A NEW WAY OR METHOD OF MAKING CORF Bows OF IRON, WITH SPRINGS THEREUNTO BELONGING
Year: 1728

page_text: GEORGE THE SECOND, by the grace of God, &c., to all to whom these
Presents shall come greeting.
WHEREAS, READ HODSHON, of Wilton-vpon-Wear, in our County of
Durham, Gentleman, hath by his peticon humbly represented vnto vs, that
he hath often observed with a great deal of concern the destruccon of the
several promising springs of young wood in severall parts of our dominions
(a grievance with too much reason generally complained of), and finding the
same mostly to proceed from the cutting and vsing young oakes and ashes for
corf bows, which trees in a few years would have been serviceable for timber, if
not so destroyed (a corf being what containes th coales as they are drawn vp
the shaft or pit out of the coal mines) he hath with great pains and expence
invented, contrived, and at last brought to perfeccon "A NEW WAY OR METHOD
OF MAKING CORF Bows OF IRON, WITH SPRINGS THEREUNTO BELONGING;" which
corf bows so made of iron the petitioner having made several experiments
thereof,, will more effectually answer the same, and be much more durable,
vsefull, and lasting to all persons who shall think proper to make vse of the
said Invention, by which several thousand young trees may be preserved to
the manifest advantage of the publick and nation in general. And having
humbly prayed vs to grant vinto him, his executors, administrators, and
assignes, our Royal Letters Patente for the sole vse and benefit of his said
Invention for the term of fourteen years, according to the Statute in such case
made and provided; wee being willing to give encouragement to all arts and
invenčons which may be of publick service and benefit are gratiously pleased
to gratify him in his request.

page_text: 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 Read Hodshon, his
executors, administrators, and assignes, our especial lycence, full power, sole
priviledge, and authority, that he the said Read Hodshon, his executors, admi-
nistrators, 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 Read Hodshon, his executors, administrators, or assignes, shall at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time, and at all times hereafter,
during the term of yeares herein expressed, shall and lawfully may make, vse,
and exercise his said new Invenčon of making corf bows of iron with springs
and screws thereunto belonging for the purposes herein-before sett forth and
described, within that part of Kingdome of Great Britain called England, our
Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-vpon-Tweed, in such manner as to
him, the said Read Hodshon, his executors, administrators, and assignes, or
any of them, shall in their discrečons seem meet. And that he the said Read
Hodshou, his executors and assignes shall and lawfully may have and enioy
the whole profit, commodity, benefit, and advantage 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 enior
the said lycence, powers, priviledges, and advantages herein-before granted or
menconed to be granted vnto the said Read Hodshon, his executors, adminis-
trators, and assignes, for and during and during and vnto the full end and term
of fourteen yeares from the date of these Presents next and immediately
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 Read Hodshon, 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 Invenĉon, according
to our gratious intenčon herein-before declared, wce 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 subiecte what
soever, of what estate, quality, degree, name or condičon soever they be, within
that said part of our Kingdom of Great Britain called England, our Dominion
of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed aforesaid, that neither they or
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 Read Hodshon as aforesaid, nor in anywise counterfeit, imitate, or
resemble the same, nor shall make or cause to be made any addičon thereunto

page_text: 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 Read Hodshon, 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 royal command; and further
to be answerable to the said Read Hodshon, 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
command all and singular the justices of the peace, mayors, sheriffs, bayliffes,
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,
in any wise molest, trouble, or hinder the said Read Hodshon, his execu-
tors, administrators, or assignes, or any of them, or his or their deputies,
servants, or agents, in or about the due and lawfull vse or exercise of the afore-
said Invenčon or anything relateing thereto: Provided always, and these our
Letters Patents are and shall be vpon this condičon, that if at any time during
the said term 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 in that said part of our Kingdom of Great Britain called England, our
Dominion of Wales, or Town of Berwick-vpon-Tweed aforesaid, or not invented
and found and found out by the said Read Hodshon as aforesaid, then vpon speci-
ficacon or declaračon thereof to be made by vs, our heires, or successors, 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 Patents shall forthwith cease, deter-
mine, and be vtterly void to all intents and purposes, any thing herein-before
contained to the contrary thereof in any wise notwithstanding: Provided also,
that these our Letters Patents, or any thing herein contained, shall not extend
or be construed to extend to give priviledge vnto the said Read Hodshon, his
executors, administrators, or assignes, or any of them, to vse or imitate any
invention 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 Kingdome of Great Britain called England, our Domi-
nion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-vpon-Tweed aforesaid, vnto whom like
Letters Patent or priviledges have been already granted for the sole vse,
exercise, and benefit thereof. It being our will and pleasure is that the said

page_text: Read Hodshon, his executors, administrators, and assignes, and all and every
other person or persons to whom like Letters Patente or priviledges have been
already granted as aforesaid, shall distinctly vse and practice their several
invenĉons by them invented and found out, according to the true intent and
meaning of the same respective Letters Patents and of these Presente: Pro-
vided likewise, neverthelesse, and these our Letters Patente are vpon this
expresse condičon, that if the said Read Hodshon, bis exccutors or adminis-
trators, 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 Invenčon hereby granted, shall make any
transferr or assignment or any pretended transferr or assignment 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 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 corporate body, or shall divide the benefit of these our Letters
Putente, or the liberty and priviledges hereby by vs granted into any number
of shares exceeding the number of five, or shall committ, or do, or procure to be
comitted or done, any act, matter, or thing whatsoever during such time
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 the reign of our late
Royal Father King George the First, intituled, (An Act for the better securing
certain Powers and Priviledges intended to be granted by His Maiestie by
Two Charters for Assurance of Ships and Merchandizes at Sca, and for lending
Money upon Bottomry, and for restraining severall extravagant and vnwar-
rautable Practices therein menconed), if these our Letters Patents 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 intituled to in right of such their testator or
intestate), that then and in any of the said cases these our Letters Patents

page_text: and all liberties, priviledges, and advantages whatsoever hereby granted, shall
forthwith cease, determine, and become void any thing herein-before contained
to the contrary thereof in anywise notwithstanding. And, lastly, wee do by
these Presents for vs, our heires, and successors, grant vnto the said Read
Hodshon, his executors, administrators, and assignes, that these our Letters
Patents, or the inrollment or exemplification thereof, shall be in and by all
things good, firme, 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 favourable and beneficial sense for the best advantage of the said
Read Hodshon, 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, in that part of our said
Kingdom of Great Britain called England, our Dominion of Wales, and Town
of Berwick-vpon-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 Invencon
or of the materials thereto conduceing and belonging.
In witnesse, &c.
Witnesse our selfe, at Westminster, the Seventh