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 Hon^ble: the Lord Comiss^rs: of his Ma^ties: Treasury

The humble Petition of Gerard Bovey

Humbly Sheweth

That Your Pet^r. 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 Experim^ts: 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 Pet^r. 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 Parliam^t. made in the 7^th. & 8^th. and 8^th & 9^th years of his now Ma^ties: 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 Pet^r. 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 Pet^r. 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 Pet^r. with Liberty to Work therewith, upon Your Pet^rs. giving Security to deliver the same again into the Mint when required: And Your Pet^r. 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 Pet^r. humbly Conceives was upon Occasion of a Petition of one Daniel Critchlow presented to Your Lord^ps. for the use of some such like Engine to make Buttons with, wherein he mentions that of Your Pet^rs. Although the said Critchlow never Invented nor procured such Press or Engine; Neither was he a Buttonmaker but a Wy{illeg}|re|worker. And Your L{illeg}|o|rd^pps: Pet^r. hath reason to beleive {sic} that what he designed thereby was meerly to have the opportunity of making another Press by Your Pet^rs. For that Your Pet^r. never heard of any such Engine or Press that had been examined by the Officers of the Mint |[|save only his Your Pet^rs. & 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 Pet^r. is now wholly deprived of his business which was the only Support of himself and Family.

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

And he shall ever pray &c.

<455v>

Petition of Gerard Bovey to the Lords Comiss^rs. of the Treasury

R to Offic^rs of Mint
{Ents}

Cock Pit Treary Chambers

4^th. Aorill 1699

The Lords Comm^rs of his Ma^tys Treary are Pleasd to refer this Peticon to y^e Warden Master + Worker + Comptroller of his Ma^tys Mint who are to consider y^e same + Report to their Lops a true State of y^e matter therein contain'd together w^th their opinion w^t is fit to be don therein

W^m Lowndes

{illeg}|G|erard Bovey to Offic^rs Mint