MANUFACTURING, FORMING, MAKING, AND ENGRAVING COPPER PLATES FOR PRINTING POLICIES, TO SECURE PERSONS FROM LOSS OF PROPERTY OF CERTAIN DESCRIPTIONS
Year: 1800

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
WELLER, of Cavendish Street, Cavendish Square, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third did, by
His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Seventeenth day of June, in the fortieth year of His reign,
give and grant. unto me, the said William Weller, His especial licence, that
I, the said William Weller, during the term of years therein mentioned,
should and lawfully might use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales,
and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "MANUFACTURING,
FORMING, MAKING, AND ENGRAVING COPPER PLATES FOR PRINTING POLICIES, TO
SECURE PERSONS FROM LOSS OF PROPERTY OF CERTAIN DESCRIPTIONS;" in which
said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso obliging me, under my hand and
seal, to cause a particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in His Majesty's
High Court of Chancery within one calendar month after the date of the said

page_text: recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same (relation being thereunto had),
may more fully and at large appear:
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
William Weller, do hereby declare that my said Invention of Manufacturing,
Forming, Making, and Engraving Copper Plates for Printing Policies, to
secure Persons from Loss of Property of certain Descriptions, is described in
manner following, that is to say:-
"
The plates are to be manufactured out of sheet copper, and made of folio
size, in a rectangular or parallelogram form, properly prepared and highly
polished for engraving, which is to be executed in a neat, elegant, and
masterly-like manner. At the top of the plate or policy (in the center) will be
neatly engraved His Majesty's Arms, with this motto; "By His Majesty's Royal
Letters Patent." On one side of the plate or policy, parallel with His
Majesty's Arms, will be neatly engraved the figure of Justice, round or under
which will be this motto, "Property Secured;" on the other side of the plate
or policy, parallel with the other figures, will. be neatly engraved the bust or
head of the Patentee, round or under which will be this motto, "William
Weller, Inventor." On one side of the plate or policy will be neatly engraved
or cut a curious schroll or check, the whole length of the plate, down which
will be engraved this motto, " Property Secured from Thieves and Robbers,'
part of which, when the policy is cut out, will go with the policy to the
ensured, and the counterpart remain in the book at the office by way of check.
The body of the policy will be neatly engraved, and contain, as far as possible,
so much of the covenant and necessary matter as appertains thereto, and is
fair and equitable between man and man, or the insurers and insured, with
proper blank lines left to be filled up (with the pen) with the different sort
and species of property ensured, specifically particularized and minutely
described. These engraved copper plates, forming together the most grand
and useful policy of security ever yet made in this Kingdom, are for printing
patent policies to ensure and secure persons from loss of property of certain
descriptions, as herein-after particularized. The great public utility of these
plates or policies is; (with the patronage of the public,) to secure and ensure
His Majesty's subjects from the loss of a sort and species of property at
present entirely unsecure and unprotected, though daily exposed to great
danger, as may be seen by the frequent losses sustained, and the depredations
daily committed, in this metropolis, its environs, and the Kingdom at large.
Insurances in general have been found and proved very useful to the com-
munity, and numerous offices have been opened for the above purposes; but

page_text: nothing has ever yet gone (till this) to secure and ensure a certain sort and
species of property exposed to great danger by thieves and robbers, neither has
any other kind or species of property been ever yet protected, secured, and
ensured by engraved copper plate patent policies. The effecting this great and
most desirable object appears to have been reserved for the Patentee, who by
great labor and expence, is the whole and sole Inventor and Founder of this
grand and long wished-for design, and for which His Majesty has been most
graciously pleased to grant His Royal Letters Patent to William Weller for
making copper plate engraved policies to secure His Majestie's subjects from
loss of property of certain descriptions, of which the following are the parti-
culars First, these patent policies go to secure, ensure, and endemnify
persons from loss of property by burglaries and all forcible entries, whether
by day or night, in their dwelling houses, outhouses, warehouses, shops,
and other premises, agreeably to the policy and the conditions of insur-
ance thereunto annexed. Second, these patent policies secure, ensure, and
indemnify persons (such as merchants, shopkeepers, tradesmen, and others,)
from loss of any merchandizes, wares, stock in trade, &c. by burglaries
out of any house, warehouse, and other premises ensured by these policies,
agreeably to the policy and the conditions of insurance thereunto annexed.
Third, to secure, ensure, and indemnify persons from loss of property by
highway and footpad robberies, agreeably to the policies and the condi-
tions of insurance thereunto annexed. Fourth, to secure, ensure, and
indemnify persons from loss of property by horse stealing, agreeably to the
policy and the conditions of insurance thereunto annexed. Fifth, to secure,
insure, and indemnify persons from loss of property by having their beasts or
cattle stolen, and have their loss made good, agreeably to the policy and the
conditions of insurance thereunto annexed. Sixth, to secure, ensure, and
indemnify persons from loss of property by having their sheep stolen, and their
loss made good, agreeably to the policy and the conditions of insurance there-
unto annexed. Seventh, by these patent policies persons may ensure their
property from private thefts, and have their loss made good, upon the conviction
of the offender or offenders (and not otherwise), agreeably to the policy and tlie
conditions of insurance thereunto annexed. Eighth, by these patent policies
persons may ensure against consolidated risks, and be secured, ensured, and in-
demnified from loss of property by burglaries and fire, whether by day or night, in
their dwelling houses, outhouses, warehouses, shops, and other premises, and will
have their loss made good, agreeably to the policy and the conditions of insu-
rance thereunto annexed. Ninth, by these engraved copper-plate policies,

page_text: persons may secure and ensure any other sort of species of property or merchan-
dize upon the high seas or elsewhere, and will have their loss made good, agree-
ably to the policy and the conditions of insurance thereunto annexed. The great
public utility of these patent policies are, to protect, secure, and ensure His
Majesty's subjects from loss of property, the greatest part of which is at present
quite unprotected and unsecure, tho' daily exposed to great danger. With
the hopes of removing the evil, or at least checking and suppressing those
arlarming depredators (namely), thieves and robbers who so numerously infest
this metropolis, its environs, and the kingdom at large,-to effect this great
andd esireable end, Mr. Weller intends (if patronized by the nobility, gentry,
and the public) establishing a general insurance office (to be conducted by the
Patentee, &c.), to ensure and secure by these patent policies His Majesty's
subjects from loss of property herein-before described and specified, which it
is trusted will be found of great public utility, as the following advantages will
most evidently result therefrom-
I. An indemnification from loss of property, at present unprotected by any
insurance.
II. The assistance of the office in detecting and bringing offenders to
justice.
III. A gratuity to the widow, child or children, upon the husband or father
being killed in defending any property ensured (by these patent policies), in
case of attack.
IV. A constant reward of five guineas, over and above the usual rewards,
(upon conviction) to any watchman, patrol, or to any other person or persons who
shall take into custody any one or more who may have robbed or shall attempt
to rob any one ensured by these patent policies, which will be easily discovered
by the office mark or plate, to be affixed upon some conspicuous part of the
outside of the house, premises, or building so ensured, by which it may be
readily perceived that the houses and property of persons ensured will be
more secure than those who are not so.
V. All patent policies are stamped according and agreeably to Act of Par-
liament, by which it is humbly conceived the policies must be of great public
utility, as they will tend to secure the property of the subject, aid the police
of the country, and increase the revenue thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Weller, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Twenty-fifth day of June, One thousand eight
hundred.
W. WELLER. (L.S.)

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-fifth day of June, in the
fortieth year of the reign of His Majesty King George the Third, the said
William Weller came before our said Lord the King in His Chancery, and
acknowledged the Instrument aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained
and specified, in form above written. And also the Instrument aforesaid was
stamped according to the tenor of the several Statutes made in the sixth
year of the reign of the late King and Queen William and Mary of England,
and so forth, and in the seventeenth, twenty-third, and thirty-seventh years of
the reign of His present Majesty King George the Third.