AN ENGINE BY THE HELP OF WHICH A WEAVER MAY FORME THE WHOLE WORKE OF WEAVING SUCH STUFF AS THE GREATEST WEAVING TRADE IN NORWICH DOTH NOW DEPEND VPON, WITHOUT THE HELP OF A DRAUGHT BOY, WHICH ENGINE HATH BEENE TRYED AND FOUND OUT TO BE OF GREATE VSE TO THE SAID WEAVEING TRADE
Year: 1687

page_text: greeting.
WHEREAS JOSEPH MASON, of our Citty of Norwich, hath by his humble
peticon informed vs that he hath lately invented "AN ENGINE BY THE HELP
OF WHICH A WEAVER MAY FORME THE WHOLE WORKE OF WEAVING SUCH
STUFF AS THE GREATEST WEAVING TRADE IN NORWICH DOTH NOW DEPEND
VPON, WITHOUT THE HELP OF A DRAUGHT BOY, WHICH ENGINE HATH BEENE
TRYED AND FOUND OUT TO BE OF GREATE VSE TO THE SAID WEAVEING TRADE,"
and having, therefore, humbly besought vs to grant vnto him our Letters
Patent for the sole makeing of the said engine for the terme of fourteene
yeares, according to the statute in that behalfe pvided, as being the first
Inventor thereof,-
KNOW YEE THEREFORE, that wee, being willing to cherish and encourage
all laudable endeavours and designes of such our subiecte as have by theire
industry found out vsefull and pfitable arte, misteryes, and invenčons, and
that the said Joseph Mason may accordingly reape some fruite and benefitt
of his labour and charge in and concerning the misses, of our especiall
grace, certaine knowledge, and meere motion, have given and granted, and
by these doe give and grant vnto the said Joseph Mason, his executors,
administrators, and assignes, speciall lycence, power, priviledge, and authority,
that he and they, by him and themselves, and by his and theire deputyes,
servante, agente, and workemen, and such others onely as hee, the said

page_text: Joseph Mason, bis executors, administrators, and assignes, shall agree with,
shall and may from time to tyme and att all tymes hereafter, dureing the space
of fourteen yeares next ensueing the date of these Psente, at his and theire
owne pr cost and charges, erect, vse, teach, exercise, and putt in practice the
said new Invenčon soc by bim contrived and found out as aforesaid, in any
place or places within our kingdome of England, dominion of Wales, and
towne of Berwick-vpon-Tweed, and alsoe shall and may receive, take, and
enioy all the benefitte, pffitte, comodityes, and advantages of and by the said
new Invenĉon to be had, made, acquired, or gotten, to bis and theire owne
pp, benefitt, vsc, and vses, to have, hold, vse, exercise, and cnioy the said
licence, powers, priviledges, and authorityes, & all other the pmisses by
by these sente granted or menconed to be granted vnto the said Joseph
Mason, his executors, administrators, and assignes, in all and every the
places aforešd, for and to the full end and terme of fourteene yeares from the
day of the date of these psente next ensueing, and fully to be compleate and
ended, according to the statute in that case made and pvided; and to the end
the said Joseph Mason, his executors, adiñirs, and assignes, may the better
énioy the full and whole benefitt and sole vse and exercise of the said new
Invencon, wee doe by these psente, for vs, our heires and successors, streightly
charge, require, and comand all and every pson and psons, bodies politique and
corporate, of what quality, degree, name, or conditon soever they be, within our
said kingdome of England, dominion of Wales, and towne of Berwicke-vpon-
Tweed, that neither they nor any of them, dureing the said terme of four-
tecne yeares, hereby granted, either directly or indirectly, doc vse, excrcise, or
put in practice the sd new Inventon soe by the sd Joseph Mason invented
and found out as aforešd, nor doe nor shall counterfeite, imitate, or resemble
the sd new Inventon, nor doe nor shall make any addition therevnto or
substracĉon therefrom, whereby to tend themselves the inventors or devisors
thereof, without the licence, consent, or agreem' of the Sd Joseph Mason, his
executors, adñirs, or assignes, in writeing vnder his or theire hand and
scales, first had and obteyned in that behalfe, vnder such paines and penaltyes
as can or may be inflicted on the offender or offenders therein for the
contempt of this our royall comand, and further to be answerable to the said
Joseph Mason, his executors, administrators, and assignes, according to the
vtmost rigor of the law, for his and theire damages thereby sustained; and
further we doc by these sente, for vs, our heires and successors, give and
grant vnto the said Joseph Mason, his executors, administrators, and assignes,
full power and authority, that he, they, and every of them, his, theire and
every of theire deputyes, agente, and servante, haveing first obtained a

page_text: warrant in that behalfe from the Lord Cheife Justice of our Court of Kinge
Bench for the time being, with the assistance of a constable, or other lawfull
officer (aswell within libtyes as without), att convenient tymes in the day
dureing the terme aforesaid, and in lawful manner, shall and may make
search in any place or places within our said kingdome of England,
dominion of Wales, and towne of Berwicke-vpon-Tweed, where there shall
be iust cause of suspition for discovering and finding out of all such pson
and psons as shall imitate, make, or vse, or cause to bee imitated, made, or
vsed within our kingdome or dominions aforešd, the said new Invencon
so by the Joseph Mason found out and invented as aforesd, that so such
offenders may bee proceeded against and punished according to the vtmost
rigor of the law; and further, wee doe by these our Letters Patente, for vs,
our heires and successors, will, authorize, require, and comand all and
singuler justices of the peace, mayors, sherriffes, bailiffes, constables, head-
boroughs, and all other officers and ministers whatsoever of vs, our heires
and successors, now and for the time being, whome itt may concerne, that
they and every of them respively be from tyme to tyme dureing the terme
hereby granted, in theire respive offices, and according to theire and every of
theire best skill and endeavours, aydeing, helping, and assisting vnto the
said Joseph Mason, his executors, administrators, and assignes, deputyes,
agente, and servante, in and by all thing in and about the accomplishing of
our royall will and pleasure herein-before declared, and in the execučon of the
severall powers and priviledges hereby granted as aforesd; and moreover wee
doc by these psente, for vs, our heires and successors, will and comand that our
said respective officers and ministers before menconed, or any of them, doe not,
nor shall at any time hereafter dureing the terme hereby granted, in any wise
molest, trouble, or hinder the said Joseph Mason, his executors, administrators,
and assignes, deputyes, agent, or servante, in or about the vse or exercise of the
aforesd Invencon, or any part thereof, or any thing relateing therevnto;
provided alwayes, and these our Letters Patente are and shall be vpon this
condicon, that if att any tyme dureing the said terme of fourteene yeares hereby
granted, itt shall be made appeare to vs, our heires or successors, or any six or
more of our or theire Privy Councell, that this our grant is contrary to law, or
Piudicial or inconvenient to our subiecte in genall, or that the Invencon
before menčoned is not a new invenčon as to the publick vse and exercise of
the same, and not invented and found out by the said Joseph Mason as aforesd,
then vpon significačon and declaračon of such piudice or inconveniency to be
made by vs, our heires or successors, vnder our or theire signett or privy
seale, or by the lords or others of our or theire Privy Councell, or any six or

page_text: more of them, vnder theire hands, these our Lřes Patente shall forthwith
cease, determine, and be vtterly void to all intente and purposes, any
herein-before contained to the contrary notwithstanding; providedalsoc, that
these our Letters, or any thing herein contained, shall not extend or be
construed to extend, to give priviledge vnto the said Joseph Mason, his
executors, administrators, or assignes, to imitate any invenčon or worke
whatsoever which hath beene heretofore invented or found out by any other
of our subiect whatsoever, and publikely exercised within our kingdome and
,dominion aforešd, or either of them, to whome wee have already granted our
like Letters Patente of Priviledge for the sole exercise and benefitt thereof,
our will and pleasure that the said Joseph Mason, his executors, adminis-
trators, and assignes, and all and singuler other person and persons to whome
wee have already granted our like Lies Patente, shall distinctly vse and
practice theire severall invenčons by them respectively found out according to
the true meaneing of such our Lřes Patent and of these psente. And lastly,
wee doe hereby, for vs, our heires and successors, grant vnto the said Joseph
Mason, his executors, administral, and assignes, that these our Letters
Patente, or the inrollment thereof, shall be and continue in and by all thing
good, valid, firme, and effectuall in the law, according to the true meaneing
of the same, notwithstanding the not full and certaine describeing or mencone-
ing the said Invenĉon, or the materialle, wayes, or meanes of makeing,
vscing, or exerciscing of the same, or of the certaine vse and benefitt thereof,
or any other defect, incertainty, or impfeccon in these psente, or any act,
statute, provision, proclamacon, or restriccon heretofore had, made, or pro-
vided, or to be hereafter had, made, or provided, or any other matter, cause,
or thing whatsoever to the contrary in any wise notwithstanding.
In witnesse & Witnesse the King att Westmč. the Third day of
October.
By Writt of Privy Seale.