A NEW METHOD FOR HEATING AND MAKING PLANK PLYANT, SO AS TO BEND AND BE WROUGHT TO ANY FORM REQUIRED ON ANY OF OUR SHIPS OF OUR ROYAL NAVY, AT LESS THEN ONE-THIRD PART OF THE PRESENT CHARGE, AND IN ONE-FOURTH PART OF THE TIME
Year: 1720

page_text: come greeting.
WHEREAS our trusty and welbeloved JOHN CUMBERLAND, Mariner, hath
by his peticon humbly represented vato vs, that he hath, with great study and
expence, invented "A NEW METHOD FOR HEATING AND MAKING PLANK PLYANT,
SO AS TO BEND AND BE WROUGHT TO ANY FORM REQUIRED ON ANY OF OUR SHIPS OF
OUR ROYAL NAVY, AT LESS THEN ONE-THIRD PART OF THE PRESENT CHARGE, AND IN
ONE-FOURTH PART OF THE TIME," which he hath performed in the presence of
our principal officers and comissioners of our navy at different times and
places, and hath since, by their order, erected a machine for the heating of
plank in our yard at Deptford, and hath therein heated and wrought plank
from one inch to seven inches thickness, on board several of our ships in our
said yard to the satisfacčon of our officers above menčoned, praying vs to
grant him our Royal Letters Patents for the sole vse and advantage of his said
Invenčon for heating, bending, and making of plank plyant of all sorts, to be
wrought on any ship, vessell, lighter, boat, or floating craft, and for the
heating, drying, seasoning, and bending of all sorts of timber, wood, plank, or
board for the term of fourteen yeares.
KNOW YEE, THEREFORE, that wee, being willing to give encouragement
to all arts and inventions which may be of publick service and benefit, of our
especial grace, certain knowledge, and meer močon have given and granted,
and by these Presents, for vs, our heires and successors, do give and grant
vnto the said John Cumberland, his executors, administrators, and assignes,

page_text: especial lycence, full power, sole priviledge and authority, that he, the said
John Cumberland, his executors, administrators, and assignes, and every of
them, by himself and themselves, or by his or their deputy and deputies,
servants or agents, or such others as he, the said John Cumberland, his
executors, administrators, or assignes shall at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times during the term of yeares herein
expressed, shall and lawfully may exercise, work, vse, and enioy within that
part of our Kingdom of Great Britain called England, our Dominion of
Wales, and Town of Berwick-vpon-Tweed, our Kingdom of Ireland, and our
Colonics and Plantations in in America, exclusive of our royal yarde, his said
new Invenčon for heating, bending, and making of plank plyant of all sorts,
to be wrought on any ship, vessel, lighter, boat, or floating craft, and for the
heating, drying, seasoning, and bending of all sorts of timber, wood, plauk, or
board as aforesaid, in such manner as to him, the said John Cumberland, his
executors, administrators, and assignes, or any of them shall in their discretions
see meet. And that be, the said John Cumberland, his executors, adminis-
trators, and assignes, shall and may have and enioy the whole profit, benefit,
comodity, and advantage from time to time coming, growing, and ariscing by
reason of the said Invenĉon, exclusive notwithstanding of our own royal
yard as aforesaid, for and during the full term of yeares herein menconed,
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 Cumberland, his executors, administrators, and assignes, for and during
and vnto the full end and term of fourteen years from the date of these
Presents next and immediately ensuing, and fully to be compleat and ended,
according to the Statute in such case made and provided. And to the end
that the said John Cumberland, his executors, administrators, and assignes,
and every of them, may have and enioy the full benefit and the solo vse and
exercise of the said Invenĉon (except in our own royal yarde as aforesaid),
according to our gratious intenčon herein-before declared, wee do by these
Presents, for vs, our heires and successors, require and strictly command 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 be, within that part of our said Kingdom of Great Britain called
England, our Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-vpon-Tweed, our
Kingdom of Ireland, and our Colonies and Plantations in America, exclusivo
of our own royal yarde as aforesaid, that neither they nor any of them
during the continuance of the said term of fourteen yeares hereby granted,
either directly or indirectly, do make, vse, or put in practice the said

page_text: Invenĉon, or any part of the same so attained vnto by the said John Cumber-
land, as aforesaid, nor shall in anywise counterfeit, imitate, or resemble the
same, nor shall make or cause to be made any addition thereunto or sub-
tracčon from the same. whereby to pretend himselfe or themselves the
inventor or inventors, devisor or devisors thereof, without the lycence,
consent, or agreement of the said John Cumberland, his executors, adminis-
trators, or assignes, in writing vader his or their hande and seals, 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 royal command;
and further to be answerable to the said John Cumberland, his executors,
administrators, and assignes, according to law for his and their damages
thereby occasioned; and moreover wee do by these Presents, for vs, our
heires and successors, will and command all and singular our justices of the
peace, mayors, sheriffs, bayliffs, constables, headboroughs, and all other officers
and ministers whatsoever of vs, 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 term hereby granted, in anywise. molest, trouble, or hinder the said John
Cumberland, his executors, administrators, or assignes, or any of them, or his
or their deputies, servants, or agents in or about the due and lawfull making;
vse, or exercise of the aforesaid. Inventon, or any thing relating thereto :
Provided always, and these our Letters Patents are and shall be vpon this
condition, that if at any time during the said term hereby granted, it shall be
made appear to vs, our heires or successors, or any six or more of our or their
Privy Council, that this our grant is contrary to law, or preiudicial or
inconvenient to our subiects in general, or that the said Invenčon is not a
new Invenčon as to. the publick vse and exercise thereof, within that part of
our said Kingdom of Great Britain. called England, our Dominion of Wales,
and Town of Berwick-vpon-Tweed aforesaid, and within our Kingdom of
Ireland, and our Colonies and Plantačons in America, or not invented and
found out by the said John Cumberland, as aforesaid, then, vpon significacon
and declaračon thereof, to be made by vs, our heires or successors, vnder our
or their signet or privy seal, or by the Lordf and others of our or their
Privy Councill, or any six or more of them vnder their hande, these our
Letters Patents shall forthwith cease, determine, and be vtterly void to all
intents and purposes, anything herein-before contained to the contrary in
anywise notwithstanding: Provided also, that these our Letters Patents, or
any thing herein contained, shall not extend or be construed to extend to give
priviledge vnto the said John Cumberland, his executors, administrators, or
assignes, or any of them, to vso or imitate any invenčon or work whatsoever,

page_text: which hath heretofore been found out or invented by any other of our subiects
whatsoever and publickly vsed or excrcised within that part of our said
Kingdom of Great Britain called England, our Dominion of Wales, and Town
of Berwick-vpon-Tweed, our Kingdom of Ireland, and our Colonies and
Plantačons in America, vnto whom like Letters Patents or priviledges have
been already granted for the sole vse, exercise, and benefit thereof, it being
our will and pleasure that the said John Cumberland, his executors, adminis-
trators, and assignes, and all and every other person and persons to whom
like Letters Patents or priviledges have been already granted as aforesaid,
shall distinctly distinctly vse and practise their several 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 do
by these Presents, for vs, our heires and successors, grant vnto the said John
Cumberland, his executors, administrators, and assignes, that these our Letters
Patents, or the inrolment or exemplificačon thereof, shall be in and by all
things good, firm, valid, sufficient, and effectual in the law, according to the
true intent and meaning thereof, and shall be taken, construed, and adiudged
in the most favourable and beneficial sense for the best advantage of the said
John Cumberland, his executors, administrators, and assignes, as well in all
Courts of Record as elswhere, and by all and singular the officers and
ministers whatsoever, of vs, our heires and successors, within that part of our
said Kingdom of Great Britain called England, our Dominion of Wales,
and Town of Berwick-vpon-Tweed aforesaid, and within our said Kingdom
of Ireland, and our Colonies and Plantacons in America, and amongst all and
every the subiects of vs, our heires and successors, whatsoever and where-
soever, notwithstanding the not full and certain describing the nature or
quality of the said Invenčon, or of the materialls thereto conducing and
belonging.
T