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

Author: Gerard Bovey (Button maker)

Source: MINT 19/1/454-5, National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, UK

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- Revision History
  - 1 January 2001
    - Catalogue information compiled by Rob Iliffe, Peter Spargo & John Young
  - 29 September 2011
    - Catalogue exported to teiHeader by Michael Hawkins
  - 3 February 2017
    - Transcribed by Will Scott
  - 3 March 2017
    - Metadata amended by Will Scott
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<454r>

To the Right Honourable the Lord Commissioners of his Majesties Treasury

The humble Petition of Gerard Bovey

Humbly Sheweth

That Your Petitioner 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 Experiments 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 Petitioner 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 Parliament made in the 7^th. & 8^th. and 8^th & 9^th years of his now Majesties 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 Petitioner 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 Petitioner 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 Petitioner with Liberty to Work therewith, upon Your Petitioners giving Security to deliver the same again into the Mint when required: And Your Petitioner 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 Petitioner humbly Conceives was upon Occasion of a Petition of one Daniel Critchlow presented to Your Lordships for the use of some such like Engine to make Buttons with, wherein he mentions that of Your Petitioners. Although the said Critchlow never Invented nor procured such Press or Engine; Neither was he a Buttonmaker but a Wyreworker. And Your Lordshipps Petitioner hath reason to believe that what he designed thereby was meerly to have the opportunity of making another Press by Your Petitioners For that Your Petitioner never heard of any such Engine or Press that had been examined by the Officers of the Mint [save only his Your Petitioners & one of the Invention of Iacob Wallis for making fine Hooks & Chains for Watches] that were ever restored and delivered out again. By which means Your Petitioner is now wholly deprived of his business which was the only Support of himself and Family.

Now may it please Your Lordshipps That forasmuch as Your Petitioners said Press or Engine was projected and used by Your Petitioner before either of the said Acts of Parliament were in being: And for that the same was Projected & obtained by Your Petitioner & 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 Petitioner humbly prayeth Your Lordshipps to be pleased to Order his said Press or Engine to be restored to him: And that upon Your Petitioners giving such Security as Your Lordships shall require, Your Lordshipps will be pleased to Authorize or permit him (in such sort as Your Lordshipps shall think fitt) to Work the same according to the Power & Authority given to Your Lordshipps by the said Acts of Parliament. And that Your Petitioner may have Your Lordshipps Iudgment as to a Patent for his sole Vse & benefit thereof: Wherein Your Petitioner humbly submits himself to Your Lordshipps.

And he shall ever pray &c.

<455v>

Petition of Gerard Bovey to the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury

Refer to Officers of Mint
{Ents}

Cock Pit Treasury Chambers

4^th. Aorill 1699

The Lords Commissioners of his Majestys Treasury are Pleasd to refer this Petition to the Warden Master + Worker + Comptroller of his Majestys Mint who are to consider the same + Report to their Lordships a true State of the matter therein contain'd together with their opinion what is fit to be don therein

W^m Lowndes

Gerard Bovey to Officers {of the} Mint