A METHOD OF MAKING LEES AND ASHES FROM MARL AND OTHER MATERIALS FOR BLEACHING OF CLOTH AND YARN, AND FOR THE USE OF SOAPERS, DYERS, AND OTHERS
Year: 1773

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HEYS, of the Township of Clayton, in the County of Lancaster, Chapman,
send greeting.
WHEREAS I, the said John Heys, did, by my Petition, humbly represent
unto His Majesty, that I had, after long study, labour, and expence, invented
and found out "A METHOD OF MAKING LEES AND ASHES FROM MARL AND OTHER
MATERIALS FOR BLEACHING OF CLOTH AND YARN, AND FOR THE USE OF SOAPERS,
DYERS, AND OTHERS," and that the same has never been invented by any other
person; I therefore most humbly prayed His Majesty to grant to me, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, His Majesty's Royal Letters Patent for
the sole exercising of the said Invention within His said Majesty's Kingdom
of Great Britain, His Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed,
for the space of fourteen years, according to the form of the Statute in that case
made and provided; and whereas, by the said Letters Patent under the Great
Seal of Great Britain, bearing date the Nineteenth day of March, in the
thirteenth year of His said Majesty's reign, after reciting the said Petition, and
also reciting that His Majesty, being willing to give encouragement to all arts
and inventions which might be for the publick good, was pleased to condescend
to my request, His Majesty, of His special grace, certain knowledge, and mere
motion, did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Heys, my executors, administrators, and assigns, His special licence, full
power, sole priviledge and authority, that I, the said John Heys,my executors,
administrators, and assigns, and every of them, by myself and themselves, or by

page_text: my or their deputy or deputys, servants or agents, or such others as I, the said
John Heys, 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 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 John Heys, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or any of them, in my or their discretions seem
meet, and that I, the said John Heys, my executors, administŕors, and
assigns, should and lawfully might have and enjoy the whole benefit, com-
modity, 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, and enjoy the said licence, powers, priviledges,
and advantages therein-before granted or mentioned to be granted unto me,
the said John Heys, 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 John Heys, should
not particularly describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under
my hand and seal, 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 those His said Majesty's Letters Patent, that then His said Majesty's
Letters Patent, and all liberties and advantages whatsoever thereby granted,
should utterly cease, determine, and become void, anything therein contained
to the contrary thereof in anywise notwithstanding.
NOW KNOW YE, that I,' the said John Heys, in compliance with the
said proviso, do hereby describe and ascertain the nature of my said Inven-
tion, which is to be prepared in the manner following, that is to say :-
I take a quantity of marl, and burn it in a kiln much like those used for
burning of lime, only I place iron bars about a yard from the bottom, that it
may receive air during the time it is so burning. I then take the ashes
arising therefrom, and with kelp, salt water, fresh water, turf ashes, soot, lime,
oyster shells, and fuller's earth, put the whole into a cistern, where I let them
stand four or five days, from whence I draw or take a liquid or lec, which I
afterwards boil till it will bear an egg, and then, putting in some lime water
and aquafortis, put the whole into a reverberating furnace cased with iron, to
prevent the matter from runing out, as it requires an excessive hot fire to

page_text: melt it down, and when it is so melted I draw it off into an iron pan,
upon growing cool it becomes hard and fit for use.
and
In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Eighth
day of June, in the thirteenth year of the reign of His said Majesty
King George the Third, and in the year of our Lord One thousand
seven hundred and seventy-two.
Inrolled the Twelfth day of June, in the year last above written.