| Description | Letters from the Duke of Devonshire to Sir Richard Arkwright; letters from Sir Richard Arkwright to his daughter.
Material relating to Augustus Peter Arkwright's naval career, including his 1854 Baltic medal
Probate documents relating to various Arkwright family members, including Frederic Charles Arkwright, Frances Arkwright, James Charles Arkwright.
Additional description by Arkwright Society volunteer, Nov 2017:
Richard Arkwright Patent documents and Charter, in leather box
Leather box (very worn) with stamped decoration containing eight documents relating to Richard Arkwright's patent for the water frame and his privileges in Scotland. With Sotheby's tag attached Consignment 40099864. The following descriptions were provided by Sotheby's in July 2009:
(1) Supplementary petition to Arkwright's royal letters patent for the water-frame, originally granted 3 July 1769 for fourteen years providing a detailed explanation of the invention as required in a proviso to the original patent and including a detailed diagram by Richard Edwin, labelled and with a scale bar, signed and sealed by Richard Arkwright, with three counter-signatures, 15 July 1769. ?Rodent damage with considerable loss of text and diagram;
(2) Pen, ink, and wash diagram of a spinning machine, titled "Richard Arkwright's Specification 1769", labelled and with scale bar, docketed, [1769?]. This is nearly identical to the diagram in the 1769 patent application (1)
(3) Pen, ink and wash diagram of a spinning machine, labelled and with scale bar, on laid paper. This is identical to the diagram in document (2) and is presumably a draft of that diagram.
(4) Charter confirming Arkwright's privileges in Scotland, 15 July 1771, each page signed by James Pringle and Alexander Watson, 6 pages;
(5) Letters Patent issued under the Great Seal, confirming Arkwright's licence to "make use exercise and vend a certain new piece of Machinery (then lately invented by him) for making of Weft or Yarn from Cotton Flax or Wool" in Ireland for a period of fourteen years, decorated margins and initial portrait of George III, 6 April 1772, examined by a Clerk of the Hanaper, docketed, fragments of seal ribbon attached (seal missing)
(6) Supplementary petition to Arkwright's patent for Ireland of 6 April 1772, with a detailed, labelled drawing and explanation of a roller spinning machine, as demanded in a proviso to the earlier patent (see (5)) signed and sealed by Richard Arkwright, Nottingham, 22 May 1772;
(7) Royal letters patent issued to Richard Arkwright for his "instruments or machines which he conceives will be of publick utility in preparing silk cotton flax and wool for spinning", confirming the exclusive rights of Arkwright and his heirs for the use of these inventions in England, Wales, and colonies, for a period of 14 years, pen and ink marginal illustrations and initial portrait, on vellum, 16 December 1775, lacking seal;
Supplementary petition to Arkwright's patent for inventions of "certain Instruments or machines which would be of Publick Utility in preparing silk Cotton Flax and wool for spinning" granted 16 December 1775 for fourteen years, providing a detailed explanation of the inventions as required in a proviso to the patent (see (7) with diagrams of ten instruments, signed and sealed by Richard Arkwright, counter-signed by witnesses, docketed, 10 April 1776.
This description is by Derbyshire Record Office staff, and updated by an Arkwright Society volunteer, Nov 2017 |
| Custodial History | These items only came to light after Colonel Peter Arkwright’s death when the roof of his family home, Willersey House, Gloucestershire (address: Broadway, Worcestershire), was being cleared prior to being vacated and sold by his family. The items were placed on loan to the Arkwright Society by the family in 1993. |