"GREAT IMPROVEMENTS IN THE WHEEL CARRIAGES OF THE COACH KIND, TO WIT, COACH, CHARRIOT, LANDAW, CHAISE, OR BY WHATSOEVER OTHER DENOMINATION SUCH CARRIAGES MAY BE TERMED, CALLED, OR KNOWN, WHICH THEY, THE SAID WILLIAM JAMES AND NATHANIEL MASON, AND MANY OTHER PERSONS, HAVE SEEN AND MADE TRIALS THEREOF, APPREHEND WILL BE OF GREAT BENEFIT AND ADVANTAGE TO THE SUBJECTS OF THIS REALM, AND GREAT EASE TO THE CATTLE EMPLOYED TO DRAW THE SAME, BY MEANS OF THE LIGHT WEIGHT, DURABILITY, AS WELL AS VELOCITY OF THE MOTION THEREOF
Year: 1769

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, NATHANIEL
MASON, of the Parish of Saint Botolph, Aldgate, London, Gentleman, sendeth
greeting.
WHEREAS William James, of the Bank Buildings, London, Gentleman,
and the said Nathaniel Mason, have, by their Petition, humbly represented unto
His most Excellent Majesty George the Third, now King of Great Britain,
and so forth, that they have, after long study, close application, and great
labour and expence in trying experiments, invented, constructed, and brought
to perfection "GREAT IMPROVEMENTS IN THE WHEEL CARRIAGES OF THE COACH
KIND, TO WIT, COACH, CHARRIOT, LANDAW, CHAISE, OR BY WHATSOEVER OTHER
DENOMINATION SUCH CARRIAGES MAY BE TERMED, CALLED, OR KNOWN, WHICH THEY,
THE SAID WILLIAM JAMES AND NATHANIEL MASON, AND MANY OTHER PERSONS,
HAVE SEEN AND MADE TRIALS THEREOF, APPREHEND WILL BE OF GREAT BENEFIT
AND ADVANTAGE TO THE SUBJECTS OF THIS REALM, AND GREAT EASE TO THE CATTLE
EMPLOYED TO DRAW THE SAME, BY MEANS OF THE LIGHT WEIGHT, DURABILITY,
AS WELL AS VELOCITY OF THE MOTION THEREOF;" and in regard that they, the
said William James and Nathaniel Mason, were the first and true Inventors
thereof, and having humbly prayed His said Majesty to grant unto them, their
executors, administrators, and assigns, His Royal Letters Patent under the
Great Seal of Great Britain, for the sale making, selling, and vending the
said Invention within that part of the Kingdom of Great Britain called
England, the Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and
also within all the Colonies and Plantations abroad, for the term of fourteen

page_text: years, according to the Statute in that case made and provided; and whereas
His Majesty, by His Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great
Britain, bearing date the Nineteenth day of January last, reciting the said
Petition, and that the said William James and Nathaniel Mason had alledged
that they had produced the said improvements by the means of a certain crane
neck, with an iron bar fixed horizontally against the end of the perch, with a
streight iron bar fixed at one end by a swivel to the transum wheel, and at
the other end made with a loop or noose to slide upon the first-mentioned bar,
of which they were the first and true Inventors; it is by the said Letters
Patent witnessed and declared, that His said present Majesty King George the
Third, out of His especial grace, certain knowledge, and mere motion, did give
and grant unto the said William James and Nathaniel Mason, their executors,
administrators, and assigns, His especial licence, full power, sole priviledge
and authority, that they, the said William James and Nathaniel Mason, and
every of them, by themselves, or their deputy or deputys, servants or agents,
or such others as they, the said William James and Nathaniel Mason, their
their executors, administrators, or assigns, shall at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times hereafter during the term of years
therein expressed, shall and lawfully may make, use, exercise, and vend their
said Invention within the said part of the Kingdom of Great Britain called
England, Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and also
within His said Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, in such manner as
to them, the said William James and Nathaniel Mason, their executors,
administrators, and assigns, or any of them, shall in their discretions seem
meet, and that they, the said William James and Nathaniel Mason, their
executors, administrators, and assigns, shall and lawfully may have and enjoy
the whole profit, benefit, comodity, and advantage from time to time coming,
growing, accruing, and arising by reason of the said Invention, for and during
the term of years therein mentioned, to hold, exercise, and enjoy the said
license, powers, priviledges, and advantages therein-before granted unto the
said William James and Nathaniel Mason, their executors, administrators,
and assigns, for and during and unto the full end and term of fourteen years
from the day of the date of the said Letters Patent next and immediately
ensuing, and fully to be compleat and ended, according to the Statute in such
case made and provided; in which said recited Letters Patent (amongst
other things) is contained the proviso following (that is to say):-Provided
also, that if the said William James and Nathaniel Mason, or one of them,
shall not particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing

page_text: under their hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of them, and
cause the same to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery
within four calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent, that 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 thereof in
anywise notwithstanding.
NOW KNOW YE, that in pursuance of the said proviso so contained in
the said recited Letters Patent, and in order that the nature and description
of the said Invention and improvement may be inrolled in His Majesty's said
High Court of Chancery, he, the said Nathaniel Mason, doth by these Presents
declare that the nature and description of the said Invention and improvement
are as follow (that is to say):-
A crane neck with an iron bar fixt horizontally against the end of the
perch, of a discretionary length and circular form, with a streight iron bar fixt
at one end by a swivel to the transum wheel or to some other part of the
carriage or crane that has comunication with the transum wheel, and the
other end made with a loop or noose to slide upon the first-mentioned bar,
which gives way to the right and left to let the fore wheels lock to such an
angle as thought proper, without touching or going quite under the cranes ;
which streight bar not only serves for the locking of the wheels as above, but
also for strengthening the cranes, by preventing their giving way either back-
wards or forwards; and also to have the use and benefit of a high fore wheel of
any height, from four feet diameter to five feet six inches and upwards, at
discretion, for coaches, charriots, or chaises, there never having been in use a
fore wheel exceeding the diameter of four feet three inches; and also to have
the use and benefit of a new-constructed box to be placed in the naves of the
wheels for the axletrees to run in, of the nature and description following:-
The length or depth of the box in the inside, whereon the axletrees bear, of
about two inches and a quarter, and a groove in the middle of such box of
three quarters of an inch, or one third part of the whole, cut or sunk from the
level thereof, of about a quarter of an inch deep, to hold the grease, thereby
preventing the axletrees running dry.
In witness whereof, the said Nathaniel Mason hath hereunto set his hand
and seal, the Eleventh day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand seven hundred and sixty-nine.
Sealed and delivered, in the presence of
CATH. BROWN,
WR JONES.
NAT. (L.s.) MASON.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBRED, that on the Nineteenth day of April, in the
year of our Lord One thousand seven hundred and sixty-nine, the aforesaid
Nathaniel Mason came before our said Lord the King in His Chancery, and
acknowledged the Instrument aforesaid, and all and everything therein con-
tained and specified, in form above written. And also the Instrument
aforesaid was stampt according to the tenor of the Statute made in the
sixth year of the reign of the late King and Queen William and Mary of
England, and so forth.
Inrolled the Twentieth day of April, in the year last above written.