AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF NIGHT LIGHTS
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Fergusson Wilson, of Belmont, Vauxhall, in
the County of Surrey, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF NIGHT LIGHTS."
Sealed the 27th March 1857, and dated the 23rd January 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Fergusson Wilson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
23rd January 1857.
I, GEORGE FERGUSSON WILSON, of Belmont, Vauxhall, in the County of
Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF NIGHT LIGHTS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object an improvement in the manufacture of
night lights, and consists in the application of the more solid matters obtained
from Rangoon or such like petroleum in the manufacture of night lights.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Fergusson Wilson in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 23rd July 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
FERGUSSON WILSON, of Belmont, Vauxhall, in the County of Surrey, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said George Fergusson Wilson, Her special licence that I, the said George
Fergusson Wilson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said George Fergusson Wilson, 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 therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF NIGHT LIGHTS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said George Fergusson Wilson, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of
their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of
the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Fergusson Wilson, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object an improvement in the manufacture of
night lights, and consists in the application of the more solid matters obtained
from Rangoon or such like petroleum in the manufacture of night lights.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, I will proceed more fully to
describe the manner of performing the same.
In distilling Rangoon or such like petroleum, a solid hard distilled product is
obtained, which after pressure and purification resembles spermaceti; and I
have found that such product, from the beauty of its appearance and great
illuminating powers, is especially adapted to the manufacture of night lights,

page_text: and that the same may be made or moulded in paper, wood, or other suitable
boxes or cases, such as are ordinarily called Child's night lights, but the
wicks should be considerably reduced, say, two-thirds. I, however, prefer to
make night lights of such distilled product in the form of what are known as
Albert night lights, and to use wicks consisting of nine threads of fine cotton
made into a tight plait, composed of three strands of three threads each.
These details may however be varied without departing from my Invention,
which consists in moulding the distilled product above mentioned into night
lights.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Fergusson Wilson, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
JNO. COOK.
GEO. F. WILSON. (L.S.)