Year: 1721

page_text: GEORGE, by the grace of God, &c., to all to whom these Presents shall
come greeting.
WHEREAS our trusty and welbeloved WILLIAM HARDING, Citizen and
Blacksmith, of our City of London, hath by his petičon humbly represented
vnto vs that he had been for many yeares an inhabitant in our Island of
Jamaica, and being skilled in making sugar mills and and other engines
belonging to the same, by many years practice therein, doth perfectly know
the inconveniencies our subjects in that and all other our Dominions in
America lye vnder, and damages they suffer by the imperfeccon of their
sugar mills, water mills, and wormes for making sugar and rum, the same
being subiect to so many disorders, and difficult, chargeable, and tedious to
repair, being chiefly made with large timber and wooden coggs, only having
a case of iron on the timber and an iron gudgeon through them; which often
breaks by the imperfeccon of the rollers, in which case the remedy hath been
to make new rollers, nothing but the outside iron case being vsefull, which
rollers must be made of a particular sort of timber and by such experienced
artificers as are difficult to be found in many part of our said island, by
reason whereof sometimes the whole works are stopped many days, while
the
works
sugar canes being ripe are spoiling; that the petičoner endeavouring to
remove not only those inconveniences but also to supply those sugar
with water which are at present in great want thereof, and relieve others
which being on low ground are much annoyed therewith, did make many
experiment, but for want of proper materialls and workmen in Jamaica

page_text: could not perfectly compleat the same, and therefore at the request and for
the encouragement of our subjecte in Jamaica, the Petitioner returned to
London, where, at his great expence, long study, and industry, he hath
invented, contrived, and made models and specimens at large of such
"SUGAR MILLS, ENGINES, AND WORMES," as will infallibly surmount and remove
the aforesaid difficulties and inconveniences, which models and specimens
have not only been approved by gentlemen of Jamaica, now in London, but
also by gentlemen of the Royal Society who have viewed and examined the
validity and excellency thereof; the rollers, and coggs, and gudgeons, whereof
are all iron, cast and wrought in a different manner and form from all those
now in vse, and such equal proporčons and dimensions that if by any accident
a gudgeon or any other part of the rollers should be disordered it may be
repaired without the help of any other workmen than those about the mill,
for one-eighth part of the charge it vsed to cost, and be set to work againe in
four or five houres time; the engine being for supplying the said mills with
water, having an iron pinion or small wheel of a peculiar form and manner,
with works circular within an iron double or endless rack, toothed all round,
so contrived within as to command one sucker or forcer, performing both offices
at the same in a single barrel or cilinder, making a purchase of any length
required, which being wrought by the power of the mill, or otherwise, will
supply all the works with a continual stream of water without intermission;
and the wormes being cast and made on a core of mettle, so particularly
contrived as to be taken out after the worms or pipes are cast thereon, with
much more ease and conveniency than any ever before made vse of by any
artificer whatsoever, by which meanes the wormes and water pipes will be
compleatly finished without sorder or being bent after casting, as those now
in vse generally are, and being kept cool by a constant supply of water will
prevent yearly the loss or spoiling many thousand gallons of rum, and by
removeing the waters from those places where it super abound to places
where it is extreamly wanted will greatly encrease the value of many hundred
thousand acres of land in all those our Dominions in America; and that for-
asmuch therefore as the Petitioner has been applied to and encouraged, and
has been at trouble and expence in finding out and makeing models and
specimens, trying and bringing to perfecčon the said Invenčon, and that the
same in all probability will be of great advantage and comodity to our
subiects, he hath humbly prayed vs to grant him our Letters Patent for the
sole vse, making, and vending of his said Invenčon in that part of of our
Kingdom of Great Britain called England, and in all our Dominions in
America, for the term of fourteen yeares, wee, being willing to give encourage-

page_text: ment to all arts and invenčons which may be for the publick vse aid
benefit are graciously pleased to gratifie bim in his request.
KNOW YEE, THEREFORE, that wee, of our especial grace, certain
knowledge, and meer močon, have given and granted, and by these Presents
for vs, our heires and successors, do give and grant vnto the said William
Harding, his executors, administrators, and assignes, especial lycence, full
power, sole priviledge and authority, that he, the said William Harding,
his executors, administrators, and assignes, and every of them, by themselves,
or by their deputy and deputies, servant or agents, or such others as he,
the said William Harding, his executors, administrators, or assignes, shall at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
during the term of yeares herein expressed, shall and lawfully may vse, make,
and vend his said new invented sugar mills, engins, and worms, for making
sugar and rum, as above described, in that part of our Kingdom of Great
Britain called England, and in all our Dominions in America, in such manner.
as to him, the said William Harding, his executors, administrators, and
assignes, or any of them shall in their discretions seem meet; and that he,
the said William Harding, his executors, administrators, and assignes, shall
and lawfully may have, and enioy, the whole profit, bencfit, comodity, and
advantage from time to time coming, growing, accrewing, and arising by
reason of the said Invenčon, for and during the term of yeares herein
menčoned, to have, hold, exercise, and enioy the said lycence, powers,
priviledges, and advantages herein-before granted or menčoned to be granted
vnto the said William Harding, his executors, administrators, and assignes,
for and during and vntill the full end and term of fourteen yeares from the
day of the date of these Presents next and imediately ensuing and fully
to be compleat and ended according to the Statute in that case made and
provided. And to the end that the said William Harding, 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 Invenčon, according to
our gracious intenčon 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 subiects
whatsoever, of what estate, quality, or degree, name or condicou soever
they be in that said part of our Kingdom of Great Britain called England,
and in all our Dominions in America aforesaid, 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 Invencon so attained vato by the said William Harding

page_text: as aforesaid, nor in any wise counterfeit, imitate, or resemble the same,
nor shall make or cause to be made any addičon thereunto, or subtraccon
from the same, whereby to pretend himselfe or themselves the inventor
or inventors, devisor or devisors thereof, without the lycence, consent, or
agreement of the said William Harding, his executors, administrators, or
assignes, vnder their hande and seales first had and obtained in that behalfe,
vpon such paines 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 William Harding 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 heirs and successors, will
and command all and and singular the justices of the peace, mayors, sheriffes,
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 or shall at any time hereafter during the said term hereby granted, in any
wise molest, trouble, or hinder the said William Harding, his executors, admi-
nistrators, or assignes, or any of them, their or any of their deputies, servante,
or agents, in or about the due and lawfull vse or exercise of the aforesaid
Invenčon, or any thing relating thereto: Provided always, and these our
Letters Patents are and shall be vpon this condition, that if at any time
dureing 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 preiuciciall or inconvenient to our subiects in
generall, or that the said Invenčon is not a new invenčon as to the publick
vse and exercise thereof in that part of our said Kingdom of Great Britain
called England, or in any of our Dominions in America aforesaid, and not
invented and found out by the said William Harding as aforesaid, then, vpon
significačon and declaračon thereof to be made by vs, our heires and successors,
vader 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 hande, these our
Letters Patents shall forthwith cease, determine, and be vtterly void to all
intent and purposes, any thing herein-before contained to the contrary thereof
in any wise notwithstanding: Provided also, that these our Letters Patente
or any thing herein contained shall not extend or be construed to extend to
give priviledge vnto the said William Harding, his executors, administrators,
or assigns, or any of them, to vse or imitate any invenčon or work whatsoever
which hath heretofore been found out or invented by any other of our subiect{
whatsoever, and publickly vsed or exercised in that part of our said Kingdom
of Great Britain called England, or in any of our Dominions in America afore-

page_text: said, vnto whom like Letters Patents or priviledges have been already granted
for the sole vse, exercise, and benefit thereof, it being our will and pleasure
that the said William Harding, his executors, administrators, and assignes,
and all and every other person and persons to whom like Letters Patents 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 Patent and of
these Presente: Provided likewise nevertheless, and these our Letters
Patent are vpon this express condičon, that if the said William Harding, his
executors or administrators, or any other person or persons which shall or may
at any time or times hereafter during the continuance of this grant have or
claim 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 Invencon
hereby granted, shall make any transferr, or assigment, 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
summe or summes 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 servants, receive any summe 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 purposes, or shall presume to act as a corporate
body, or shall divide the benefit of these our Letters Patente, 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 shall have
have any right or title either in law or equity in or to the said premisses which
will be contrary to the true intent and meaning of a certain Act of Parliament
made in the sixth year of our reign, entituled 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 extravegant and vnwarran-
table Practices therein menčoned, 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 or in trust for more than the number of five persons
or their representatives at any one time (reckoning executors or adminis-
trators, as and for the single person whom they represent, as to such interest as

page_text: 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 Patente, and all
liberties, priviledges, and advantages whatsoever hereby granted, shall vtterly
cease, determine, and become void, any thing herein-before contained to the
contrary thereof in anywise notwithstanding. And lastly, wee do by these
Presents, for vs, our heires and successors, grant vnto the said William Harding,
his executors, administrators, and assignes, that these our Letters PatentⓇ or
the inrollment or exemplifica con thereof, shall be in and by all things good,
firm, valid, sufficient, and effectual in the law, according to the true intent
and meaning thereof, and shall be taken, construed, and adiudged in the most
favourable and beneficiall sense for the best advantage of the said William
Harding, his executors, administrators, and assignes, aswell in all Courts of
Record as elsewhere, and by all and singular the officers and ministers
whatsoever of vs, our heirs and successors, in that part of our said Kingdom
of Great Britain called England, and in all our Dominions in America afore-
said, 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 Invenčon, or of the materialls
thereto conduceing and belonging.