A WINDLASS, ON A NEW CONSTRUCTION, TO RAISE HEAVY WEIGHTS ON BOARD SHIPS OR VESSELS, THAT IS MUCH SUPERIOR TO ANY MACHINE THEY NOW USE
Year: 1770

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
STUARD, of the Parish of Saint John, Wapping, in the County of Middlesex,
send greeting.
WHEREAS I, the said James Stuard, did, by my Petition, humbly
represent to His present most Excellent Majesty King George the Third,
that, after much labour and expence, I had invented "A WINDLASS, ON A NEW
CONSTRUCTION, TO RAISE HEAVY WEIGHTS ON BOARD SHIPS OR VESSELS, THAT IS
MUCH SUPERIOR TO ANY MACHINE THEY NOW USE," and that in regard I was
the first and true Inventor thereof, and that the same had not been practised or
used by any other person or persons, to my knowledge or belief, I therefore
most huinbly prayed His said Majesty that He would be graciously pleased
to grant unto me, my executors, administrators, and assigns, His Royal Letters
Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, for the sole use and benefit of
my said Invention, within that part of His said Majesty's Kingdom of Great
Britain called England, His Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-
Tweed, for the term of fourteen years, according to the Statute in that case
made and provided, His said Majesty, being willing to give encouragement to
all arts and inventions which might be for the publick good, was graciously
pleased to condescend to my request, and therefore, by His Royal Letters
Patent, bearing date at Westminster; the Fifteenth day of March, in the
tenth year of His reign, of His especial grace, certain knowledge, and meer
motion, for Himself, His heirs and successors, did give and grant unto me,

page_text: the said James Stuard, my executors, administrators, and assigns, His especial
licence, full power, sole priviledge and authority, that I, the said James Stuard,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, and every of them, by myself and
themselves, or by mine or their deputy or deputies, servants or agents, or such
others as I, the said James Stuard, my executors, administrators, or 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 my said Invention within that
part of His said Majesty's Kingdom of Great Britain called England, His
Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, in such manner as to
me, the said James Stuard, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or any
of us, should in our discretions seem meet, and that I, the said James
Stuard, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should and lawfully might
have and enjoy the whole profit, benefit, commodity, and advantage from time
to time coming, growing, accruing, and arising by reason of the said Invention,
for and during the term of years therein mentioned, to have, hold, exercise, and
enjoy the said licence, powers, priviledges and advantages therein-before granted
or mentioned to be granted unto me, the said James Stuard, 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; in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso
that if I, the said James Stuard, should not particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seale, and cause the
same to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within four
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters, that
then the said Letters Patent, and all liberties and advantages whatsoever thereby
granted, should utterly cease, determine, and become void, anything therein-
before contained to the contrary thereof in anywise notwithstanding, as in and
by the said Letters Patent (relation being thereunto had) may more fully and
at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Stuard, in compliance with the
said proviso, do hereby describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and declare that the same is to be performed in manner following (that
is to say):
:-
The use of my Invention is to weigh anchors, which is performed much
easier than the common way, by means either of wheels or screws workt with
winches applied to the barrel on which the cable or rope winds round, or may

page_text: be placed perpendicularly, and workt with bars like a capstan, and having its
axis turning either on friction wheels or a plane. And it is also very safe,
having a greater number than usual of stops or catches on it, whereby the men
are not so much in danger of being hurt, which is done by cutting sixteen
notches in the middle, or by putting on a wheel for the palls to catch in, and
having two palls at cach end. It has also a bolt or palls to keep it from
fetching way. And it is likewise very useful to heave a ship ahead against the
tide or wind, and may be used to great advantage in hoisting goods or
anything in or out of a ship, having a pall which, being pulled up with a line,
the machine turns the contrary way. It may also be applied to hoist sails,
and, on board small craft, for lowering and raising their masts.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Stuard, have hercunto set my
hand and seal, this Eleventh day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand seven hundred and seventy, and in the tenth year of the
reign of our said Sovereign Lord George the Third, by the grace of
God of Great Britain, France, and Ireland King, Defender of the
Faith, and so forth.