NEW-INVENTED ART OR MISTERY OF WEAVING WOOD HATTS IN A LOOM
Year: 1769

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
HODGES, of the Parish of Lambeth, in the County of Surry, Wood Hat
Weaver, send greeting,
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third, by His
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date the
Twenty-eighth day of October, in the tenth year of His said Majesty's reign,
did give and grant unto me, the said James Hodges, His especial licence, full
power, sole priviledge and authority, that I, the said James Hodges, my exors,
adiňors, and assigns, should and lawfully might, during the term of years
therein mentioned and expressed, make, use, and exercise and vend, throughout
that part of His Majesty's Kingdom of Great Britain called England, the
Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my "NEW-INVENTED
ART OR MISTERY OF WEAVING WOOD HATTS IN A LOOM;" in which said recited
Letters Patent is contained a proviso obliging me, the said James Hodges, by
writing under my hand and seal, to cause a particular description of the
nature of the said Invention to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court
of Chancery within four calendor months after the date of the said recited
Letters Patent, as in and by the Statute, relation being thereunto had, may
more at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YEE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
James Hodges, do hereby declare that my said new Invention is composed of
a weaving loom, upon the same construction of a loom for weaving silk or
cloth, and that the manner of cutting or manufactoring the chip out of white
whans, or out of a wood called or known by the name of sollo, and out of
ash. For the making the hatts :-First take a cleavor to slit the scane or rod into
three or four parts; then take a shave to ruff the scane; then take a course
upright to size the clift to a weadth; then take a fine shave to make the clift
thiner, as occasion may require. Then take a gage, consisting of a square
bit of wood of about four inches long, and one inch or a little more in breadth,
in which said piece of wood or gage is therein fixt some knifes (one to nine),
as shall be thought necessary, which said knifes are made of watch-springs or
pints of lansetts, or out of penknifes, which said gage cuts the clift or scane
into two or ten scanes. Then the scanes are gathered up at one end, and all
cutt to a proper length. Then the scanes are tied into a thrumb or tail, well
known by weavors, which is fixt upon the back roll. When so fixt, then the
scanes are knotted and laced to the breast roll. Then the scanes or shoot is
drawn into the wharp in the loom one by one with a wood or iron hook made
for that purpose, in the nature of weaving horsehair; in which said loom there
is a sun and clink, both made of iron or steel, which is or are to stop the
work, or to let it out, as required. The scanes or wharp are to be properly
entered in a harness with brass mails, to the amount of two hundred to three
hundred, and no more. There is likewise used to the loom an instrument
called a tredle, well known by weavers, which in weaving the hatts are only
used in number (from two to twelve). There is likewise as many lambs,
tumblers, and pullys belonging to the loom as occasion requires. There is a
reed belonging to the loom, as is to all other looms. When the hatts are
woved, they are pressed in a rolling press or a common hatt press; then they
are scowered with soap and water. When they are dry, smoak them in a con-
venient place with brimstone, and afterwards cutt the edge round the hatts,
and bind them with a tape or ribbon. Then the work is compleat.
In witness whereof, I have hereunto sett my hand and seal, the Sixth
day of November, in the year of our Lord One thousand seven
hundred and sixty-nine.
Sealed and delivered (being first duly
stampt) in the presence of,
JAMES HODGES. (L.B.)
SALOME LOVILL.
CAIN ADAMS.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Sixth day of November, in
the year of our Lord 1769, the aforesaid James Hodges 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 in the sixth year of the reign of the late King and Queen
William and Mary of England, and so forth.