A METHOD OF CONVERTING COPPER INTO BRASS, BY A NEW WAY OF PREPARING THE COPPER TO RECEIVE A MUCH GREATER PROPORCON OF CALAMY, AND MAKING A MUCH GREATER INCREASE OF BRASS FROM THE COPPER AND CALANY THAN HAVE HITHERTO BEEN DONE, AND TO MAKE THE COPPER AND CALARY INTO BRASS IN MUCH LESS TIME AND LESS EXPENCE THAN HAS BEEN DONE BY ANY METHOD BEFORE PRACTICED, AND HAS ALSO FOUND OUT A NEW WAY OF NEALING THE PLATES AND KETTLES WITH PITT COLE, WHICH SOFTENS AND MAKES THE BRASS AS TOUGH AND FINE-COLOURED AS ANY HEALED WITH WOOD AND WOOD COALE
Year: 1723

page_text: come, greeting.
WHEREAS our trusty and welbeloved NEHEMIAH CHAMPION, of our City
of Bristol, Merchant, hath, by his petition, humbly represented vnto vs, that
he hath, with great study, labour, and expence, invented and brought to
perfecčon "A METHOD OF CONVERTING COPPER INTO BRASS, BY A NEW WAY OF
PREPARING THE COPPER TO RECEIVE A MUCH GREATER PROPORCON OF CALAMY, AND
MAKING A MUCH GREATER INCREASE OF BRASS FROM THE COPPER AND CALANY THAN
HAVE HITHERTO BEEN DONE, AND TO MAKE THE COPPER AND CALARY INTO BRASS IN
MUCH LESS TIME AND LESS EXPENCE THAN HAS BEEN DONE BY ANY METHOD BEFORE
PRACTICED, AND HAS ALSO FOUND OUT A NEW WAY OF NEALING THE PLATES AND
KETTLES WITH PITT COLE, WHICH SOFTENS AND MAKES THE BRASS AS TOUGH AND
FINE-COLOURED AS ANY HEALED WITH WOOD AND WOOD COALE;" which method of
making of a much greater quantity of brass from the copper and calamy in
less time and at less expence than has hitherto been done, and the new way
of nealing the plates and kettles as aforesaid will be of great profit and
advantage to this kingdom, and to the persons concerned in the copper and
brass manufactures; that the petičoner thought it not safe to menčon wherein
his said Invention chiefly consisted, and therefore hath most humbly proposed
to give an exact and particular descripcon of the nature of the said Invention,
in an instrument or writing vnder his hand and seal, to be inrolled in our
High Court of Chancery within one calendar month after the date of our
Letters Patents to which the same might referr, to make the grant therein
certain as has frequently been done in like cases, and as he is the first

page_text: inventor or introducer of the said method into publick practice, having humbly
prayed vs to grant him our royal Letters Patents for the sole vse and benefit
of the said Invention for the term of fourten years, according to the Statute
in that case made and provided, wee, being willing to give encouragement
to all arts and inventions which may be for the publick vse and benefit, arc
gratiously pleased to gratify him in his request.
KNOW YEE THEREFORE, that wee, of our especial grace, certain know-
ledge, and meer močon, have given and granted, and by these presents for
vs, our heires and successors, do give and grant vnto the said Nehemiah
Champion, his executors, administrators, and assignes, especial lycence, full
power, sole priviledge and authority that he, the said Nehemiah Champion,
his executors, administrators, and assignes, and every of them, by himselfe
or themselves, or by his or their deputy and deputies, servante or agente, or
such others as he, the said Nehemiah Champion, his executors, adminis-
trators, or assignes, shall at any agree with, and no others, from time to time
during the term herein expressed, shall and lawfully may make, vse, exercise,
and vend his said Invenčon of makeing a much greater quantity of brass from
the copper and calamy, and of nealing the plates and kettles as above described,
within that part of our kingdom of Great Britain called England, our domi-
nion of Wales, and town of Berwick-vpon-Tweed, in such manner as to
him, the said Nehemiah Champion, his executors, administrators, and assignes,
or any of them, shall in their discrečons seem meet; and that he, the said
Nehemiah Champion, his executors, administrators, and assignes, shall and
lawfully may have and enioy the whole profit, benefit, comodity, and.advan-
tage from time to time coming, growing, accrewing, and ariseing by reason of
the said Invenčon, for and during the term of years herein menconed,
to have, hold, exercise, and enioy the said lycence, powers, priviledges, and
advantages herein-before granted or menconed to be granted vnto the said
Nehemiah Champion, his executors, administrators, and assignes, for and
during and vnto the full end and term of fourteen years from the date of these
present next and imediately ensuing, and fully to be compleat and ended,
according to the Statute in such case mado and provided; and to the end that
the said Nehemiah Champion, his executors, administrators, and assignes, and
every of them, may have and enioy the full benefit and the sole vse and exer-
cise of the said Invention according to our gratious intencon herein-before
declared, wee do by these presente, for vs, our heires and successors, require
and strictly cōmand all and every person and persons, bodies politick and
corporate, and all other our subiecte whatsoever, of what estate, quality, or
degree, name or condicon soever they be, within that said part of our kingdom

page_text: of Great Britain called England, our dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-
vpon-Tweed aforesaid, that neither they or any of them, at any time during
the continuance of the said term of fourteen years hereby granted, either
directly or indirectly do make, vse, or put in practice the said Invenčon, or
any part of the same, so attained vnto by the said Nehemiah Champion
as aforesaid, or 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, or agreement of tho
said Nehemiah Champion, his executors, administrators, or assignes, in writing
vnder his or their hande and seales first had and obtained in that behalf, vpon
such pains and penalties as can or may be iustly inflicted on such offenders for
their contempt of this our royal comand, and further to be answerable to the
said Nehemiah Champion, 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 the justices of the peace, mayors, sheriffs, bayliffs, constables, head-
boroughs, 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 continuance of the said term hereby granted,
in anywise molest, trouble, or hinder the said Nehemiah Champion, his exc-
cutors, administrators, or assignes, or any of them, or his or their deputies, ser-
vants, or agents, in or about the due and lawfull vse or exercise of the aforesaid
Invencon, or anything relating thereto: Provided always, and these our Letters
Patente are and shall be vpon this condition, that if at any time during tho
said term hereby granted it shall be made appear to us, 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 subiecte in generall, or that the
said Invenčon is not a new invenčon as to the publick vse and exercise thereof
in that said part of our kingdom of Great Britain called England, our dominion
of Wales, or town of Berwick-vpon-Tweed, or not invented and found out by
the said Nehemia Champion as aforesaid, then vpon signification and declara-
tion thereof to be made by vs, our heirs or successors, vnder our or their signet
or privy seal, or by the lords and others of our or their Privy Council, or any
six or more of them, vnder their hands, these our Letters Patents shall forth-
with cease, determine, and be vtterly void to all intents and purposes, anything
herein-before contained to the contrary in anywise notwithstanding: Provided
also that these our Letters Patents, or anything herein contained, shall not
extend, or be construed to extend, to give priviledge vnto the said Nehemiah

page_text: Champion, his executors, administrators, or assignes, or any of them, to vsc or
imitate any invention or work whatsoever which hath heretofore been found
out or invented by any other of our subiecte whatsoever, and publickly
vsed or exercised in that part of our kingdom of Great Britain called
England, our dominion of Wales, or town of Berwick-vpon-Tweed, vnto
whom like Letters Patent or priviledges have been already granted for the
sole vse, excrcise, and benefit thereof, it being our will and pleasure that the
said Nehemiah Champion, his executors, administrators, and assignes, and all
and every other person and persons to whom like Letters Patente or privi-
ledges have been already granted for the sole vse, exercise, and benefit thereof,
it being our will and pleasure that the said Nehemiah Champion, his exccu-
tors, administrators, and assignes, and all and every other person and persons to
whom like Letters Patente or priviledges have been already granted as afore-
said, shall distinctly vse and practico their severall inventions by them invented
and found out, according to the true intent and meaning of the same respective
Letters Patent and of these presents: Provided likewise nevertheless, and
these our Letters Patente are upon this express condičon, that if the said
Nehemiah Champion, his executors or administrators, or any person or
persons which shall or may at any time or times hereafter during the con-
tinuance 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 Invenčon hereby granted, shall make any transferr or
assignement, or any pretended transferr or assignement, of the said liberty and
priviledge, or any share or shares of the benefit or profit thereof, or shall
declare any trust to or for any number of persons exceeding the number of
five, or shall open or cause to be opened any book or bookes for publick
subscripĉons to be made by any number of persons exceeding the number of
five, in order to the raising any sume or sumes of money vnder pretence of
carrying on the said liberty or priviledge hereby granted, or shall by him or
themselves, or his or their agent 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 cor-
porate body, or shall divide the benefit of these our Letters Patente, 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 comitted 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 will be contrary to the true intent and meaning of a certain
Act of Parliament made in the sixth year of our reign, intituled (An Act

page_text: for the better securing certain powers and priviledges intended to be granted
by His Majestie by two charters, for assurance of ships and merchandizes at
sea, and for lending money vpon bottomry, and for restraining severall ex-
travagant and vnwarrantable practices therein menconed), if these our Letters
Patents had not been granted, or in case the said power, priviledge, or autho-
rity 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
executors, or administrators, as and for the single person for whom they repre-
sent, as to such interest as they are or shall be intitled to in right of such
their testator or intestate), that then and in any of the said cases these our
Letters Patente, and all liberties, priviledges, and advantages whatsoever hereby
granted, shall vtterly cease, determine, and become void, anything herein-before
contained to the contrary thereof in anywise notwithstanding: Provided also,
that if the said Nehemiah Champion shall not inroll, or cause to be inrolled in
our said High Court of Chancery, such an instrument giving an exact and par-
ticular descripčon of the nature of his said Invenčon, vnder his hand and seal,
within one callender month after the date of these our Letters Patente, as he
hath herein above proposed, that then these our Letters Patents shall be void and
of none effect. And, lastly, wee do, by these presente, for vs, our heirs and
successors, grant vnto the said Nehemiah Champion, his executors, admi-
nistrators, and assignes, that these our Letters Patente, or the inrollment or
exemplification thereof, shall be in and by all things good, firm, valid, suffi-
cient, and effectuall in the law, according to the true intent and meaning
thereof, and shall be taken, construed, and adiudged in the most favourablo
and beneficial sense, for the best advantage of the said Nehemiah Champion,
his executors, administrators, and assigns, as well in all court of record as
elswhere, and by all and singular the officers and ministers whatsoever of vs,
our heires and successors, in that part of our said kingdom of Great Britain
called England, our dominion of Wales, and town of Berwick-upon-Tweed,
and amongst all and every the subiect of vs, our heirs and successors, whatso-
ever and wheresoever, notwithstanding the not full and certain describing the
nature or quality of the said Invenčon, or of the materials thereto conducing
and belonging.