HARPSICHORD, SPINNETTS, AND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS VAED IN MOST FAMILIES OF THE NOBILITY AND GENTRY OF THIS OUR KINGDONE, HE HATH AFTER FOUR YEARES APPLICACON AND STUDY, AND WITH GREAT EXPENCE, INVENTED PENS OF SILVER, BRASS, STEEL, AND OTHER SORTS OF METALL, WHICH WILL IMPROVE THE TONE OF THE SAID INSTRUMENTS, AND LAST MANY YEARES WITHOUT AMENDMENT, CROW AND RAVEN QUILLS, OF WHICH THEY ARE NOW MADE, REQUIREING FREQUENT CHARGE AND TROUBLE IN REPAIRING
Year: 1730

page_text: Psents shall come, greeting.
WHEREAS WILLIAM BARTON has, by his petition, humbly represented vnto
vs, that "To IMPROVE THE VSE OF HARPSICHORD, SPINNETTS, AND MUSICAL
INSTRUMENTS VAED IN MOST FAMILIES OF THE NOBILITY AND GENTRY OF THIS OUR
KINGDONE, HE HATH AFTER FOUR YEARES APPLICACON AND STUDY, AND WITH GREAT
EXPENCE, INVENTED PENS OF SILVER, BRASS, STEEL, AND OTHER SORTS OF METALL,
WHICH WILL IMPROVE THE TONE OF THE SAID INSTRUMENTS, AND LAST MANY YEARES
WITHOUT AMENDMENT, CROW AND RAVEN QUILLS, OF WHICH THEY ARE NOW MADE,
REQUIREING FREQUENT CHARGE AND TROUBLE IN REPAIRING," that the said new-
invented pens have been highly approved of by several gentlemen and pro-
fessors who have seen the same, and are very desirous of having their instru-
ments penned in like manner; and having bumbly prayed vs to grant him
our Royal Letters Patents for the sole making and vending of the said new-
invented pens for such number of years as wee should think fit, wee, being
willing to give encouragement to all arts and inventions that may be for
the publick benefit, are graciously pleased to gratifie him in his request.
KNOW YEE THEREFORE, that wee, of our especial grace, certain
kuowledge and meer močon, have given and granted, and by these psents,
for vs, our heires and successors, do give and grant vnto the said William
Barton, his executors, administrators, and assignes, our especial lycence, full
power, sole--priviledge and authority, that he, the said William Barton, his
executors, administrators, and assignes, and every of them, by himselfe and
themselves, or by his and their deputy and deputies, servants or agents, or

page_text: such others as he, the said William Barton, 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 make, work, vse, vend, and enioy his said new-invented pens of silver,
brass, steel, and other sorts of metall, to improve the vse of harpsichorde and
spinets, as above described, within that part of our kingdome of Great Britain
called England, our dominion of Wales, and town of Berwick-vpon-Tweed,
in such manner as to him, the said William Barton, his executors, adminis-
trators, or assignes, or any of them, shall in their discretions seem meet; and
that he, the said William Barton, his executors, administrators, and assignes,
shall and lawfully may have and enioy the whole profit, comodity, benefit,
and advantage from time to time comeing, growing, accrewing, and arising by
reason of the said Invention for and during the term of years herein men-
Coned, to have, hold, exercise, and enioy the said lycence, powers, priviledges,
and advantages herein-before granted or menconed to be granted vnto the
said William Barton, his executors, administrators, and assignes, for and during
and vnto the full end and term of fourteen yeares from the date of these
presents next and imediately ensueing, and fully to be compleat and ended,
according to the statute in such case made and provided; and to the end that
the said William Barton, 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 intention herein-before
declared, wee do by these presents, for vs, our heires and successors, require
and strictly comand all and every person and persons, bodies politick and
corporate, and all other our subiects whatsoever, of what estate, quality,
degree, name, or condition soever they be, within that said part of our kingdom
of Great Britain called England, our dominion of Wales, and town of Ber-
wick-upon-Tweed aforesaid, that neither they or any of them, at any time
during the continuance of the said term of fourteen yeares hereby granted,
either direcly or indirectly, do make, vse, or put in practice the said In-
venčon or any part of the same so attained vnto by the said William Barton
as aforesaid, nor in anywise counterfeit, imitate, or resemble the same, nor
shall make or cause to be made any addition thereunto or substracčon 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 Barton, his executors, administrators, or assignes, in writing vader
his or their hands and seals, first had and obtained in that behalfe, vpon
such pains 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

page_text: to the said William Barton, his executors, administrators, and assignes, accord-
ing to law, for his and their damages thereby occasioned; and moreover wee
do by these presents, for vs, our heires and successors, will and cōmand all
and singular the instices of the peace, mayors, sheriffs, bayliffs, 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 nor shall
at any time hereafter, during the said term hereby granted, in anywise molest,
trouble, or hinder the said William Barton, bis executors, administrators, or
assignes, or any of them, or his or their deputies, servants, 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 during the said term
hereby granted it shall 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 preiudicial or inconvenient to our subiects in general, or that the
said Invenčon is not a new invenčon as to the publick vse and exercise
thereof in that said part of our kingdome of Great Britain called England, our
dominion of Wales, or town of Berwick-vpon-Tweed aforesaid, or nct in-
vented and found out by the said William Barton as aforesaid, then, vpon
significačon or declarañon thereof, to be made by vs, our heires or successors,
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 intents and purposes, anything herein-
before contained to the contrary thereof in anywise notwithstanding: Provided
also, that these our Letters Patents, or anything herein contained, shall not
extend or be construed to extend to give priviledge vnto the said William
Barton, his executors, administrators, or assignes, 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 subiects whatsoever, and publickly vsed
or exercised in that said part of our kingdome of Great Britain called England,
our dominion of Wales, or town of Berwick-upon-Tweed aforesaid, 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.
Barton, his executors, administrators, and assignes, and all and every other
person or persons to whom like Letters Patents or priviledges have been already
granted as aforesaid, shall distinctly vse and practice their several invenčons by
them invented and found out, according to the true intent and meaning of the
same respective Letters Patentes, and of these presents. Provided likewise,
neverthelesse, and these our Letters Patents are vpon this express condition,

page_text: that if the said William Barton, his executors or administrators, or any per-
son or persons who shall or may, at any time or times hereafter during
the continuance of this grant, have or claim any right, title, or interest in
law or equity of, in, or to the power, priviledge, and authority of the sole
vse and benefit of the said Invenčón hereby granted, shall make any transferr
or assignment, 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 booke or books for pub-
lick subscripcons, to be made by any number of persons exceeding the number
of five, in order to the raising any sume or sumes 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 sume 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 shall presume to
act as a corporate body, or shall divide the benefit of these our Letters
Patents, 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 comitted or done, any act, matter, or thing whatsoever during such time
as such person or persons shall have any right or title, either in law or equity,
in or to the said premisses which would be contrary to the true intent and
meaning of a certain Act of Parliament made in the sixth year of the reign
of our late royal father King George the First, intituled (An Act for the
better securing certain powers and priviledges intended to be granted by His
Maiesty by two charters for assurance of ships and merchandizes at sea,
and for lending money vpon bottomry, and for restraining several extra-
vagant and vnwarrantable practices therein menconed), 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 in or in trust for more
than the number of five persons or their representatives at any one time
(reckoning executors or administrators as and for the single person whom
they represent as to such interest as 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 Patents, and all liberties, priviledges, and advantages what-
soever hereby granted, shall vtterly cease, determine, and become void, any-
thing herein-before contained to the contrary thereof in anywise notwithstand-
ing. And, lastly, wee do by these presents, for vs, our heires and successors,
grant vnto the said William Barton, bis executors, administrators, and assignes,
that these our Letters Patents, or the inrollment or exemplificacon thereof,

page_text: shall be in and by all things good, firme, 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 beneficial sense for the
best advantage of the said William Barton, his executors, administrators, and
assignes, as well in all our courts of record as elswhere, and by all and singular
the officers and ministers whatsoever of vs, our heires and successors, in that
part of our said kingdom of Great Britain called England, our dominion of
Wales, and town of Berwick-vpon-Tweed aforesaid, and amongst all and
every the subiects of vs, our heires and successors, whatsoever and where-
soever, notwithstanding the not full and certain describeing the nature or
quality of the said Invention, or of the materials thereto conducing and
belonging.