AN ENGINE OR MILL FOR THE MORE EASY, CHEAP, AND EFFECTUALL BEATING OF RAW HEMP
Year: 1721

page_text: come greeting.
WHEREAS our trusty and welbeloved HENRY BROWNE, Gentleman, bath
by his petition humbly represented vnto vs that he has in long continuance of
time, and by great pains, study, and labour, invented "AN ENGINE OR MILL FOR
THE MORE EASY, CHEAP, AND EFFECTUALL BEATING OF RAW HEMP," and that by
this Invention the most dificult work belonging to the linnen manufactory will
be eased, the trado encouraged and improved, and great numbers of the poor
constantly imployed in dressing, spinning, weaving, and other contingent works
thereunto belonging, praying vs to grant him our Royal Letters Patents for
the sole vse and benefit of his said Invenčon for the terme of fourteen yeares,
according to the Statute in that behalfe, which engine or mill as has been
represented vnto vs on the part of the said Henry Browne is invented or
contrived in manner following (viz') :-One or more piece or pieces of wood
or timber is or are to be erected perpendicularly in a frame or frames, which
being raised vp by a lifter or lifters fixed on an axis of iron or wood, will fall
perpendicularly vpon one or more piece or pieces of wood or iron whereon the
hemp to be beaten is to be laid; and the said axis is invented or contrived
with one or more wheele or wheels, which are to be moved by hande, horses,
wind, or water.
NOW KNOW YEE, that wee, being willing to give encouragement to all
arts and Inventions that may be of publick vse and benefit, of our especial
grace, certain knowledge, and meer motion, have given and granted, and by

page_text: these Presents, for vs, our heires and successors, do give and grant vnto the
said Henry Browne, his executors, administrators, and assignes, and every of
them, especiall lycence, full power, sole priviledge and authority, that he, the
said Henry Browne, his executors, administrators, and assignes, and every of
them, by himselfe or themselves, or by his or their deputie or deputies,
servant, or agente, or such others as he, the said Henry Browne, his
executors, administrators, or assignes, shall at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times during the term of yeares herein
expressed, shall and lawfully may exercise, work, vse, and enioy, within that
part of our Kingdom of Great Britain called England, our Dominion of
Wales, and Town of Berwick-vpon-Tweed, the said new invented engine or
mill for beating of raw hemp in such manner as to him, the said Henry
Browne, his executors, administrators, and assignes, or any of them, shall in
their discretion seem meet; and that he, the said Henry Browne, his
executors, administrators, and assignes, shall and may have and enioy the
whole profit, benefit, comodity, and advantage from time to time comeing,
growing, accruing, and arising by reason of the said Invention, for and during
the full terme of yeares herein mentioned, to have, hold, exercise, and enioy
the said lycence, powers, priviledges, and advantages herein before granted or
mentioned to be granted vnto the said Henry Brown, his executors, adminis-
trators, and assignes, for and during and vnto the full end and term of fourteen
yeares from the date of these Presents next and immediately ensuing and fully
to be compleat and ended according to the Statute in such case made and
provided. And to the end that the said Henry Brown, his executors,
administrators, and assignes, and every of them, may have and enioy the full
benefit and the sole vse and exercise of the said Invention according to our
gracious intenčon herein-before declared, wee do by these Presents, for vs,
our heires and successors, require and strictly command all and every person
and persons, bodies politick and corporate, and all other our subiects whatso-
ever, of what estate, quality, degree, name, or condičon soever they be, within
that part of our said Kingdome of Great Britain called England, our Dominion
of Wales, and Town of Berwick-vpon-Tweed aforesaid, that neither they nor
any of them at any time during the continuance of the said term of fourteen
yeares hereby granted, either directly or indirectly, do make, vse, or put in
practice, the said Invention, or any part of the same, so attained vnto by the
said Henry Browne, as aforesaid, nor shall in anywise counterfeit, imitate, or
resemble the same, nor shall make or cause to be made any addition thereunto,
or substracčon from the same, whereby to pretend himselfe or themselves the
inventor or inventors, devisor or devisors thereof without the lycence, consent,

page_text: in
or agreement of the said Henry Browne, his executors, administrators, or
assignes, in writing vnder his or their hand and seales, first had and obtained
in that behalfe, vpon such pains and penalties as can or may be iustly inflicted
on such offenders for their contempt of this our royall comand. And further
to be answerable to the said Henry Browne, his executors, administrators, and
assignes, according to law for his and their damages thereby occasioned. And
moreover wee do by these Presents, for vs, our heires and successors, will and
comand all and singular our justices of the peace, mayors, sheriffs, bayliffs,
constables, headboroughs, and all other officers and ministers whatsoever of vs,
our heires and successors for the time being, that they, or any of them, do
not, nor shall at any time hereafter during the said term hereby granted,
any wise molest, trouble, or hinder the said Henry Browne, his executors,
administrators, or assignes, or any of them, or his or their deputies, servants, or
agents, in or about the due and lawfull making, vse, or exercise of the aforesaid
Invention, or any thing relating thereto: Provided always, and these our
Letters Patents are and shall be vpon this condičon, that if at any time during
the said terme hereby granted it shall be made appear to vs, our heires or
successors, or any six or more of our or their Privy Council, that this our
grant is contrary to law, or preiudicial or inconvenient to our subiects in
general, or that the said Invention is not a new invention as to the publick
vse or exercise thereof within that part of our said Kingdom of Great Britain
called England, our Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed
aforesaid, or not invented or found out by the said Henry Browne, as
aforesaid, then, vpon significačon and declaračon thereof to be made by
vs, our heires or successors, vnder our or their signet or privy seale, or by
the Lorde and others of our or their Privy Council, or any six or more
of them, vnder their hande, these our Letters Patente shall forthwith
cease, determine, and be vtterly void, to all intents and purposes, aný
thing herein before contained to the contrary, in anywise notwithstanding:
Provided also, that these our Letters Patente, or any thing herein contained,
shall not extend or be construed to extend to give priviledge to the said
Henry Browne, his executors, administrators, and assignes, or any of them, to
vise or imitate any Invention whatsoever which hath heretoforo been found
out or invented by any other of our subiecte whatsoever, and publickly vseď
or exercised within that part of our said Kingdom of Great Britain called.
England, our Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-vpon-Tweed afore-.
said, vnto whom liketters Patents or priviledges have been already-granteds
for the sole vse, exercise, and benefit thereof, our royall' will and pleasure
being that the said Henry Browne, his executors, administrators, and assignes,,

page_text: and all and every other person and persons to whom like Letters Patents or
priviledges have been already granted as aforesaid, shall distinctly vse and
practice their severall Inventions by them invented and found out according
to the true intent and meaning of the same respective Letters Patents and
these Presente: Provided likewise, nevertheless, and these our Letters Patents
are vpon this express condičon, that if the said Henry Browne, his executors
or administrators, or any person or persons which shall or may at any time or
times hereafter during the continuance of this grant have or claim any right,
title, or interest in law or equity of, in, or to the power, priviledge, and
authority of the sole vse and benefit of the said Invention hereby granted
shall make any transferr or assignment, or any pretended transferr or assign-
ment of the said liberty and priviledge, or any share or shares of the
benefit or profit thereof, or shall declare any trust thereof to or for any
number of persons exceeding the number of five, or shall open or cause
to be opened any book or books for publick subscripcons to be made
by any number of persons exceeding the number of five, in order to raise
any sume or sumes of money vnder pretence of carrying on the said
liberty or priviledge hereby granted, or shall by himselfe or themselves, or his
or their agents or servante, receive any sume or sumes of money whatsoever
of any number of persons exceeding in the whole the number of five for such
or the like intents or purposes, or shall presume to act as a corporate body,
or shall divide the benefit of these our Letters Patents, or the liberty and
priviledges hereby by vs granted into any number of shares exceeding the
number of five, or shall comitt or do, or procure to be committed or done any
act, matter, or thing whatsoever during such time as such person or persons
shall have any right or title either in law or equity in or to the said premisses
which would be contrary to the true intent and meaning of a certain Act of
Parliament made in the sixth year of our reigne, intituled An Act for the
better securing certain Powers and Priviledges intended to be granted to bo
granted by His Maiestie by Two Charters for Assurance of Ships and Mer-
chandizes at Sea, and for Lending Money vpon Bottomry, and for Restraining
soverall Extravagant and Vnwarrantable Practices therein mentioned, if these
our Letters Patents had not been granted, or in case the said power, privi-
ledge or authority shall at any time hereafter become vested in or in trust for
more than the number of five persons or their representatives at any one time,
reckoning the executors or administrators as and for the single person whom
they represent as to such interest as they are or shall be intituled vnto in
right of such their testator or intestate, then and in any of the said cases
these our Letters Patente and all liberties, priviledges, and advantages what-

page_text: soever hereby granted shall vtterly cease, determine, and become void, any
thing herein contained to the contrary thereof in anywise notwithstanding.
And lastly, wee do by these psents, for vs, our heires and successors, grant
vnto the said Henry Browne, his executors, administrators, and assignes, that
these our Letters Patente or the inrollment or exemplificačon thereof shall
be in and by all things good, firm, valid, sufficient, and effectuall in the law
according to the true intent and meaning thereof, and shall be taken, con-
strued, and adiudged in the most favourable and beneficiall sence for the best
advantage of the said Henry Browne, his executors, administrators, and
assignes, as well in all Courts of Record as elsewhere, and by all and singular
the officers and ministers whatsoever of vs, our heires and successors, within
that part of our said Kingdom of Great Britain called England, our Dominion
of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed aforesaid, and amongst all and
every the subiects of vs, our heires and successors whatsoever and wheresoever
notwithstanding the not full and certain describing the nature or quality of
the said Invention or of the materials thereto conduceing or belonging.
In witness, &c. Witness ourselfe at Westminster, the Twelfth day of
August.