A SHOE AND BUCKLE, UPON AN ENTIRE NEW CONSTRUCTION, FOR THE USE OF MEN OR WOMEN
Year: 1783

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, J, JOHN
STEDMAN, of the Parish of Saint James, Westminster, Hair Dresser, send
greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third, by His
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal, bearing date at Westminster, the
Thirteenth day of January, in the twenty-third year of His reign, did give and
grant unto me, that J, the said John Stedman, my exccutors, administrators,
and assigns, and every of them, by myself and themselves, or by my and
their deputy and deputies, servants or agents, or such others as J, the said
John Stedman, 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 of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within that part of His Kingdom of Great Britain
called England, His Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed,
my Jnvention of "A SHOE AND BUCKLE, UPON AN ENTIRE NEW CONSTRUCTION, FOR
THE USE OF MEN OR WOMEN," in such manner as to me, the said John Sted-
man, my executors, administrators, or assigns, or any of them, should in their
discretion seem meet, and that J, the said John Stedman, should and law-
fully might have and enjoy the whole profit, benefit, commodity, and advan-
tage, from time to time coming, growing, and arising, by reason of the said
Jnvention, for and during the term of years therein mentioned, to have, hold,

page_text: exercise, and enjoy the said license, powers, priviledges, and advantages unto
me, the said John Stedman, my executors, administrators, and assigns, for and
during and unto the full end and term of fourteen years from the date of the
said Letters Patent next and immediately ensuing, and fully to be compleat
and ended according to the Statute in such case made and provided; jn
which said Letters Patent there is contained a provisoe obliging me, the said
John Stedman, by an jnstrument in writing under my hand and seal, to cause
a particular description of the nature of my said Jnvention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be jnrolled in His Majesty's High
Court of Chancery within four calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said 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 provisoe, J, the said
John Stedman, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Jnvention, and
the manner in which it is performed, is as follows, videlicet:
The buckle or fastening for, men or women's shoes may be made of any
metal, shape, or fashion. The bridge of the buckle nearest the toe is a con-
siderable deal thicker than the bridge nearest the jnstep. To those bridges, in
or near the centre of the buckle, are fixed or fastened two plates of steel, or
one of steel and one of brass, or of any metal whatsoever. Between those two
plates is a slider of any metal that works in one, two, or three grooves made
in the upper plate, this slider acts or moves in a direction from toe to heel by
a spring or springs fixed or fastened between the aforesaid two plates. The
use of this slider is to receive the catgut, string, or wire fixed to the eyes,
hooks, or loops of the short straps of the shoe. To the end of the under plate,
nearest the jnstep, are two, three, or four small spikes fixed or made. Those
spikes are to be fastened in or under the ridge fixed on the upper part of the
vamp of the shoe. Over the upper plate that is fixed to the two bridges of
the buckle is put a piece of foil covered with leather, or foil blackened with-
out being covered with leather, the width and breadth of the buckle between
the two bridges or foil covered with anything the shoe is made of. This foil
is fastened under each end of the buckle by ketches or hasps fixed or fastened
there for that purpose. The shoe for men and women is made with short
straps. To the points of those short straps are fixed eyes, hooks, or loops.
Upon the top of the vamp is a ridge under or into which the spikes of the
buckle are fixed or fastened. Across the upper part of the vamp, from strap
to strap, goes a piece of catgut or string covered with wire, or string, or cat-
gut,, without. being covered with wire, or wire without catgut or string. To.
the ends of the catgut, string, or wire, are fixed or fastened hooks, eyes, or

page_text: JOHN (L.S.) STEDMAN.
AND BE IT REMEMBRED, that on the same Seventh day of May, in
the year above mentioned, the aforesaid John Stedman came before our said
Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification afore-
said, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above
written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stampt according to tho
tenor of the Statute made in the sixth year of the reign of their late
Majestys King William and Queen Mary of England, and so forth.
Inrolled the Eighth day of the same May, in the year above mentioned.