A NEW METHOD OR INVENTION OF JAPANNING OR BLUEING BUCKLES AND CLASPS FOR MOURNING, OF A VERY FINE BLUE COLOUR, UPON BUCKLES AND CLASPS OF ANY FORM, SIZE, SHAPE, OR DIMENSION, MADE OF TIN, PEWTER, LEAD, OR ANY OTHER WHITED OR WHITE METAL, OR ANY MIXTURE OR COMPOSITION OF THE SAID METALS
Year: 1785

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, JOHN COOPER,
of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Japanner, sends greeting.
WHEREAS the said John Cooper did, by his Petition, humbly represent
unto His present most Excellent Majesty King George the Third, that he
had, after great study and application, much pains, and considerable expence,
brought to perfection "A NEW METHOD OR INVENTION OF JAPANNING OR BLUEING
BUCKLES AND CLASPS FOR MOURNING, OF A VERY FINE BLUE COLOUR, UPON BUCKLES
AND CLASPS OF ANY FORM, SIZE, SHAPE, OR DIMENSION, MADE OF TIN, PEWTER,
LEAD, OR ANY OTHER WHITED OR WHITE METAL, OR ANY MIXTURE OR COMPOSITION
OF THE SAID METALS," he therefore most humbly prayed His said Majesty that
He would be graciously pleased to grant unto him, his executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, His Majesty's Royal Letters Patent, under His Great
Seal of Great Britain, for the sole usc, benefit, and advantage of his said
Invention, within that part of Great Britain called England, His Dominion
of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and also within all His said
Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, for the term of fourteen years;
and His said Majesty, being willing to give encouragement to all arts and
inventions which might be for the publiek good, was graciously pleased to
condescend to his request, and therefore, by His Royal Letters Patent, bearing
date at Westminster the Twenty-fourth day of May, in the twenty-fifth year
of His reign, of His especial grace, certain knowledge, and meer motion, for
Himself, His heirs, and successors, did give and grant unto the said John
Cooper, his executors, administrators, and assigns, His especial licence,
full power, sole priviledge and authority, that he, the said John Cooper,
his executors, administrators, and assigns, and every of them, by him-

page_text: self and themselves, or by his and their deputy or deputies, servants or
agents, or such others as he, the said John Cooper, his executors, adminis-
trators, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to
time, or at all times hereafter during the term of years therein expressed,
should and lawfully might use, exercise, and vend his said Invention within
that part of His said Majesty's Kingdom of Great Britain called England,
His Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and also
within all His said Majestie's Colonies and Plantations abroad, in such
manner as to bim, the said John Cooper, his executors, administrators, and
assigns, should and lawfully might have and enjoy the whole profit, benefit,
commodity, and advantage from time to time coming, growing, accruing, and
arising, by reason of the said Invention, for aud during the term of years
therein mentioned, to have, hold, exercise and enjoy the said licence, powers,
priviledges, and advantages therein before granted or mentioned to be granted
unto him, the said John Cooper, his executors, administrators, and assigns,
for and during and unto the full end and term of fourteen years from the
date of the said Letters Patent next and immediately ensuing, and fully to
be compleat and ended, according to the form of the Statute in such case
made and provided; in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso
that if the said John Cooper should not particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of his said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be
performed, by an instrument in writing under his hand and seal, and cause
the same to be inrolled in His said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within
four calendar months next after the date of the said Letters Patent, then
the said Letters Patent, and all liberties and advantages whatsoever thereby
granted, should utterly cease, determine, and become void, anything therein
before contained to the contrary in anywise notwithstanding, as in and by
the said Letters Patent, reference being thereunto bad, may more fully and
at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, hc, the said
John Cooper, doth hereby describe and ascertain the nature of his said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the sanie is to be performed, that is to say:—
Take tin, pewter, spelter, or any white metal (except iron or steel), then
form it into buckle rings of any shape, form, pattern, or dimension, then
smoothing, polishing, planishing, engraving, chasing, cutting, pressing, stamp-
ing, or piercing the same, then varnish or colour them over with paint com-
posed of a fine blue, commonly called Prusian blue, ground or levigated
with spirit of turpentine, incorporated with clarified oil and spirit of tur-
pentine, in which is dissolved the gum known by the name of gum copal,

page_text: then put them in a stove till they are dried, then put chapes and tongs to
them, when they are finished.
In witness whereof, the said John Cooper hath hereunto set his hand
and seal, this Eighteenth day of June, One thousand seven hundred
and eighty-five