A CERTAINE NEW ENGINE OR MACHINE WITHOUT OARES, FOR THE SAFE TOWING SHIPS AND VESSELLS OUT OF AND INTO RIVERS AND HARBOURS, WHEN THEY ARE OBSTRUCTED BY CONTRARY WIND, WHICH MAY TEND VERY MUCH TO THE SERVICE OF OUR NAVY ROYALL, ASWELL AS THE SHIPPS AND VESSELL OF OUR SUBJECT(
Year: 1674

page_text: CHARLES THE SECOND, by the grace God King of England, Scotland,
France, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, &c. To all to whome these
Psente shall come, greeting.
WHEREAS our trusty and welbeloved WILLIAM AERSKIN, Esquire, by his
humble peticon informeing vs that hee hath lately invented and experimented
"A CERTAINE NEW ENGINE OR MACHINE WITHOUT OARES, FOR THE SAFE TOWING
SHIPS AND VESSELLS OUT OF AND INTO RIVERS AND HARBOURS, WHEN THEY ARE
OBSTRUCTED BY CONTRARY WIND, WHICH MAY TEND VERY MUCH TO THE SERVICE
OF OUR NAVY ROYALL, ASWELL AS THE SHIPPS AND VESSELL OF OUR SUBJECT(," bath
besought vs to graunt him our lycence and priviledge for the solo vse, benefitt,
and exercise of his said Invenčon, within all our Dominions of England
and Ireland, for the terme of foureteene yeares, according to the Statute
in such case made and pvided:
KNOW YEE, that wee, being willing to cherish and encourage all law-
dable endeavours and designes of such our subiecte as have found out
vsefull and pfitable arte, misteries, and invenčons, by graunting & appro-
priating vnto them for some terme of yeares the fruito and benefitt of
their labours and industry, soe that their study and expences in attainement
thereof may bee recompenced and rewarded vnto them, of our especiall
grace, certaine knowledge, and meere močon, have given and graunted, and
by these sente doe give and graunt, vnto the said William Acrskin, his
executors, administrs, and assignes, especiall lycence, power, priviledge, and

page_text: authority that hee and they, by him and themselves, and by his and theire
deputyes, servante, agente, and workmen, and such others only as hee, the
said William Aerskin, his 'executors, administrators, or assignes, shall agree
with, shall and may, from tyme tyme and att all and every tyme and tymes
hereafter during the space of fourteene yeares next ensueing the date of these
Psente, att his and theire owne pp cost and charges, erect, vse, practice,
teach, exercize, and put in vre the said new Invenĉon soc by him contrived
and found out as aforesaid, in any porte or places whatsoever within our
Kingdomes of England and Ireland, and all and singuler the dominions and
territories therevnto belonging; and alsoe shall and may have, receive, take,
and enioy all the benefitt, pfitt, comodity, and advantage of and by the said
new Invenĉon to bee had, made, acquired, or gotten, to his and their owne pp
benefitt, vse and vses; to have, hold, vse, exercise, and enioy the said lycence,
priviledge, power, and authority, and all other the pmisses by these psente
graunted or ment or menconed to bee graunted, and every of them, vnto the
said William Aerskin, his executors, administrators, and assignes, in all our
said dominions, for and durcing and vnto the full end and terme of foure-
teene yeares from henceforth next ensucing and fully bee compleate and ended,
according to the true intent and meaneing of the Statute in that case made and
vided. And to the end the said William Aerskin, his executors, administrators,
and assignes, may the better enioy the full and whole benefitt and the sole
vse and exercise of the said. new Invenĉon, wee doe by these psente, for vs,
our heires and successors, streightly charge, require, and command all and
every person and psons, bodyes politique and corporate, of what quality,
degree, name or condicon soever they bec, within our said Kingdomes of
England and Ireland, and the dominions and territories of the same, that
neither they nor any of them dureing the said terme of fourteene yeares
hereby graunted, either directly or indirectly doe vse, exercise, or putt in
practice the said Invenĉon soc by the said William Aerskin invented and found
out as aforesaid, nor doe nor shall counterfeite, imitate, or resemble the said
engin or machine soe by him made or invented as aforesaid, nor doe nor shall
make any addicon therevnto or substracĉon therefrom, whereby to ptend
themselves the inventors or devisors thereof, without the licence, consent, or
agreement of the said William Aerskin, his executors, administrators, or
assignes, in writeing vnder his or their hande and scales, first had and obteyned
in that behalfe, vpon paine of forfeiture and losse of all such engines or
machines, and alsoe vpon such paines and penalties as cau or may bee inflicted
on such offender or offenders for the contempt of this our comand in that
behalfe, and to bee answereable to the said William Aerskin, his exccuters,

page_text: administrators, and assignes, according to law and justice, for his and theire
damages thereby sustayned. And further wee doc by these psente, for vs, our
heires and successors, give and graunt vnto the said William Aerskin, his
executors, adminstrators, and assignes, full power and authority, that hec, they,
and every of them, his, their, and every of their deputies, agente, and servante,
having first obtayned a warrant in that behalfe from the Lord Cheife Justice
of our Court of Kinge Bench for the tymne being, with the assistance of a
constable or other lawful officer, aswell within liberties as without, att con-
venient tymes in the day dureing the terme aforesaid, and in lawful manner,
shall and may enter into and make search in any house or houses, or in any
other place or places within our said Kingdomes of England and Ireland, and
the dominions & territories thereof, where there shalbec iust cause of suspicon,
for discovering and finding out of all such pson or psons as shall imitate, make;
or vse, or cause to bee imitated, made, or vsed, within our said kingdomes or
dominions, the said machine or engine soe by him, the said William Aerskin,
found out and invented as aforesaid, or any of them, that soc such offenders
may bec pceeded against and punished according to their demeritte; and
further, wee doe by these sente, for vs, our heires and successors, will;
authorize, require, and command all and singuler our admira, vice admiralle,
governors of forte and castles, in or vpon all rivers, harbours, porte, and
creck within our dominions aforesaid, and all other their subordinate
officers, and all and singuler justices of the peace, maiors, sheriffes, bayliffes,
constables, headborough, and all other officers and ministers, aswell civill
and military as marine, of vs, our heires and successors, for the tyme being, that
they and every of them respectively from tyme to tyme during the said terme
hereby graunted, in their respective places, bee favouring, helping, ayding, and
assisting vnto the said William Aerskin, his executors, administrators, and
assignes, and to his and their deputy and deputies, 'agente and servante, in
and by all thing in and about the accomplishing of our will and pleasure
herein declared, and in the exercise and execucon of the powers, priviledges,
and authorities herein and hereby given and granted, or meant or menconed
to bee given and graunted as aforesaid. And, moreover, that they nor any of
them doe att any tyme hereafter molest, hinder, or interrupt the said William
Aerskin, his executors, administrators, or assignes, or bis or theire deputy or
deputies, agent or servante, or any of them, in or about the vse or exercise
of the said Invencon, or in any matter or thing con?ning the same. Provided
allwayes, that if att any tyme dureing the said terme of foureteene yeares itt
shall bee made appeare vnto vs, our heires and successors, or any six or more of
our or their privy councell, that this our graunt is contrary to law, or Piudiciall

page_text: or inconvenient, or not of publique vse or benefitt, or that the said Invenčon is
not a new Invenčon of the said William Aerskin, as to the publick vse and
exercise thereof within our said dominions, then, vpon significacon and
declaracon to bee made by our heires or successors, vnder our or their signett
or privy seale, or by the lord? or others of our privy councell, or any six of
them for the tyme being, in writeing vnder their hande, of such piudice or
inconveniency, these our Letters Patente, and everything herein contayned,
shall from thenceforth cease, determine, and bee vtterly void, any thing herein-
before contayned to the contrary notwithstanding. And lastly, wee doe by
these psente, for vs, our heires & successors, graunt vnto the said William
Aerskin, his executors, administrators, and assignes, that these our Letters
Pattente, or the inrollment thereof, shall bee in all thing good, valid, sufficient,
and effectuall in the law, according to true intent and meaning of these psente,
and shalbee taken, construed, and adiudged most favourably and beneficially
for the best benefitt and advantage of the said William Aerskin, bis executors,
administrators, and assignes, aswell in all our Courte of Record as else where,
notwithstanding the not full and certaine describeing or menconing the
manner and quality of the said Invenčon, or of the materialle, way, or manner
of makeing, vseing, and exerciseing the same, or of the certaine vse and benefitt
thereof, and notwithstanding any other defect, incertainty, or impfeccon in
these sente contayned, or any law, act, statute, ordinance, pelamacon,
pvision, or restricčon, or other matter or thing to the contrary in anywise
notwithstanding.
I wittnes, &c. Witnes ourselfe att Westminster, the Fower and twentieth
day of December