A NEW METHOD OF MAKHING CANNON OR GREAT GUNS, BOTH IN IRON AND BRASS, WHICH WILL BE MUCH SHORTER, LIGHTER, AND WITH LESS POWDER CARRY FURTHER THAN THOSE OF EQUALL BORE NOW IN USE, WHEREBY A CONSIDERABLE EXPENCE MAY BE SAVED BOTH IN METALE AND POWDER, HEAVEY BURTHENS LIGHTENED, AND AN ENIKY ANOYED WITH MORE READYNESS OF HAND THAN HAS HITHERTO BEEN DISCOVERED, THAT FIELD PIECES OF GOOD FORCE MAY THEREBY BE RENDERED SO PORTABLE AS ONE OF THEM TO BE CARRYED BY A SINGLE HORSE OR MULE UPON AN EXPEDITION WHERE WHEELE CARRAGE CAN- NOT CONVENIENTLY BE BROUGHT UP
Year: 1728

page_text: DROWNED DIECIFICATION.
TO ALL TO WHOME THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty George the Second,
by the grace of God, of Great Britaine, France, and Ireland King,
Defender of the Faith, &c., upon the humble petition of His trusty
and well beloved Henry Browne, Esquire, setting forth that he, the
said Henry Browne, in long continuance of time, great study,
expence, and hard labour, hath found out and invented "A NEW
METHOD OF MAKHING CANNON OR GREAT GUNS, BOTH IN IRON AND BRASS,
WHICH WILL BE MUCH SHORTER, LIGHTER, AND WITH LESS POWDER CARRY
FURTHER THAN THOSE OF EQUALL BORE NOW IN USE, WHEREBY A CONSIDERABLE
EXPENCE MAY BE SAVED BOTH IN METALE AND POWDER, HEAVEY BURTHENS
LIGHTENED, AND AN ENIKY ANOYED WITH MORE READYNESS OF HAND THAN
HAS HITHERTO BEEN DISCOVERED, THAT FIELD PIECES OF GOOD FORCE MAY
THEREBY BE RENDERED SO PORTABLE AS ONE OF THEM TO BE CARRYED BY A
SINGLE HORSE OR MULE UPON AN EXPEDITION WHERE WHEELE CARRAGE CAN-
NOT CONVENIENTLY BE BROUGHT UP," praying His Majesty to grant him
His Royall Letters Patent for the sole use of this his new Inven-
tion for fourteen years; and His Majesty being willing to give en-
couragement to all arts and inventions that may be for the publick
benefitt hath gratiously been pleased to condescend to his request.
KNOW YE THEREFORE that His Majesty, of His especial grace,
certain knowledge, and mere motion, hath by Letters Patent under
the Great Seal of Great Britaine, bearing date the Fifth day

page_text: October, in the second year of His reigne, given and granted, for
Himselfe, His heirs and successors, unto the said Henry Brown, his
executors, administrators, and assignes, His especial lycence, full
power, sole priviledge and authority, that he or they, his or their
deputys, servants, or agents, or such others as he, the said Henry
Browne, his executors, administrators, or assigns, shall at time
agree with, and no others, during the terme herein expressed, shall
and lawfully may exercise, worke, use, and enjoy, within that part
of His Kingdom of Great Britaine called England, His Dominion of
Wales, and town of Berwick upon Tweed, his said new Invention or
method of makeing cannon or great guns, both in iron and brass, in
such manner and with such materials as he, said Henry Browne,
shall describe and ascertaine to be the nature of his said Invention
by writing under his hand and seale to be inroled in the High
Court of Chancery within one kalender month from the date of the
said Letters Patents to which these presents doe referr to make the
grant therein certaine, and that the said Henry Browne, his execu-
tors, administrators, and assigns, shall and lawfully may have and
enjoy the whole profitt, benefitt, commodity, and advantage from
time to time arriseing by reason of the said Invention for and
during the terme of years therein mentioned; to have, hold, use,
exercise, and enjoy the said licence, powers, priviledges, and advan-
tages in the said Letters Patente granted or mentioned to be
granted unto the said Henry Browne, his executors, adñiors,
and assignes, for and during and unto the full end and terme of
fourteen years from the date of the said Letters Pattent next and
imediately ensuing, and fully to be compleated and ended according
to the statute in such case made and provided. And by the said
Letters Patent His Majesty, for Himselfe, His heirs and successors,
does require and specialy comand all and every person and persons,
bodys corporate and politick, and all other His subjects of what estate,
quality, degree, name, or condition soever they be, that they
nor any of them at any time during the said terme of four-
teen years either directly nor indirectly do make, use, or put
in practice the said Invention, or any part of the same, so at-
tained unto by the said Henry Browne, or in anywise counterfit,

page_text: imitate, or resemble the same, nor shall make or cause to be made
any addition thereunto or substraction from the same, whereby to
pretend himselfe or themselves the inventor or inventors, devisor or
devisors thereof, without the licence, consent, or agreement of the
said Henry Browne, his executors, administrators, or assignes, in
writinge under his or their hands and seals first had and obtained
in such behalfe, upon such pains and penaltys as can or may be justly
inflicted on such offenders for their contempt of His Majestic's
royall comand, and further to be answerable to the said Henry
Browne, his executors, administrators, and assignes, according to
law, for his or their damage thereby occasioned. And moreover
thereby His Majesty, for Himselfe, His heirs and successors, does
will and comand all and singular the justices of the peace, mayors,
sheriffs, bayliffs, constables, headborougs, and all other officers and
ministers whatsoever for the time being, that they do not nor shall
at any time hereafter during the said terme of fourteen years'in any-
wise molest, trouble, or hinder the said Henry Browne, his extors,
administrators, or assignes, or any of them, or his or their deputies,
servants, or agents, in or about the due and lawfull use or exercise
of the aforesaid Invention, or anything relating thereto. And like-
wise His Majesty doth further, for Himselfe, His heirs and successors,
grant unto the said Henry Brown, his executors, administrators, and
assignes, that such His Letters Patent, or the inrollment or exempli-
fication thereof, shall be and by all things good, firme, vallid, suffi-
cient, and effectuall in the law according to the true intent and
meaning thereof, and shall be taken, construed, and adjudged in the
most favourable and beneficiall sence for the best advantage of the
said Henry Browne, 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 His Majesty, His heirs and
successors, in that part of His kingdome of Great Britaine called
England, His Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick upon Tweed
aforesaid, and amongst all and every the subjects of His Majestie,
His heirs and successors, whatsoever and wheresoever, notwithstand-
ing the not full and certaine describeing the nature or quality of

page_text: the said Invention, or the materialls thereto conduceing and belong-
ing. Now I, the said Henry Browne, in most dutifull obedience to
His Majesty's royall comands, do hereby describe my said Invention
for makeing cannon or great guns in manner following; (that is to
sny,) the boore of the breech of the gun to be about one sixteenth
part wider than at the mussle, and to be from thence gradualy
narrowed untill in the space of one diamiter of the bore at the mussle
it is reduced to an equall width with the bore at the mussle, then
for one diamiter of the mussle to continue narrow, and then
gradually to widen for about two diamiters until it becoms as wide
as at the breech, and then againe to narrow gradually untill about
three diamiters of the bore at the mussle it is reduced to an equall
width with that of the mussle, or by making the touch-hole in the
center or front of the powder, with or without the said openings in
the bore of the peice, my intent being to burne all the charge of
powder in or neare the breech of the peice, and by opening the bore
(as above described) to give it roome to expand; the fire, which being
againe confined, will give the greater force to the ball at the first
outsett, whereby the length of barrell now in use will rather retard
than give force to the ball; and the powder being all fired at or
near the breech of the piece, one eighth of the powder may be saved
in the charge, so much or more by the common method now in
practice being blowed away and not fired at all, or burnt when out
of the piece in the open air, as by experience is found true by mc,
the said Henry Browne.
In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and sealc, this
Second day of November, in the second year of His said
Majestye's reigne, and in the year of our Lord One thousand
seven hundred twenty and eight.

page_text: Et memorandum quod quarto die Novembř anno suprascript
prefat Heñcus Browne venit coram dicto dno Rege in Canč sua et
recognovit scriptum predict ac omnia et singula in eadem content
et spificat in forma suprascript. Necnon scriptum predict impress
fuit secundum tenorem statuti fact anno regni nup Regis et Regine
Guliet et Marie Anglie te sexto. Irr die et anno predicto.