A METHOD FOR THE BETTER PRESERVING, SECURING, AND BAGGING OF HOPS, AND PROMOTING THE TRADE AND COMERCE OF THE SAME BY A NEW-INVENTED MACHINE AND ENGINE, BY WHICH FOUR HUNDREDWEIGHT OF HOPS IS REDUCED INTO A CURE OF TWO FOOT SQUARE, OR A ROUND IN EQUAL PROPORCON, WHICH MACHINES AND ENGINS ARE COMPOSED OF SCREWS, NUTS, WINDLACES, TOOTH WHEELS, NUTS, AND PINIONS &C.
Year: 1723

page_text: GEORGE, by the grace of God, &c., to all to whom these present shall
come, greeting.
WHEREAS our trusty and welbeloved RICHARD SHELDON, of Thurnham, in
our County of Kent, Esquire, hath by his peticon humbly represented vnto vs
.that he hath, with great study, labour, and expence, found out and invented
and brought to perfecčon "A METHOD FOR THE BETTER PRESERVING, SECURING,
AND BAGGING OF HOPS, AND PROMOTING THE TRADE AND COMERCE OF THE SAME BY A
NEW-INVENTED MACHINE AND ENGINE, BY WHICH FOUR HUNDREDWEIGHT OF HOPS IS
REDUCED INTO A CURE OF TWO FOOT SQUARE, OR A ROUND IN EQUAL PROPORCON, WHICH
MACHINES AND ENGINS ARE COMPOSED OF SCREWS, NUTS, WINDLACES, TOOTH WHEELS,
NUTS, AND PINIONS, &C., WHICH SAID MACHINES AND ENGINS WILL BE OF VERY GREAT
ADVANTAGE FOR THE TRADE AND COMERCE OF THE HOP MANUFACTORY IN GENERAL,
BOTH BY SEA AND LAND, FOR BY THE CLOSENESS OF THIS METHOD OF PACKING THE
HOPS IT MAKES THEM IMPETRABLE BY AIR, DAMPS, OR OTHERWISE, FOR ALTHOUGH
THE SPIRIT OF THE HOP IS OF A SPICEY AND VOLATILE NATURE, YET BY THIS
METHOD THEY MAY BE KEPT MANY YEARS WITHOUT ANY SENSIBLE DECAY OR ALTERA-
TION, EITHER IN WEIGHT OR GOODNESS, AND SPEND MORE FREELY IN THE COPPER,
THE BODY OF THE HOP BEING MELIORATED BY THIS WAY OF PACKING, THAT THE
BULK AND WEIGHT OF THE HOPS BY THIS NEW WAY OF PACKING IS EQUAL TO MOST
BALE GOOD, AND EXCEEDING MANY, SO THAT A SHIP OR ANY OTHER VESSELL OF ANY
BURTHEN, MAY BE FULLY FREIGHTED WITHOUT THE BAGS BEING EXPOSED ABOVE DECK
TO THE WEATHER, AND MAKES THEN WITH EASE AND SAFETY TO TO BE TRANSPORTED
TO ANY PART OF OUR DOMINIONS, OR ELSWHERE, THEY REING PACKED IN SUCH FORM

page_text: THEY WILL NOT TAKE VP THE FOURTH PART OF THE ROOM OR SPACE OF THE METHOD
NOW VSED; THAT THIS METHOD OF PACKING IS IN SUCH A FORK THAT IT IS VERY
COMODIOUS FOR HORSE LOADING IN THE ROOM OF WHEEL CARRIAGE, AND WHICH
CONTRIBUTE MUCH TO THE PRESERVACON OF THE ROADS AND CONVENIENCY OF
PLANTERS THAT LIVE REMOTE PROM MARKET, THAT COMODITY BEING GENERALLY
BROUGHT THERE IN THE WINTER SEASON, AND WILL BE OF GREAT ADVANTAGE TO
THE COUNTREY TRADERS, BREWERS, AND CONSUMERS OF HOPS, AND VERY ADVAN-
TAGIOUS TO THE PUBLICK IN GENERALL," and having humbly prayd vs to grant
him our Royal Letters Patents for the sole vse and benefit of the said In-
venčon for the term of fourteen years, wee, being willing to give encourage-
ment to all arts and invenčons which may be for the publick vse and benefit,
are gratiously pleased to condescend to his request.
KNOW YEE THEREFORE, that wee, of our especial grace, certain know-
ledge, and meer moĉon, have given and granted, and by these presents, for
vs, our heires and successors, do give and grant vnto the said Richard Sheldon,
his executors, administrators, and assignes, especial lycence, full power, sole
priviledge and authority, that he, the said Richard Sheldon, his executors,
administrators, and assignes, and every of them, by himselfe or themselves, or
by his or their deputy and deputies, servants or agente, or such others as
he, the said Richard Sheldon, his exocutors, administrators, or assignes,
shall at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times during the term herein expressed, shall and lawfully may make,
vse, exercise, and vend his said new-invented machine and engine for the
better serving, securing, and bagging of hops, as above described, within
that part of our kingdom of Great Britain called England, our dominion
of Wales, and Town of Berwick-vpon-Tweed, in such manner as to him,
the said Richard Sheldon, his executors, administrators, and assignes, or any
of them, shall in their discretions seem meet, and that he, the said Richard
Sheldon, his executors, administrators, and assignes, shall and lawfully may
have and enioy the whole profit, benefit, comodity and advantage from time to
time coming, growing, accrewing, and arising by reason of the said Invenčon,
for and during the term of years herein menčoned, to have, hold, exercise, and
enioy the said lycence, powers, priviledges, and advantages herein-before granted
or menconed to be granted vnto the said Richard Sheldon, his executors, admi-
nistrators, and assignes, for and during and vnto the full end and term of
fourteen years from the date of these presente next and imediately ensueing
and fully to be compleat and ended, according to the statute in such case
made and provided; and to the end that the said Richard Sheldon, his
executors, administrators, and assignes, and every of them, may have and

page_text: enioy the full benefit and the sole vse and exercise of the said Invencon,
according to our gratious intencon herein-before declared, wee do by these
presents, for vs, our heires and successors, require and strictly comand all and
every other person and persons, bodies politick and corporate, and all other
our subiects whatsoever, of what estate, quality, or degree, name, or condicon
soever they be, within that said part of our kingdom of Great Britain called
England, our dominion of Wales, and town of Berwick-vpon-Tweed aforesaid,
that neither they or either 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 Invenčon, or any part of the same so
attained vnto by the said Richard Sheldon, as aforesaid, nor in anywise coun-
terfeit, imitate, or resemble the same, nor shall make or cause to be made
any addičon 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 the said Richard Sheldon, his
executors, administrators, or assignes, in writing vnder his or their hande and
seales first had and obtained in that behalfe, vpon such paines 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 Richard Sheldon,
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 iustices of the
peace, mayors, sheriffes, bayliffes, constables, headboroughs, and all other
officers and ministers 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 'Baid
term hereby granted, in anywise molest, trouble, or hinder the said Richard
Sheldon, his executors, administrators, or assignes, or any of them, or his or
their deputies, servants, or agente, in or about the due and lawfull vse or
exercise of the said Invenčon, or anything relating thereto, provided always,
and these our Letters Patente are and shall be vpon this condicon; that if, at
any time during the said term hereby granted, it shall be made appear to vs,
our heirs 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 Invenčon is not a new invencon as to the
publick vse and exercise thereof in that part of our kingdom of Great Britain
called England, our dominion of Wales, or town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, or
not invented and found out by the said Richard Sheldon as aforesaid, then,
vpon significačon or declaračon, thereof to be made by vs, our heires or
successors, vnder our or their signet or privy seal, or by the lorde and others

page_text: of our their Privy Council, or any six or more of them, vnder their hand,
these our Letters shall forthwith ceasc, determine, and be vtterly void, to
all intent and purposes, anything herein-before contained to the contrary
in anywise notwithstanding; provided also, that these our Letters Patente,
or anything herein contained, shall not extend or be construed to extend
to give priviledge vnto the said Richard Sheldon, his executors, admi-
nistrators, or assignes, or any of them, to vse or imitate any inv or work
whatsoever which hath heretofore been found out or invented by any other
of our subiects whatsoever, and publickly vsed or exercised in that said part
of our kingdom of Great Britain called England, our dominion of Wales,
or town of Berwick-vpon-Tweed, vnto whom like Letters Patents or privi
ledges have been already granted for the sole vse, exercise, and benefit thereof
it being our will and pleasure that the said Richard Sheldon, his executors,
administrators, and assignes, and all and every other person and persons to
whom like Letters Patents or priviledges have been already granted as afore-
said, shall distinctly vse and practise their several inveučons by them invented
and found out, according to the true intent and meaning of the same respec-
tive Letters Patente and of these presente; provided likewise nevertheless,
and these our Letters Patente are vpon this express condičon, that if the said
Richard Sheldon, his executors or admin 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 claym 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
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 declaro
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 public subscrip
tions, 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 agents or servants, receive any sume or sumes of money what-
soever 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 herein 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, auy
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

page_text: which will be contrary to the true intent and meaning of a certain Act of
meaning of a certain Act of Parliament made in the sixth year of our reign,
intituled (an Act for the better securing certain powers and priviledges intended
to be granted by His Maiestic by two charters for assurance of ships and mer-
chandizes at sea, and for lending money upon bottomry, and for restraining
several extravagant and vnwarrantable practices therein menconed), if these our
Letters Patent had not been granted, or in case the said power, priviledge, 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
executors or administrators as and for the single person whom they represent, 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 Patents,
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. And, lastly, wee do by
theso presents, for vs, our heires and successors, grant vnto the said Richard
Sheldon, his executors, administrators, and assignes, that these our Letters
Patents, or the inrollment or exemplificačon thereof, shall be in and by all
thing good, firm, valid, sufficient, and effectuall in the law, according to the true
intent and meaning thereof, and shall be taken, construed, and adiudged in
the most favorable and beneficial sense, for the best advantage of the said
Richard Sheldon, his executors, administrators, and assignes, as well in all
our courts 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-vpon-Tweed, and amongst all and every the subiect of vs, our
heires and successors, whatsoever 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.
In witnose & the Seven-and-twentieth day of May