CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS ON THE FLA- GALET OR ENGLISH FLUTE, WHEREBY THE FINGERING WILL BE RENDERED MORE EASY, AND NOTES PRODUCED THAT WERE NEVER BEFORE PRODUCED
Year: 1803

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
BAINBRIDGE, of Little Queen Street, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, Musician, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third did, by
His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Second day of April,
in the forty-third year of His reign, give and grant unto me, the said
William Bainbridge, His especial licence that I, the said William Bain-
bridge, during the term of years therein mentioned, should and lawfully
might use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS ON THE FLA-
GALET OR ENGLISH FLUTE, WHEREBY THE FINGERING WILL BE RENDERED MORE
EASY, AND NOTES PRODUCED THAT WERE NEVER BEFORE PRODUCED;" in which said
Letters Patent there is contained a proviso obliging me, the said William
Bainbridge, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, to cause a
particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in His Majesty's High
Court of Chancery within one calendar month after the date of the said
recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same (relation being thereunto
had) may more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
William Bainbridge, do hereby declare that my said Invention is described
as follows:-
I make the flagalet or English flute so as to admit of a regular fingering
from D below the lines, up to A above the lines, which was not the case

page_text: before, as the two F sharps, and the D on the fourth line were cross-fingered
on the old flagalet. My improvement to make those notes easier in fingering
and in tune, is by the fifth hole being made larger, or occasionally making
two small holes; in that situation I sometimes make the fifth hole higher,
that is, nearer to the fourth hole, in that case the fifth hole is not so large,
though I prefer the principle laid down in the above Drawing. The intention
of the fifth hole being larger, is to admit air enough to make the F sharp
on the first space in tune, by having the 1, 2, 3, 4, holes covered, keeping
the thumb on the hole underneath the flagelet, likewise the octave to that
F sharp in tune, by having 2d, 3d, 4th holes covered, and the thumb on the
hole underneath. I likewise make the fourth hole smaller than before, as
the great quantity of air coming from the large fifth hole or holes would
make the G too sharp, had it been as large as on the common flagelet,
or English flute. The 4th and 5th holes on the common flagelet being
nearly of a size, makes the fingering different and more complicated than in
my improved flagelet. I also place 2 keys on my flagelet or English flute,
as shewn in the Drawing. By this improvement I make D on the fourth
line, by only covering the 3d, 4th, 5th, and 6th holes, the seventh hole and
the bore of the flagelet being small enough to admit of the note D being
in tune; by that mode of fingering I sometimes don't make the small hole
No. 7, but make the bore wider at the bottom part of the flagelet only, which
will have the same effect. By lifting up the small key I make the D below
the lines sharper and fuller: the same key being lifted up, improves several
of the upper notes. By lifting up the large key I make E flat without moving
the thumb from off the hole underneath the flagelet. I make C sharp above
the lines by lifting up the large key, which before was a bad note; and by
lifting up the large key I make F above the lines a note, which was never
made before on the octave flagelet.
The above improvements are expressed in my scale or instruction book.
From the said improvements the patent flagelet will admit of a regular
fingering from D below the lines to A above the lines, in the key of G with
one sharp, so that I have marked on the side of each hole of my Patent
flagelet a figure, as shewn in the Drawing; and on the other side of the hole
a letter, which letter is the name of the note produced when the fingers
cover up to that hole or letter or figure. From the said figures placed on
the flagelet or English flute, I compose tunes as specified in my instruction
book for the patent flagelet or English flute, so that persons may play tunes,
&c., by the said figures as well as by notes of music. The keys 1 sometimes
place higher and sometimes lower on the flagelet or English flute, to produce
the sanie effects.

page_text: In order to accommodate those who do not chuse to go to the expence of all
my improvements, I make some with part only of those improvements, and I
make some with only one key, and some without any key; those that I make
without keys I make the bore of the joint of the flagelet, that is figured,
wider from top to bottom, and the seventh hole larger than the one with keys,
so as to admit of the flagelet being fingered in said manner for D on the
fourth line. I make flagelets or English flutes of different sizes on the
same principle; I likewise place a metal tube on the top or cap of the flagelet;
I cut a part of the side of the plug off, so as to admit of the tube coming
below the surface of the plug; by which improvement the greater part of
the moister from the breath is carried below the top of the plug, which in a
great measure prevents the flagelet or English flute clogging with the moisture
from the breath. I have likewise added an improved new mouth-piece.
which, being made considerable longer than the common one, and smaller in
the bore, makes the tone more soft. My general rule is, to make the
body of the flagelet according to the Drawing, and which I think best.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Bainbridge, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Second day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and three.
WILLIAM BAINBRIDGE. (L.S.)
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the same Second day of May, in
the year above mentioned, the aforesaid William Bainbridge came before
our Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained, in form above written.
And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of
the Statute in that case made and provided.
Inrolled the same Second day of May, in the year above written.