Petition for the return of a button-making machine of his own invention which has been impounded by the Mint on suspicion of being used for coining fake money

<454r>

To the Right Honble: the Lord Comissrs: of his Maties: Treasury

The humble Petition of Gerard Bovey

Humbly Sheweth

That Your Petr. is, and for above twenty years past hath been a Freeman of London & of the Company of Founders & a Liveryman thereof And for the making what honest Improvement he could of his Trade of Buttonmaking (which he followed) for his own benefit, did spend some considerable time, and make & tryed severall Experimts: in projecting some Engine for making Metall Buttons of Block Tin better & more curious man any before known in these parts, but could not arrive to a perfection therein without travelling beyond seas. And thereupon in the year 1695 did travell to Nuremberg in Germany, and there with some Assistance did contrive, and after a considerable Expence of nine months time; & much money & hazard, did from thence being over to England an usefull Engine for that purpose, being a small Hand Engine going with a single Screw, never before or since used in England by any other: Which You Petr. hath all along from that time used for Buttom making to his great Encouragement & the Support of himself & Family Vntill the publishing of two Acts of Parliamt. made in the 7th. & 8th. and 8th & 9th years of his now Maties: reign; Which oblige all persons to bring into the Mint all manner of Presses, Engines &c. therein named that might be used or be deemed to be used for Coinage under very great Penalties Of which Your Petr. had no sooner Notice, but he voluntarily carried the same into the Mint: Not for that it was usefull for Coinage, but for avoiding all occasion of Offence & danger, and lest it might be deemed to be what Your Petr. was no way apprehensive of, and also in Obedience to the said Statutes: And the same being viewed by the Officers of the Mint (who found it uncapable of being used for Coinage) was delivered back to Your Petr. with Liberty to Work therewith, upon Your Petrs. giving Security to deliver the same again into the Mint when required: And Your Petr. did continue to Work the same in his honest way of Button making; Vntill the same was Remanded & is again delivered into the Mint; Which Your Petr. humbly Conceives was upon Occasion of a Petition of one Daniel Critchlow presented to Your Lordps. for the use of some such like Engine to make Buttons with, wherein he mentions that of Your Petrs. Although the said Critchlow never Invented nor procured such Press or Engine; Neither was he a Buttonmaker but a Wy{illeg}reworker. And Your L{illeg}ordpps: Petr. hath reason to beleive {sic} that what he designed thereby was meerly to have the opportunity of making another Press by Your Petrs. For that Your Petr. never heard of any such Engine or Press that had been examined by the Officers of the Mint [save only his Your Petrs. & one of the Invention of Iacob Wallis for making fine Hooks & Chains for Watches] that were ever restored and delivered out ag{illeg}ain. By which means Your Petr. is now wholly deprived of his business which was the only Support of himself and Family.

Now may it please Your Lordpps: That forasmuch as Your Petrs. said Press or Engine was projected and used by Your Petr. before either of the said Acts of Parliamt. were in being: And for that the same was Projected & obtained by Your Petr. & by no other, And therefore (as he humbly Conceives) most justly Intitled to the sole Vse and benefit thereof; which no other person can pretend to: And therefore humbly hopes he may not suffer in so honest & profitable an Invention, by deeming it a President for Evill designing men. And for as much also as the said Press or Engine hath been found incapable of Coinage by the Mint Officers

Your Petr. humbly prayeth Your Lordpps: to be pleased to Order his said Press or Engine to be restored to him: And that upon Your Petrs. giving such Security as Your Lordships shall require, Your Lordpps. will be pleased to Authorize or permit him (in such sort as Your Lordpps: shall think fitt) to Work the same according to the Power & Authority given to Your Lordpps: by the said Acts of Parliamt. And that Your Petr. may have Your Lordpps: Iudgment as to a Patent for his sole Vse & benefit thereof: Wherein Your Petr. humbly submits himself to Your Lordpps.

And he shall ever pray &c.

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Petition of Gerard Bovey to the Lords Comissrs. of the Treasury

R to Officrs of Mint
Ents

<text in Unknown Hand begins>Cock Pit Treary Chambers

4th. Aorill 1699

The Lords Commrs of his Matys Treary are Pleasd to refer this Peticon to ye Warden Master + Worker + Comptroller of his Matys Mint who are to consider ye same + Report to their Lops a true State of ye matter therein contain'd together wth their opinion wt is fit to be don therein

Wm Lowndes

{illeg}Gerard Bovey to Officrs Mint