aforesaid, then upon signification and decla-
ration thereof to be made by us, our heires or successors, under our or their
signett or privy seal, or by the Lords and others of our or their Privy Councell,
or any six or more of them under their hands, these our Letters Patents shall
forthwith cease, determine, and be utterly voyd to all intents and purposes, any
thing before herein contained to the contrary in any wise notwithstanding:
Provided also, that these our Letters Patents, or anything herein contained,
shall not extend or to be construed to extend to give priviledge unto the said
John Williams, his exccutors, administ", or assignes, or any of them, to use
or imitate any, Invention or worke whatsoever which hath been heretofore
found out or invented by any other of our subiects whatsoever, and publickly
used or exercised within our said realmes and dominions, or any of them, unto
whom like Letters Patent or priviledge have bin already granted for the sole
use, exercise, and benefit thereof; it being our will and pleasure that the
said John Williams, his executors, administrators, and assignes, and all and
singuler other person and persons to whom like Letters Patents or privi-
ledges have been already granted as aforesaid, shall distinctly use 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, we do by these Presents, for us, our heires and
successors, grant unto the said John Williams, his executors, adm", and
assignes, that these our Letters Patents or the inrollment thereof, shall
be in and by all things good, firme, valid, suflicient, and effectuall in the
law, according to the true intent and meaning thereof, and shall be

page_text: taken, construed, and adiudged in the most favourable and beneficiall sense
for the best advantage of the said John Williams, his executors, administra-
tors, and assignes, aswell in all Courts of Record as elsewhere, and by all and
singuler the officers and ministers whatsoever of us, our heires and successors,
in all and singuler our realmes and dominions whatsoever, and amongst all
and every the subiects of us, our heires and successors, whatsoever and where-
soever, notwithstanding the not full and certaine describeing the nature or
quality of the said Invention or of the materialls thereto conduceing and
belonging.
In witness, &c. Witness, &c.
May it please your most excellent Ma".
Ex J. SOMERS.
This contains your Mati grant unto John Williams of the sole use and
benefit of his new Invention of an engine for the carrying of four men fifteen
fathom and more under water in the sea, whereby they may work twelve hours
togeather without any danger, which engine will be of great use and benefit for
the takeing up of wrecks and shipps that have been and shall be lost in the sea.
To hold the same unto the said John Williams, his executors, administrators,
and assignes, for the tearme of fourteen years, according to the Statute in that
behalfe, and such prohibitions, provisoes, and clauses are inserted as are usual
in grants of like nature.
Signified to be your Matic pleasure by warrant vnder your royall signe
11
manuall.
344
J.SOMERS.
27. Feb, 1691.