IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF COFFINS
Year: 1838

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MATTHEW
WARTON JOHNSON, of Buckingham Place, in the County of Middlesex,
Sculptor and Mason, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Fifteenth day of August, in the second year of Her reign, did, for
Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Matthew
Warton Johnson, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority,
that I, the said Matthew Warton Johnson, my exors, adiñors, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Matthew Warton Johnson, my exors, adñiors, or
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and
at all times during the terms of years therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town
of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION
OF COFFINS;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso, that I,
the said Matthew Warton Johnson, shall 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 Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said in part
recited Letters Patent, as in and-by the same, reference being thereunto had,
will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Matthew Warton Johnson, do hereby declare the nature of my said Inven

page_text: tion, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described
and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had
to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked
thereon (that is to say):-
My Invention relates to a mode of fastening the lids or covers of coffins
made of stone, marble, or such like material.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
A, the lid; B, the body of the coffin; C shews the side; D, section at
large, shewing the bolt and countersinking; E, the head; F, the foot;
G, section, shewing the coffin within.
I procure a block of stone, marble, granite, or other material of the
requisite dimensions, and shapen it outside in a somewhat similar manner to
the coffins now generally used. I then excavate the block, taking care to
leave sufficient thickness at the sides, bottom, and ends for the purposes of
durability and strength, and in some instances, when desired, I leave a portion
of the block for the head of the corpse to rest upon. I then cut a groove in
the top edge inside of the coffin to receive the lid, which to be shapened so
as to fit into the groove and completely and closely cover in the coffin. I then
bore a number of holes horizontally through the sides and ends of the coffin
into the lid, taking care to countersink the holes inside of the coffin. I then
provide a corresponding, number of metal, wood, stone, marble, or granite
bolts, with a spring attached to each metal bolt, which I insert into the holes
when the body is deposited in the coffin, and fill up the groove and holes with
cement or metal, as may be required. And I, in some instances, (when
required) cover the coffins with cloth, velvet, silk, serge, or other fabric; and
also when required, I inscribe on the top, sides, head, or foot a memorial of
the deceased or other matters at the wish of my employer or employers, and,
if required, I attach a metal inscription.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I would remark that I am aware that coffins have been
before made of stone. I do not claim the same when uncombined with the
means herein described of fastening the lids of the same; and I would
remark that variations may be made in the shaping of such coffins, so long as
they are adapted to receive spring catches according to my Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said Matthew Warton Johnson, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and thirty-nine.
MATTHEW WARTON (L.s.) JOHNSON.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-fourth day of January,
in the year of our Lord 1839, the aforesaid Matthew Warton Johnson came
before our said Lady the Queen in Her 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 stamped
according to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Fifteenth day of February, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and thirty-nine.