Year: 1722

page_text: GEORGE, by the grace of God, &c., to all to whom these Presents shall
come greeting.
WHEREAS THOMAS MILLER, of Fulham, in our County of Middlesex,
Brickmaker, hath by his petition humbly represented vnto vs that the bricks
now generally made and vsed in England and Ireland, especially about London,
are extreamly bad, which is chiefly owing to the vnskilful manner of burning;
and that after great study and application to discover some effectuall way of
burning, had found out an Invention never before known, by wich he can burn
them all hard, and by consequence (there being little or no wast) should be ablo
not only to bring about the practice of vsing vniversally good bricks instead of
bad, but also by affording them full as cheap, or probably cheaper, than the
bad ones are now sold for; which would be also of great vse in burning of tiles
and lime; which Invention he has described to be performed in manner fol-
lowing (that is to say):-Imprimis, to burn those in the bottom of the clamp
as they ought to be, a grate or floor of iron, bricks, or other material is to run
the whole length of the holes where the fire is vsually laid, in such manner
that mor or less fire may be applyed as occasion requires to dry the bricks.
gently, to such a degree as shall rightly prepare them to receive the strong
fire at last. Secondly, the method for right burning the bricks on the outside
is this, a strong wall is to be built quite round the clamp, only with small over-
tures to convey in such a quantity of air as shall feed a wast fire between the
wall and the clamp placed vpon several stages. Thirdly, for securing the
bricks which lye on the top of the clamp from the wet, that they may be as
well and throughly burnt as the rest, a covering is to be made of pantile or
other material, never vsed in clamps before; and the method above described

page_text: or mentioned being vsed in burning of bricks, it will cause such proper heat as
that tiles or lime may be burnt on the top of the clamp at the same time; and
having humbly prayd vs to grant him our Royal Letters Patents for the sole
vse and benefit of his said new Invention of of burning bricks, tile, and lime,
for the term of fourteen yeares, according to the Statute in such case made
and provided; wee being willing to give encouragement to all arts and inven-
tions which may be for the publick vse and benefit, are gratiously pleased to
gratific him in his request.
KNOW YEE, THEREFORE, that wee, of our especial grace, certain
knowledge, and mere motion, have given and granted, and by theso Presents,
for vs, our heires and successors, do give and grant vnto the said Thomas
Miller, his executors, administrators, and assignes, especial lycence, full
power, sole priviledge and authority, that he, the said Thomas Miller, his
executors, administrators, and assignes, and every of them, by himselfe or
themselves, or by his or their deputy and deputies, servants or agents, or such
others as he, the said Thomas Miller, his executors, administrators, or assignes,
shall at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
during the term of yeares herein expressed, shall and lawfully may make, vse,
exercise, and vend his said new Invention of burning bricks, tiles, and lime, as
above described, (within that part of our Kingdom of Great Britain called Eng-
land, our Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-vpon-Tweed, in such
manner as to him, the said Thomas Miller, his executors, administrators, and
assignes, or any of them, shall in their discretions seem meet; and that he,
the said Thomas Miller, his executors, administrators, and assignes, shall and
lawfully may have and eniny the whole profit, benefit, commodity, and advantage
from time to time comeing, growing, accrewing, and arising by reason of the
said Invention, for and during the term of years herein menconed; to have,
hold, exercise, and enioy the said lycence, powers, priviledges, and advantages
lierein-before granted or mentioned to be granted vnto the said Thomas
Miller, his executors, administrators, and assignes, for and during and vnto the
full end and term of fourteen yeares from the date of these Presents next and
i.ediately ensucing, and fully to be compleat and ended, according to the
Statute in such case made and provided. And to the end that the said Thomas
Miller, his exccutors, administrators, and assignes, and every of them, may
have and enioy the full benefit and the solo vse and exercise of the said Inven-
tion according to our gratious intention 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 subiects whatsoever, of what estate, quality, or degree, name or condition

page_text: 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 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 practise the said Invention so attained vnto by the said
Thomas Miller as aforesaid, nor in any wise counterfeit, infitate, or resemble
the same, nor shall make or cause to be made any addition thereunto or sub-
straction from the same, whereby to pretend himselfe or themselves the in-
ventor or inventors, devisor or devisors thereof, withou the lycence, consent, or
agreement of the said Thomas Miller, his executors, administrators, or assignes.
in writing vnder his or their hand and scales 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 Thomas Miller, 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 justices of the 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 during the said term of yeares hereby granted,
in any wise molest, trouble, or hinder the said Thomas Miller, bis executors,
administrators, or assignes, or any of them, their deputies, servants, or agents.
in or about the due and lawfull vse or exercise of the aforesaid Invention, or
any thing relating thereto: Provided always, and these our Letters Patents
are and shall be vpon this condition, 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 subiecte in generall, or that the said
Invenčon is not a new invention as to the publick vse and exercise thereof in
that said part of our Kingdom of Great Britain called England, our Dominion
of Wales, or Town of Berwick-vpon-Tweed, or not invented and found out by
the said Thomas Miller as aforesaid, then, vpon signification or declaration
thereof to be made by vs, our heirs or successors, vnder our or their signet
or privy seal, or by the Lordf and others of our or their Privy Council, or any
six or more of them, vnder their hande, these our Letters Patente shall
forthwith cease, determine, and be vtterly void to all intente and purposes,
any thing herein-before contained to the contrary in anywise notwithstanding :
Provided also, that these our Letters Patent, or any thing herein- contained,
shall not extend or be construed to extend to give priviledge vnto the said:

page_text: Thomas Miller, 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 Kingdom of Great Britain called
England, our Dominion of Wales, or Town of Berwick-vpon-Tweed, 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 that the
said Thomas Miller, his executors, administrators, and assignes, and all and
every other person and persons to whom like Letters Patente or priviledges
have been already granted, as aforesaid, shall distinctly vse and practice their
several inventions by them invented and found out, according to the true
intent and meaning of the same respective Letters Patente, and of these
Present: Provided likewise, nevertheless, and these our Letters Patente are
vpon this express condition, that if the said Thomas Miller, his exccutors or
administrators, or any person or persons which shall or may at any time or
times hereafter during the continuance of his grant, have or claim any right,
title, or interest, in law or equity, of, in, or to the power, privilege, and
authority of the sole vse and benefit of the said Invention hereby granted,
shall make any transferr or assignment, or any pretended transferr or assign-
ment 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 subscriptions 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 servante,
receive any summe 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 Patent, or the liberty and priviledges hereby by vs
granted, into any number of shares exceeding the number of five, or shall commit
or do, or procure to be committed or done, any act, matter, or thing whatsoever,
during such time as such person shall have any right or title, either in law or
equity, in or to the said premisses, which will be contrary to the true intent
and 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 Maiestie by Two Charters for Assurance of Ships
and Merchandizes at Sea, and for lending Money vpon Bottomry, and for
restraining severall extravagant and vnwarrantable Practices therein men-

page_text: tioned), if these our Letters Patente 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, and all liberties, priviledges, and advantages
whatsoever hereby granted, shall vtterly cease, determine, and become void,
any thing herein-before contained to the contrary thereof in any wise not-
withstanding. And lastly, wee do by these Presents, for vs, our heires and
successors, grant vnto the said Thomas Miller, his executors, administrators,
and assignes, that these our Letters Patente, or the inrollment or exempli-
ficacon thereof, shall be in and by all things good, firm, valid, sufficient, and
effectual 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 Thomas Miller, his executors,
administrators, and assignes, as well in all 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 where-
soever, notwithstanding the not full and certain describing the nature or quality
of the said Invention, or of the materials thereto conducing and belonging.
In witness, &c.
Witness our selfe at Westminster, the Thirtieth day