Ar INSTRUMENT FOR TAKING THE SUNN'S ALTITUDE BOTH AT SEA AND LAND WITH MUCH GREATER EASE AND EXACNESS THAN ANY YET HADE VSE OF OR INVENTED
Year: 1728

page_text: GEORGE THE SECOND, by the grace of God, &c., to all to whom these
Presents shall come greeting.
WHEREAS JOHN ELTON, Mariner, hath by his petition humbly represented
vnto vs that he hath with great study, labour, and expence invented "Ar
INSTRUMENT FOR TAKING THE SUNN'S ALTITUDE BOTH AT SEA AND LAND WITH MUCH
GREATER EASE AND EXACNESS THAN ANY YET HADE VSE OF OR INVENTED," to the
great benefit of navigation and of our subiects and kingdomes, that by this instru-
ment one person may take an altitude whenever the sun appeares, whereas
the instruments now in vse for sea service require not only the appearance of
the sun but a clear horizon also opposite to the sun, which is often prevented
by land and hazey weather, that by this instrument mariners will be able to
take the altitude of headlande and harbours wherever they come to the vtmost
exactness, which has not been hitherto been done with any certainty for want
of proper instruments, to the great preiudice of navigation, that in regard to
the great advantage that will accrew thereby, not only to our Royal navy but
Jikewise to all our subiects vsing the sea, he hath therefore humbly prayed vs
to grant him our Royal Letters Patents for the sole making, vsing, and
vending of the said instrument during the term of fourteen yeares, and such
other reward and benefits as to vs shall seem meet, wee being willing to give
encouragement to all arts and invenčons which may be publick vse and
benefit are gratiously pleased to gratifie him in his request.
KNOW YEE, THEREFORE, that wee, of our especial grace, certain know-
ledge, and meer močon, have given and granted, and by these Presents, for

page_text: vs, our heires and successors, do give and grant vnto the said Elton,
his executors, administrators, and assignes, our especial lycence, full power,
sole priviledge and authority, that he, the said John Elton, his executors,
administrators, and assignes, and every of them, by himselfe or themselves, or
by his and their deputy and deputies, servante or agents, or such others as he,
the said John Elton, his executors, administrators, or assignes, shall at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times hereafter
during the term of yeares herein expressed, shall and lawfully may make, vse,
exercise, and vend his said new invented instrument for taking the sun's
altitude both at sea and land in manner herein-before set forth and described
within that part of our Kingdom of Great Britain called England, our
Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-vpon-Tweed, in such in manner as
to him, the said John Elton, his executors, administrators, and assignes, or any
of them, shall in their discrečons seem meet, and that he, the said John
Elton, bis exccutors, administrators, and assignes, shall and lawfully may have
and enioy the whole profit, comodity, benefit, and advantage from time to time
coming, growing, accrewing, and ariscing by reason of the said Invention for
and during the term of yeares herein menconed, to have, hold, exercise, and
enioy the said lycence, powers, priviledges, and advantages herein-before
granted or menčoned to be granted vnto the said John Elton, 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 immediately
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 John Elton, his
executors, administrators, and assignes, and every of them, may have and
enioy the full benefit and the sole vse and exercise of the said Invencon
according to our gratious intencon herein-before declared, wee do by these
Psente, for vs, our heires and successors, require and strictly command all and
every person and persons, bodies politick and corporate, and all other our
subjects whatsoever of what estate, quality, degree, name, or condičon 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 afore-
said, 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 practice the said Invenčon or any part of the same so
attained vnto by the said John Elton as aforesaid, nor in anywise counterfeit,
imitate, or resemble the same, nor shall make or cause to be made any
addicon thereunto or substracčon from the same whereby to pretend himselfe
or themselves the inventor or inventors, devisor or devisors thereof without

page_text: the lycence, consent, or agreement of the said John Elton, his executors,
administrators, or assignes, in writing vader his or their hand and seales
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 John Elton, 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, bayliffes, 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 here-
after during the said term hereby granted in anywise molest, trouble, or
hinder the said John Elton, his executors, administrators, or assignes, or any
of them, or his or their deputies, servants, or agents in or about the due and
lawfull vse or exercise of the aforesaid Invention or anything relating thereto :
Provided always, and these our Letters Patents are and shall be vpon this
condition that if 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 subiects in general, or that the said Invention 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 aforesaid, or not invented and found out by the
said John Elton as aforesaid, then vpon signification or declaration thereof,
to be made by vs, our heires or successors, vnder our or their signet or privy
seal, or by the Lorde and others of our or their Privy Council, or any six or
more of them vnder their handf, these our Letters Patents shall forthwith
cease, determine, and bo vtterly void to all intents and purposes, any thing
herein-before contained to the contrary thereof in any wise notwithstanding:
Provided also that these our Letters Patents or any thing herein contained
shall not extend or be construed to give priviledge vnto the said John Elton,
his executors, administrators, or assignes, or any of them, to vse or imitate auy
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-upon-Tweed aforesaid, vnto whom like Letters
Patente or priviledges have been already granted for the sole vse, exercise,
and-benefit-thereof, it being our will and pleasure that the said John Elton,
his executors, administrators, and assignes, and all. and every other person or

page_text: persons to whom like Letters Patente or priviledges have been already granted
as aforesaid shall distinctly vse and practice their severall invenčons by them
invented and found out according to the true intent and meaning of the same
respective Letters Patente and of these Presente: Provided likewise never-
theless, and these our Letters Patente are vpon this express condičon, that if
the said John Elton, his executors or administrators, or any person or persons
which shall or may at any time or times hereafter during the continuance of
this grant have or claime any right, tytle, or interest in law or equity of, in, or
to the power, priviledge, 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 assignement 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 sume 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 Patents or the liberty and
priviledges hereby by vs granted into any number of shares exceeding the
number of five, or shall comitt or do, or procure to be committed or done any act,
matter, or thing whatsoever during such time as such person or persons shall
have any right or title either in law or equity in or to the said premisses
which would be contrary to the true intent and meaning of a certain Act of
Parliament made in the sixth year of the reign of our late Royal Father
King George the First, 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 vnwarran-
table Practices therein menconed, if these our Letters Patents 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

page_text: vtterly cease, determine, and become void, anything herein-before contained
to the contrary thereof in any wise notwithstanding. And, lastly, wee do by
these Presente, for vs, our heires and successors, grant vnto the said John
Elton, his executors, administrators, and assignes, that these our Letters
Patents, or the inrollment or exemplification 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 beneficial sense for the best advantage of the said
John Elton, his executors, administrators, and assignes, as well in all our 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 Kingdom of
Great Britain called England, our Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-
vpon-Tweed aforesaid, 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 Invention or of the
materials thereto conducing and belonging.
In witness, &c.
day of July.
solfo at Westminster the Twaty-seventh
DOLLO
By Writt of Privy Seal.