A WAY FOR A MORE SPEEDY, THRIFTY, AND SAFE PASSAGE AND NAVIGACON OF BOATES AND VESSELLS VPON NAVI- GABLE RIVERS, AS ALSOE OF ALL LITTLE SHIPPS OF GOOD OF GOOD BURTHEN IN AND OUT OP HAVENS
Year: 1640

page_text: CHARLES, by the grace of God, King of England, Scotland, Fraunce, and
Ireland, Defendor of the Faith, &c., to all to whome theis sentes shall come,
greeteing.
WHEREAS wee, the humble peticon of our trusty and welbeloved subiect,
EDWARD FORD, Esquier, to vs exhibited, wee are informed that the said Edward
Ford, by his industrye and charge, hath invented "A WAY FOR A MORE SPEEDY,
THRIFTY, AND SAFE PASSAGE AND NAVIGACON OF BOATES AND VESSELLS VPON NAVI-
GABLE RIVERS, AS ALSOE OF ALL LITTLE SHIPPS OF GOOD OF GOOD BURTHEN IN AND OUT
OP HAVENS;" whereby hee cann make all boates, barges, and lighters to goe
faster against wynd and tyde then nowe they vse to doe, with halfe the men
they have formerly vsed, and with very little (yf any) vse of horses or men for
towing of such vessells on the shoare side, whereby halfe the charge of men
and neere the whole, yf not all, charge of horses wilbe saved, and vessells
may passe against wynd and tyde, and when the rivers overflowe the banckes,
and alsoe the owners of grounde adioyning to navigable rivers may enioy them
more private to theire greater benefitt. And the said Edward Ford by the
same way cann bring in little shipps, barges, and vessells in and out of havens
without or against any smallwynd or tide, and cann transport souldiers and
passengers without or against wynde yf the seas be not rough. And the
said Edward Ford hath further by his said peticon informed vs, that his
said Invenčon will never any way hinder the old way of sayling, but may on
many occasions be added thereto for the speed of sayling, and may att any
tyme be layde aside in a corner of the shipp, and quickly added agayne when
neede shalbe. And, further, the said Edward Ferd hath in his said peticon

page_text: informed vs, that his said Invenčon is newe and never before found out or vsed
by any besides himselfe, and is not against the lawes of this land, nor
Piudiciall to the State, but may tend to the greate advantage of the publique,
and therevpon by the said peticon hee hath humbly besought vs that wee
would be pleased to graunt our Letters Patentes of priviledge to him, the said
Edward Ford, whereby hee may be enabled to have the sole vse of the said
Invenčon, and none els but himselfe, and such as hee shall agree with for the
same, may make any vse or benefitt thereof, dureing such tyme as wee should
be pleased to graunt the said patent of priviledge to him according as hath
byn vsed to be graunted to others, inventors of like nature, and as is war-
rantable by the lawes and statutes of this land, vpon which peticon, as also
vpon the certificate of our right trusty and welbeloved cousin and counsellor,
Algernon, Earle of Northumberland, our Lord Admirall of England, of whome
wee desired to be more particularly informed of the vsefulnes of this Inventon,
whoe hath certified vs that the Invenčon may be of very good vse, both in
respect of our service and of marchante affayres yf yt be feizible, the way
whereof hereby declared by the said Edward Ford, for the effecting of the
particulars above mencoed, being partly by newe fashioned oares whose fynnes
open and shutt, and are to be applyed to the vessells that shall vse the same
in a newe way not hetherto vsed, and partly by wheeles and other engines
turning about axletrees, and placed in and about the vessells in such manner
as hath not hitherto brought to any effect by any others.
KNOWE YEE, that wee, being willing to cherish and incourage all law-
dable endeavours and designes of such our subiecte, as shall find out
vsefull and profitable actes and Invenĉons, by graunting and appropria-
ting vnto them, for some terme of yeares, the fruit and benefitt of theire
Invencon, whereby theire labours and expences in the attaynement thereof
may be recompenced and rewarded vnto them, and being alsoe willing to
encourage and countenance as much as wee may this Invenčon, and others
of the like nature, which may be vsefull and advantagious to all our loveing
subiect, for soemuch as concerneth the vse and practice of the same within
this our Kingdome of England and Domynion of Wales, of our especiall
grace, certeyne knowledge, and mere močon, have given and graunted, and by
theis sent for vs, our heires and successors, doe give and graunt vnto the
said Edward Ford, and his assignes, full and sole licence, power, priviledge,
and authority, that hee, the said Edward Ford, his executors, administrators,
and assignes, by him and themselves, and by his and theire servante, deputies,
factors, and workmen, and such other as hee, the said Edward Ford, shall att
any tyme agree with, and none other whatsoever, within this our Kingdome

page_text: of England and Domynion of Wales, shall and may, att all and every tyme
and tymes hereafter, dureing the terme of fowerteene yeares next ensueing the
date of theis sentes, vse, practice, teach, or putt in vre the said newe meanes,
or newe way never before found out or vsed by any but the said Edward Ford,
for the speedy, thrifty, and safe passage and navigacon of boates, barges,
lighters, and other vessells, vpon navigable rivers, or any shipps or vessells
whatsoever within the havens, or vpon the sea, in such manner, or to such
vses, intentes, and purposes, as is formerly herein expressed, or ppounded,
and vndertaken, according to the tenor and purport of the said newe way of
Invenčon by him, the said Edward Ford, devised, framed, and found out as
aforesaid, and that hee, the said Edward Ford, his executors, administrators,
and assignes, shall and may have, receive, and take, all somes of money,
bencfitts, advantages, and proffitts, whatsoever thereby ariseing, and to be
thereof had, made, acquired, or gotten, of any shipp, or any navigable vessells,
from tyme to tyme, dureing the tyme hereby graunted; to have, hold, and
enioy the said licence, priviledge, power, and authority, sume and sumes of
money, advantage, proffitt, and other the premisses by theis sentes graunted
or mencoed to be graunted to the said Edward Ford, his executors, adminis-
trators, and assignes, for and durcing the tearme of fowerteene yeares from
henceforth next ensucing, and fully to be compleate and ended, to and for
the sole and pper vse, benefitt, and behooffe of the said Edward Ford, his
executors, administrators, and assignes, yeilding and paying.
And the said Edward Ford, for himselfe, his executors, administrators,
and assignes, doth coveñnte and graunt to and with vs, our heires and
successors, to yeild and pay to vs, our heires and successors, for the same
att the receipt of our Exchequer the yearely rent, or some of five
poundes by the yeare, dureing the said tearme of fowerteene yeares att
twoe vsual Feasts of the yeare, videft, the Annuciacon of the Blessed Lady
Mary the Virgin, and Saincte Michaell Tharchangell, by even and equall
porčons. And to the end the said Edward Ford, his exccutors, administra-
tors, and assignes, may have and take the benefitt wee nowe intend him,
this our sent graunt, of our more especiall grace, certeyne knowledge,
and meere močon, wee doe for vs, our heires and successors, straightly
charge and comaund all and every person and persons, of what estate,
degree, or condicon soever, hee or they, or and of them be, that hee, they
or any of them, dureing the said terme of fowertcene yeares, doe not
presume to practice or vse, directly or indirected, the said newe way or
meanes for passage and navigacon of boates and vessells, and other the misses
in the said peticon of Invencon, formerly herein mencoed, and, soc found out

page_text: by the said Edward Ford, as aforesaid, without the licence, consent, and agree-
ment of the said Edward Ford, his executors, administrators, and assignes, first
had and obteyned in writing vnder his and theire hand and seale in that
behaulfe, vpon such forfeiture, payne, and losse, as by lawe may be had and
recovered by vs, our heires and successors, of all such engines and instrumentes
as any person or person, shall presume to attempt, contrive, or putt in prac-
tice thereby, or by meanes thereof to invade or infringe the priviledge of the
said Invenčon hereby graunted as aforesaid, or to stopp or hinder the same in
bis due proceedings contrary to this our royall intencon and declaracon; and
further, that any the delinquents herein shalbe proceeded against and punished
according to our lawes for theire contempt or neglect of our royall will and
comaundement herein declared.
And wee doe by theis Presents for vs, our heires and successors, will
and comaund, and our royall will and pleasure is, that our Lord Admirall
of England nowe and for the tyme being, and all vice-admiralls and other
officers of our navy, and all and singuler maiors, sheriffes, justices of
peace, bayliffes, constables, headboroughes, and other the officers and ministers
of vs, our heires and successors for the tyme being, to whome yt shall
apperteyne, and every of them, dureing the tearme aforesaid, be favouring,
aydeing, and assisting to the said Edward Ford, his executors, administrators,
and assignés, in all lawful thing in and aboute the accomplishment of this
our present graunt and pleasure therein declared, and for the due suppression
of all such as shall anywayes endeavour to infringe or oppose the same, and that
they or any of them doe not att any tyme hinder, molest, or interrupt the said
Edward Ford, his executors, administrators, or assignes, or his or theire depu-
ties, or any of them, in the execucon of the misses, as they tender our dis-
pleasure, and will annsweare the contrary att theire perills, and theis our
Letters Patente or the inrollment of them shall be theire sufficient warrant in
that behaulfe. And wee doe hereby graunt for vs, our heires and successors,
that theis our Letters Patente or the inrollment thereof, shalbe firme, good,
and effectuall in the lawe, according to the true true meaneing of the same,
although expresse mencon, &c.
In witnes whereof, &c. Witnes ourselfe att Westui, the Fowerth day of