AN IMPROVED PENHOLDER
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Guillaume Lacaire, of Créon, in the Department of
the Gironde, in the Empire of France, Public Schoolmaster, for the
Invention of "AN IMPROVED PENHOLDER."
Sealed the 19th April 1861, and dated the 24th October 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Guillaume Lacaire at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
24th October 1860.
I, GUILLAUME LACAIRE, of Créon, in the Department of the Gironde, in
the Empire of France, Public Schoolmaster, do hereby declare' the nature of
the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED PENHOLDER," to be as follows:-
My improved penholder, whether of steel, copper, zinc, brass, silver, or other
metal or material is so formed tha the place of each of the fingers holding the
pen is invariably marked by a cavity, in which it finds itself, as it were, encased.
The letter A in the accompanying Drawing indicates the place for the thumb;
B, that for the fore finger, and the letter C that of the middle finger. The
advantage offered by my penholder is, to compel children learning to write or
those who have contracted a bad style always to hold the pen in conformity
with the principles of calligraphy.
My improved penholder is manufactured with steel matrices by stamping.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Guillaume Lacaire in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 23rd April 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GUILLAUME
LACAIRE, of Créon, in the Department of the Gironde, in the Empire of
France, Public Schoolmaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Guillaume Lacaire, Her special licence that I, the said Guillaume Lacaire, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Guillaume
Lacaire, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED
PENHOLDER," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Guillaume
Lacaire, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Guillaume Lacaire, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and forming
part of this my Specification, and which shews two views of my improved pen-
holder; the same letters indicating the same parts in each of the views
respectively.
My improved penholder, whether of steel, copper, zinc, brass, silver, gold,
or other metal is so formed that the place for each of the fingers holding the
pen is invariably marked by a cavity into which the finger drops naturally. In
the accompanying Drawing the letter A indicates the place or rest for the
thumb; B, that for the fore finger, and C that for the middle finger.
My improved penholder is manufactured with steel dies or matrices by
stamping in the usual manner. Children learning to write and persons who

page_text: have contracted a bad style will be compelled when using the holder herein
described and shewn in the Drawing, always to hold the pen in conformity
with the principles of calligraphy, an advantage which needs no comment.
In witness whereof, I, the said Guillaume Lacaire, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
Witness,
ANGAUD,
Notaire à Créon.
GUILLAUME LACAIRE. (L.S.)