A FLOATING DAM, BY MEANES OF WHICH HE IS ABLE TO CARRY BARGES, LIGHTERS, AND OTHER VESSELLS OVER THE GREATEST FLATTS AND SHALLOWS IN ANY NAVIGABLE RIVER; WHICH SAID MACHINE HATH BEEN TRYED BEFORE, AND HAD THE APPROBATION OF SEVERALL THE MOST EMINENT MATHEMA- TICIANS
Year: 1706

page_text: ANNE, by the grace of God, &c., to all to whom these presents shall come,
greeting.
WHEREAS our trusty and welbeloved ROBERT ALDERSEY has, by his
bumble peticon represented vnto vs that he has been at great costs and
charges in contriving "A FLOATING DAM, BY MEANES OF WHICH HE IS ABLE TO
CARRY BARGES, LIGHTERS, AND OTHER VESSELLS OVER THE GREATEST FLATTS AND
SHALLOWS IN ANY NAVIGABLE RIVER; WHICH SAID MACHINE HATH BEEN TRYED
BEFORE, AND HAD THE APPROBATION OF SEVERALL THE MOST EMINENT MATHEMA-
TICIANS." And, therefore, the said Robert Aldersey hath humbly prayed vs
to grant vnto him our Letters Patents Patents for the sole vse and benefitt of
the said Invenčon for the terme of fourteen yeares.
NOW KNOW YEE, that wee, being willing to give encouragement to all
arts and invenčons which may be of publick vse and benefitt, of our especiall
grace, certain knowledge, and meer motion, have given and granted, and by
these presents, for vs, our heires and successors, do give and grant vnto the
said Robert Aldersey, his executors, administrators, and assignes, speciall
license, full power, sole privilege and authority, that he, the said Robert
Alderscy, his executors, administrators, and assignes, and every of them, by
themselves or his or their deputy and deputies, servants or agents, or such
others as the said Robert Aldersey, his executors, administrators, or assignes,

page_text: meet.
shall at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and att all times
durcing the terme of yeares herein expressed, shall and lawfully may make.
vsc, exercise, and enioy, within our kingdom of England, dominion of Wales,
and towne of Berwick-vpon-Tweed, the said new Invention of a floating
dam in such manner as to him, the said Robert Aldersey, his executors,
administrators, and assignes, or any of them, shall in their discretions seem
And that he, the said Robert Aldersey, his executors, administrators,
and assignes, should and may have and enioy the solo vse, exercise, and
benefitt from time to time comcing, growcing, accrewing, and ariseing by
reason of the said Invention for and dureing the full term of yeares herein
mencone, to have, hold, exercise, and enioy the said lycence, powers,
priviledes and advantages herein-before granted or mentioned to be granted
vnto the said Robert Aldersey, his executors, admiñrs, and assignes, for and
durcing and vnto the full end and terme of fourteen yeares from the date of
these presents next and immediately ensucing, and fully to be compleat and
ended according to the statute in this case made and provided. And to the
end the said Robert Allersey, his executors, admiñrs, and assignes, and every
of them, may have and enioy the full benefitt and the sole makeing vse and
exercise of the said Invention according to our gracious intention herein-
before declared, wee do by these presents, for vs, our heires and successors,
require and strictly comand all and every person and persons, bodies politick
and corporate, and all other our subiects whatsoever, of what estate, quality,
or degree, name or condition soever they be, within our said kingdom of
England, dominion of Wales, and towne of Berwick-vpon-Tweed, that
neither they or any of them, at any time dureing the continuance of the said
terme 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 Robert Aldersey as aforesaid, nor shall in anywise counterfeit,
imitate, or resemble the same, nor shall make or cause to be made any addition
thereunto or substraction from the same, whereby to pretend himself or them-
selves the inventor or inventors, devisor or devisors thereof, without the
lycence, consent, or agreement of the said Robert Aldersey, his executors,
administrators, or assignes, in writing vnder his, their, or some of their hands
and seales, first had and obtained in that behalfe, vpon such pains and penalties
as can or may be justly inflicted on such offenders for their contempt of this our
royall coniand, and further, to be answerable to the said Robert Alderscy, his
executors, admiñrs, and assignes, according to law, for his and their damages
thereby occasioned. And moreover, wee doe by these presents, for vs, our
heires and successors, will and comand all and singular our justices of the

page_text: peace, mayors, sheriffs, bayliffs, 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, dureing the
said termo hereby granted, in any wise molest, trouble, or hinder the said
Robert Aldersey, his executors, administrators, or assignes, or any of his or
their deputies, servants, or agents, in or about the due or lawfull nakeing vse.
or exercise of the aforesaid Invention or any thing relating thereunto: Provided
alwayes, and these our Letters Patents are and shalbe vpon this condition, that.
if at any time dureing the terme 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 preiudiciall or inconvenient to our
subiects in generall, or that the said Invention is not a new invention as to the
publick vse and exercise thereof, within this our kingdome of England,
dominion of Wales, and towne of Berwick-vpon-Tweed, and not invented and
found out by the said Robert Aldersey as aforesaid, then, vpon signification
and declaration thereof, to be made by vs, our heires or successors under our
or their signett or privy seale, or by the lords and others of our or their Privy
Council, or any six or more of them vnder their hands, these our Letters
Patents shall forthwith cease, determine, and be vtterly void to all intents and
purposes, anything herein-before conteyned to the contrary thereof notwith-
standing: Provided also, that these our Letters Patents, or any thing therein
contained, shall not extend or be construed to extend to give privilego to the
said Robert Aldersey, his executors, administrators, or assignes, or any of them,
to vse or imitate any invention or worke whatsoever which hath been heretofore
found out or invented by any of our subiects whatsoever, and publickly vsed or
exercised within our said kingdome, vnto whom like Letters Patents or privilege
have been already granted for the sole vsc, exercise, and benefitt thereof. It
being our will and pleasure that the said Robert Aldersey, 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 practice their severall inventions by them invented
and found out, according to the true intent and meaning of the same
respective Letters Patents and of these presents. And lastly, wee do, by these
presents, for vs, our heires and successors, grant vnto the said Robert Aldersey,
his executors, admiñrs, and assignes, that these our Letters Patents, or the
inrolment thereof, shall be in and by all things 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 favourable and
beneficiall sense for the best advantage of the said Robert Aldersey, his

page_text: executors, administrators, and assignes, aswell in all courts of record as else-
where, and by all and singular the officers and ministers whatsoever of vs, our
heires and successors, within this our kingdom of England, dominion of Wales,
and towne of Berwick-upon-Tweed, 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 Iuvention,
or of the materialls thereunto conduceing and belonging.
in witnes, &c. Wines our self at Westminster, the Sixth day of