AN ART OF TAKEING FISH BY A LIGHT WHICH THEY CAN CAUSE TO BURNE SOME FATHOMS VNDER WATER, WITH WHICH, AND A LIGHT ABOVE WATER, THEY CAN DRAW THE FISH WHICH ARE IN THE COMPASSE OF A LEAGUE IN THE SEA TO ONE PLACE, AND CAN THEREBY TAKE GREATER QUANTITIES AND VARIETIES OF FISH THEN CAN BE TAKEN BY HOOKES ORNETTS
Year: 1692

page_text: presents shall come, greeting.
WHEREAS JOHN WILLIAMS, of Exeter, and Sir HENRY MARWOOD, Barr,
have, by their humble peticon, represented vnto vs that they have, by
their long study and great expence, attained to "AN ART OF TAKEING FISH BY A
LIGHT WHICH THEY CAN CAUSE TO BURNE SOME FATHOMS VNDER WATER, WITH WHICH,
AND A LIGHT ABOVE WATER, THEY CAN DRAW THE FISH WHICH ARE IN THE COMPASSE
OF A LEAGUE IN THE SEA TO ONE PLACE, AND CAN THEREBY TAKE GREATER QUANTITIES
AND VARIETIES OF FISH THEN CAN BE TAKEN BY HOOKES OR NETTS;" which In-
venčon will be of great vse to our subiects in generall, both for food and for
oyle, and was never practised nor found out before; and have humbly prayed
vs to grant them our Letters Patents for the sole vse and benefitt of the said
new Invention, and wee being graciously pleased to condescend thereunto,―
KNOW YEE, THEREFORE, that wee, being willing to cherish and en-
courage all laudable endeavours and designes of such our subiects as have by
their industry found out vsefull and profittable arts, misteries, and inventions,
and that the said John Williams and Sir Henry Marwood may accordingly
reape some fruite and benefitt of their labour and charge in and con-
cerning the premisses, of our especiall grace, certaine knowledge, and meer
mocon, wee have given and granted, and by these presents doe give and
grant, vnto John Williams and Sir Henry Marwood, their executors, admini-
strators, and assignes, especiall lycence, power, priviledge, and authority, that
they, by themselves, and by their deputies, servants, agents, and workmen, and
such others onely as they, the said John Williams and Sir Henry Marwood,

page_text: their executors, administrators, and assignes, shall agree with, shall and may
from time to time and at all times hereafter during the space of fourteen
yeares next ensueing the date of these presents, at their own proper costs
and charges, erect, vse, teach, exercise, and put in practise the said new
Invention soe by them or one of them contrived and found out as aforesaid
in any place or places within our kingdome and dominions, and alsoe shall
and may receive, take, and enioy all the benefitts, profitts, comodities,
and advantages of and by the said new Invention to be had, made, acquired,
or gotten to their own proper benefit, vse and vses, to have, hold, vsc, exer-
cise, and enioy the said lycence, powers, priviledges, and authorities, and all
other the misses by these presents granted or mentioned to be granted
vnto the said John Williams and Sir Henry Marwood, their executors,
administrators, and assignes, for and durcing and vnto the full end and terme
of fourteen yeares from the day of the date of these presents next ensucing,
and fully to compleate and ended, according to the statute in that case made
and provided. And to the end the said John Williams and Sir Henry
Marwood, their executors, administrators, and assignes, may the better enioy
the full and whole benefitt and the sole vse and exercise of therr said new
Invention, wee doe, by these presents, for vs, our heires and successors,
streightly charge, require, and comand all and every person and persons,
bodies politick and corporate, of what quality, degree, name, or condicon
seever they be, within our said kingdome and dominions, that neither they
nor any of them, dureing the said terme of fourteen yeares hereby granted,
either directly or indirectly, doe vse, exercise, or put in practise the said new
Invention soe by the said John Williams and Sir Henry Marwood, or one
of them invented and found out as aforesaid, nor doc nor shall counterfeit,
imitate, or resemble the said new Invention, or any materialls or ingre-
dients thereunto belonging, nor doc nor shall make any addition there-
unto or substraccion therefrom, whereby to pretend themselves the inventers
or devisors thereof, without the lycence, consent, or agreement of the said
John Williams and Sir Henry Marwood, their executors, administrators, or
assignes, in writeing vnder their hands and seales first had and obteined in
that behalfe, vnder such paines and penalties as can or may be inflicted on
the offender or offenders therein for the contempt of this our royall comand,
and further to be answerable to the said John Williams and Sir Henry
Marwood, their executors, administrators, and assignes, according to the
vtmost rigour of the law, for their damages thereby susteyned. And further
wee doe, by these our Letters Patents, for vs, our heires and successors,
will, authorize, require, and comand all and singular justices of the peace,

page_text: mayors, sherriffs, bayliff's, constables, headboroughs, and all other officers and
ministers whatsoever of vs, our heires and successors, now and for the time
being, whome it may concerne, that they and every of them respectively be,
from time to time dureing the terme hereby granted, in their respective
offices and according to their and every of their best skills and endeavours,
ayding, helping, and assisting vnto the said John Williams and Sir Henry
Marwood, their executors, administrators, and assignes, deputies, agents, and
servants, in and by all things in and about the accomplishment of our royall
will and pleasure herein-before declared, and in the execution of the severall
powers and priviledges hereby granted as aforesaid. And morcover wee doe
by these presents, for vs, our heires and successors, will and comand that
our said respective officers and ministers before mentioned, or any of them,
doe not, nor shall at any time hereafter dureing the terme hereby granted,
in any wise molest, trouble, or hinder the said John Williams and Sir
Henry Marwood, their executors, administrators, or assignes, deputies, agents,
or servants, in or about the vsc or exercise of the aforesaid Invention, or
any part thereof, or any thing relateing thereunto: Provided alwaies, and
these our Letters Patents are and shall be vpon this condičon, that if att
any time durcing the said terme of fourteen yeares hereby granted, it shall
be made appeare to vs, our heires or successors, or any six or more of our
or their Privy Councill, that this our grant is contrary to law, or preiudiciall
or inconvenient to our subiects in generall, or that the Invention before
mentioned is not a new inventon as to the publick vse and exercise of
the same, and not invented and found out by the said John Williams and
Sir Henry Marwood, or one of them as aforesaid, then, vpon signification and
declaračon of such preiudice or inconveniency, to be made by vs, our heires
or successors, vnder our or their signet or privy seale, or by the lords or others
of our or their Privy Councill, or any six or more of them, vnder their hands,
these our Letters Patents shall forthwith cease, determine and become vtterly
void to all intents and purposes, anything herein-before contained to the
contrary notwithstanding Provided alsoe, that these our Letters Patents,
or anything herein contained, shall not extend or be construed to extend
to give priviledge vnto the said John Williams and Sir Henry Marwood,
their executors, administrators, or assignes, to imitate any invenčon or worke
whatsoever which hath been heretofore invented and found out by any other
of our subiccts whatsoever, and publickly exercised within our kingdomes
or dominions aforesaid, to whome wee have already granted our like Letters
Patents of Priviledge for the sole exercise and benefitt thereof, it being
our will and pleasure that the said John Williams and Sir Henry Marwood,
:

page_text: their executors, administrators, and assignes, and all and singular other person
and persons to whome wee have already granted our like Letters Patents,
shall distinctly vse and practise their severall inventions by them respec-
tively found out, according to the true meaning of such our Letters Patents
and of these presents. And, lastly, wee doe hereby, for vs, our heires and
successors, grant vnto the said John Williams and Sir Henry Marwood,
their executors, administrators, and assignes, that these our Letters Patents, or
the enrollment enrollment thereof, shall be and continue in and by all things
good, firme, valid, and effectuall in the law, according to the true intent and
meaning of the same, notwithstanding the not full and certaine describeing or
mentioning of the said Invention, or of the materialls, ingredients, wayes,
or meanes of makeing, vseing, or exerciseing of the same, or of the certaine
vse or benefitt thereof, or any other defect, incertainty, or imperfecction in
these presents, or any other matter, cause, or thing whatsoever to the con-
trary in anywise notwithstanding.
In witnesse &c.
Witnesse ourselves at Westminster. the Two and
Twentieth den of Anvil
Twentieth day of April
By Writt of Privy Seale.