A METHOD OP MAKING WIND INSTRUMENTS, COMMONLY CALLLED MILITARY FIFES, OF SUBSTANCES NEVER BEFORE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE,
Year: 1810

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
MILLER, of Panton Street, near the Haymarket, in the Parish of Saint Martin-
in-the-Fields, in the County of Middlesex, Musical Instrument Maker, send
greeting.
WHEREAS, I, the said George Miller, did, by my petition, humbly
represent to His present most Excellent Majesty King George the Third,
that I had, by much study and expence, found out and invented "A METHOD
OP MAKING WIND INSTRUMENTS, COMMONLY CALLLED MILITARY FIFES, OF SUBSTANCES
NEVER BEFORE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE," which would be of great public; that
in regard, I was the first and true Inventor thereof, and that the same had
not been practiced by any other person or persons to the best of my knowledge.
and belief, I humbly prayed His said Majesty to grant unto me, my exors,
adiiors, and assigns, His Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of
Great Britain, for the sole use, benefit, and advantage of my said Invention,
within that part of His said Majesty's Kingdom of Great Britain called
England, His Dominion of Wales, Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and also
in His Colonies and Plantations abroad, for the term of fourteen years,
according to the Statute in that case made and provided: His said Majesty,
being willing to give encouragement to all arts and inventions that might be
for the public good, was graciously pleased to condescend to my request; and

page_text: therefore, by His Royal Letters Patent, bearing date at Westminster, the First
day of October, in the fifty-first year of His reign, of His special grace, certain
knowledge, and mere motion, did give and grant unto me, the said George
Miller, my exors, adñiors, and assigns, His special licence, full power, sole
privilege and authority, that I, the said George Miller, my exors, adñiors, and
assigns, and every of us, by myself or themselves, or by mine and our deputy
or deputies, servants or agents, or such others as I, the said George Miller,
my exors, adûiors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term of years therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend my said
Invention within that said part of His Majesty's said Kingdom of Great
Britain called England, His Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-
Tweed, and also in His Colonies and Plantations abroad, in such manner as to
me, the said George Miller, my exors, adiñors, and assigns, or any of us,
should in our descretion seem meet, and that I, the said George Miller, my
exors, adiiors, and assigns, might have and enjoy the whole profit, benefit,
commodity and advantage from time to time comimg, growing, accruing, and
arising by reason of the said Invention, for and during the term of years
therein mentioned; to have, hold, exercise, and enjoy the said licence, powers,
privileges, and advantages therein-before granted or mentioned to be granted
unto me, the said George Miller, my exors, adiñors, and assigns, for and
during and unto the full end and term of fourteen-years from the date of the
said Presents next and immediately ensuing, and fully to be compleat and
ended, according to the Statute in such case made, and provided; in which
said Letters Patent is contained a proviso, that if I, the said George Miller,
should not particularly describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention,"
and in what manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, and cause the same to be enrolled in His
said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within two calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent, that then the said
Jetters Patent, and all liberties and advantages whatsoever thereby granted,
should utterly cease, determine, and become void, any thing therein-before
contained to the contrary thereof in any wise notwithstanding, as in and by
the said Letters Patent, relation being thereunto had, may more fully and at
large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Miller, in compliance with the
said proviso, do hereby describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention,
and declare that the plan, scales, outlines, and Drawings, with explanation of

page_text: he same, as indorsed on the back of these Presents, is and are a just, truc,
and accurate description and Specification of such my Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Miller, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, the Twenty-ninth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and ten.
ses,
scale subjoined,
No. 1, are made out of hollow rods or tubes, known by the name of drawn
tubes, after the manner of those made or used my mathematical instrument
makers; they may be made of any metal of hard quality, but that which best
answers the purpose is a mixture of about one-third part copper to two-thirds
parts brass. The military fifes for superior purposes, so as to join in the
military bands of music, are most of them made in two joints or halves,
according to the scales subjoined, No. 2, the lower joints or halves to be made
taper by being soldered and hammered hard on steel triblets or maundrils,
made of the proper bore or calibre, according to the scales, No. 2; the upper
joints or halves to be made out of drawn tubes or hollow rods, as before
mentioned, of the sizes proper to fit the lower ones, according to scales, No. 2.
The respective distances of the holes upon each fife are marked upon the
scales, Nos. 1 & 2, and each fife is tuned by paring out or enlarging the holes
till they become of the proper size and tone, in the same way by which the
holes of wooden fifes are opened and tuned. Around each mouth hole there is
soldered a thin silver plate (round) of one inch diameter. The edges at the
top and bottom of each fife are ornamented by being milled. Keys are added
to the fifes by being first fitted into brass boxes with steel screw pins, and then
soldered to the fifes on the same places as keys are put on wooden fifes. The
thickness of the metal of which the tubes are made answers to No. 13 on the
metal gauge. The fifes are polished.
This Specification is made out and enrolled according to the conditions set
forth in His Majesty's Royal Letters Patent, granted to George Miller, of
Panton Street, Haymarket, London, for an Invention of military fifes, of sub-
stances not hitherto used. The said Letters Patent are dated October the
First, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and ten.
MILIED

page_text: AND BE. IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-ninth day of November,
in the year of our Lord 1810, the aforesaid George Miller came before our
said Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stampt according
to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Twenty-ninth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and ten.