elizabethan express
an account of the first journey by the new elizabethan express service from london to edinburgh .
an article on architecture, literature, and daily life in elizabethan england. from the britain express site .
the journey from london' s kings cross to edinburgh' s waverley station on the steam train the
elizabethan express .
the british transport film collection is preserved by the british film institute .
relive the summertime express between kings cross and waverley, which covered 393 in just 6 hours non - stop .
at platform 5, the elizabethan, a special express for the holiday season, summons its strength. and the time to depart marks an ending for some, but, for many, a start .
the star of the much–loved documentary elizabethan express is the steam–powered locomotive silver fox. she was part of the elizabethan service, whose daily non–stop journey took passengers the 393 miles from london to edinburgh in six–and–a–half hours. at the time the film made this was the world’s longest daily non–stop run above 60mph .
one of the most popular films from the legendary british transport films takes viewers on the record–beating express service from london to edinburgh .
claustrophobic train - set comedy - thriller with a gang of crooks intent on stealing a gold shipment on a scotland to london express .
flourished. the epithet elizabethan is merely a chronological reference and does not describe any special characteristic of the writing .
a fine site by lara e. eakins that comprehensively covers every conceivable historical aspect of tudor / elizabethan england .
the a1 steam locomotive trust, the registered charity behind famous new steam locomotive 60163 tornado, is the recreating ‘the elizabethan’ express in celebration of hm the queen’s diamond jubilee. ‘the elizabethan’ was the premier train on the east coast main line in the post - war period and this unique railtour will showcase tornado at her best and provide nearly 400 miles of travel behind an iconic deltic .
made in 1954, this documentary follows the summertime express from kings cross, london to waverley station, edinburgh. the steam train covered 393 miles in six and a half hours .
but for the elizabethan, being a special express for the holiday season, no delays are tolerated. upon reaching newcastle, maccloud is given the go - ahead to cut four minutes off the running time if he can. the fireman crunches chunks of coal and heaves them into the furnace, and the silver fox pushes on .
britain express is a labour of love by david ross, an avid historian, photographer, and' britain - ophile'. connect with us on facebook and (soon) google plus
elizabethan express is an honest - to - goodness charmer with integrity. the obvious enthusiasm for its subject - the world' s longest non - stop daily to average 60 mph - is put into the premise of a question, one that seems to ask,' isn' t this marvelous? how does it all come about?'
“having hauled the royal train during hrh the prince of wales’s visit to northumberland, we are delighted to be able to join in the celebration of hm the queen’s diamond jubilee with the re - creation of ‘the elizabethan’ express. this iconic train of the 1950s was british railways’ response to the optimism prevalent at the dawn of the new elizabethan era. with both tornado and alycidon on the route they were designed for, this unique railtour will be a day out to remember for all of those lucky enough to be on - board. ”
the film unfolds in classic british transport films manner, moving deftly between the contentment of the passengers and the labour required to provide this pleasure. how can the train run so smoothly that diners are capable of
filling stomachs without filling laps ?
it is due to
the state of the tracks, provided by these chaps on the maintenance gang. elizabethan express, then, is both celebration and revelation .
the web version of walter nelson' s fine handbook, this is a basic primer on the historical background that a participant in an elizabethan renaissance faire should know or have at hand .
‘the elizabethan’ express was steam hauled from 1953 to 1961 and deltic diesel hauled in 1962. therefore 2012 will mark the 50 th year since ‘the elizabethan’ service was withdrawn and 2013 will mark the 60 th year since the service was introduced. “the lizzie” as the service was affectionately known was principally hauled by gresley class a4s due to their corridor tenders, although there were times when other classes of steam locomotive deputised for the a4s. some of the occasions when a1s deputised are 60121 silurian on 24 th & 25 th july 1954, unique thompson class a1 / 1 60113 great northern on 25 th august 1954 and 60155 borderer on 12 th september 1954 .
elizabethan express was produced by the british transport commission’s in–house film unit, the celebrated british transport films. like many btf titles it is both a promotional film and a documentary, combining realism, romanticism and whimsy. for many years it was among the most popular films in the catalogue. justly so: superbly crisp black–and–white cinematography of footplates and carriages, countryside and stations, railwaymen and customers, burning coal and rising steam positively glistens onscreen and in viewers’ memories .
as the elizabethan passes york, a scots crew - consisting of driver maccloud and fireman mungo - relieves the first pair. the passengers gaze contentedly at the lovely yorkshire landscape. porters commence their corridor service .
from kings cross station, london, to waverley station, edinburgh is 393 miles. the elizabethan, a summertime express, covered the journey in 6 hours non - stop, at the time the longest non - stop journey in the world to be timed at over 60 mph. this film captures the speed and excitement of one of those runs, recalling the glamour of the great days of steam, as well as the hard work of the men who maintained the service .
before her combined. the subject matter of the elizabethan grants. , more than anything else, drew public notice to elizabeth' s patent policies and it is to this subject matter that we now turn our attention .
the long beginning of the elizabethan popular theatre, like that of the greek theatre, lay in religious ceremonials, probably in the drama in the liturgy of the two greatest events in the christian year, christmas and easter. in the…
it is, therefore, an object of this paper to illuminate some of these dusty truths from the elizabethan era and it will seem that, although the years have clouded our view of them, they are substantially the same today as they were then .
in order to celebrate the coronation of queen elizabeth ii, british railways renamed ‘the capitals limited’ express to ‘the elizabethan’. the first runs of ‘the elizabethan’ were made on monday 29 th june 1953, and then resumed for each summer season, until at the end of the 1961 season on friday 8 th september, when the last steam hauled runs were made. being non - stop between london and edinburgh in both directions, only corridor tender fitted gresley class a4s could be used, the sheds at king’s cross and haymarket being those to provide them. the inaugural time for the journey was 6¾ hours but in 1954 that was reduced to 6½ hours or only 390 minutes start to stop for the 392. 7 miles. from 1962, deltic diesels took over and whilst nominally non - stop to passengers, they halted briefly at newcastle for crew changing .
at waverly station, a voice announces the happy news: the elizabethan is running on time. moments later, it pulls into the station. the stationmaster puts on his top hat and prepares to greet the new arrival. picturesque edinburgh stands ready to do the same .
in elizabethan london, dramatists wrote in an extraordinary range of dramatic genres, from native comedy and farce to senecan tragedy, from didactic morality plays to popular chronicle plays and tragicomedies, all before the advent of shakespeare. although shakespeare developed certain genres, such as the chronicle play…
…exacting and brilliant achievements, the elizabethan and early stuart periods have been said to represent the most brilliant century of all. (the reign of elizabeth i began in 1558 and ended with her death in 1603; she was succeeded by the stuart king james vi of scotland, who took the…
in the wide expanse of king' s cross station, a host of people mill about. it is summertime - the time for traveling. a portly station superintendent sits with phone in his quiet office, arranging things with a jaunty air. a new seasonal service begins today: the elizabethan .
at this time, london was the heart of england, reflecting all the vibrant qualities of the elizabethan age. this atmosphere made london a leading center of culture as well as commerce. its dramatists and poets were among the leading literary artists of the day. in this heady environment, shakespeare lived and wrote .
fication nor written disclosure was required in the vast majority of the elizabethan grants. however, the patentees were obliged to teach the invention to native apprentices and therefore this was not a bone of contention among the vociferous common law enthusiasts of 1601 and 1623 because the public gained the benefit of the invention. [ 90 ]
this principle was recognized at an early time. bartolomeo verde, who received a payment from the venetian special privilege fund in 1332 to build a windmill, [ 93 ] had to refund the money at once if he did not complete his installation and make it work within six months. [ 94 ] even the letters of protection granted to john kempe and other alien artisans were granted on the express condition that they come to england and practice their trades .
shakespeare' s audiences would have been familiar with the bible and christianity, regardless of where they fell on the religious spectrum. while shakespeare often commented on current events regarding the protestant / catholic debate within the action of his plays, his personal religious leanings are unknown. his plays, however, do give a clear picture of the religious climate in elizabethan england and its effect on daily life .
in the 1580s, the writings of the university wits (marlowe, greene, lyly, kyd, and peele) defined the london theatre. though grounded in medieval and jacobean roots, these men produced new dramas and comedies using marlowe' s styling of blank verse. shakespeare outdid them all; he combined the best traits of elizabethan drama with classical sources, enriching the admixture with his imagination and wit .
the elizabethan grants may be divided into four main categories. [ 76 ] first, there were those industrial monopolies which were perfectly valid both at common law and after the statute of monopolies. included here were grants for inventions originating in the minds of the inventor and those communicated to an englishman from abroad. other grants considered unobjectionable in elizabeth' s day were those for the importation into the realm of new products theretofore unknown and those for new trades .
le saux' s verse is at its best providing quick sketches of worker activities rather than fashioning real characters. the naming of a scots crew, for example, may drive the plot but at the expense of turning them into cartoons. interestingly, at its most serious, the film recalls early soviet cinema. the maintenance crew are shot with low - angles, in glorification of their work. elsewhere, a' fitter' gazes nobly after the departing elizabethan, whose journey he helped prepare through his sweat and toil .
an even more striking divergence between elizabethan and modern patents is that most of the former gave the exclusive right of manufacture or importation and not the right of sale (although patentees could frequently prevent sales of infringing products). the consumer could thus purchase the commodity from anyone who could manufacture it under a different process. what is even more important, the consumer could buy it from an importer, since the patentee usually had no monopoly over importation. [ 81 ] today a patentee obtains the sole privilege to vend the invention in addition to the manufacturing privilege .
elizabethan theatre and the name of william shakespeare are inextricably bound together, yet there were others writing plays at the same time as the bard of avon. one of the most successful was christopher marlowe, who many contemporaries considered shakespeare' s superior. marlowe' s career, however, was cut short at a comparatively young age when he died in a tavern fight in deptford, the victim of a knife in the eye. theatre had an unsavory reputation. london authorities refused to allow plays within the city, so theatres opened across the thames in southwark, outside the authority of the city administration .
another difference between elizabethan patent law and the present english system exists in the definition of novelty. elizabeth desired to introduce those industries into the realm which would produce manufactures imported theretofore, such as alum, glass, soap, oils, malt, saltpeter, latten, etc. the petitioner had only to show that the industry had not been carried on within the realm within a reasonable period of time. [ 80 ] today, however, the proof of a single public sale of an article before application for a patent can render a subsequent issued patent invalid. similarly, a. printed publication of the invention can negate patentability .
queen elizabeth i was an incredibly popular queen whose reign is remembered as a “golden age” of culture and growth even during foreign and domestic challenges. the elizabethan era, during which shakespeare lived and wrote, is also known for sir francis drake' s exploration of the “new world, ” the english defeat of the spanish armada (a naval campaign to invade and bring roman catholicism back to england), sir walter raleigh' s colonial exploration, the blossoming of theatre and poetry in england, and setting the stage for english empire and colonization. yet it was also a time marked by war, economic depression, and complex spiritual and political conflict. deep tensions between protestants and catholics came from england' s recent departure from the roman catholic church, initiated by elizabeth' s father, king henry viii .
the elizabethan age saw the flowering of poetry (the sonnet, the spenserian stanza, dramatic blank verse), was a golden age of drama (especially for the plays of shakespeare), and inspired a wide variety of splendid prose (from historical chronicles, versions of the holy scriptures, pamphlets, and literary criticism to the first english novels). from about the beginning of the 17th century a sudden darkening of tone became noticeable in most forms of literary expression, especially in drama, and the change more or less coincided with the death of elizabeth. english literature from 1603 to 1625 is properly called jacobean, after the new monarch, james i. but, insofar as 16th - century themes and patterns were carried over into the 17th century, the writing from the earlier part of his reign, at least, is sometimes referred to by the amalgam “jacobethan. ”
the best english soap at this time was soft mottled bristol soap. . hard spanish soap of castile was employed for fine laundry work, for which the english soap was unsuitable. on january 3, 1561, elizabeth' s first patent grant was given to stephen groyett and anthony le leuryer for the making of “white sope”. the grant extended for ten years and stipulated that at least two of the servants of the patentees were to be of native birth (which indicates that the patentees were probably aliens) and the white hard soap to be made was to be as good and fine as that made in the “sope house of triana or syvile. ” the patentees' wares were to be submitted to the municipal authorities for inspection and, on proof of defective manufacture, the privilege was to be void. [ 71 ] this was the first of a long line of elizabethan industrial
years. s altpeter had not been produced in england, most of it having been imported via antwerp, a port controlled by the catholic king of spain. elizabeth bargained with gerard honricke, “an almayne captain, ” ] to come over and teach her subjects the art of making saltpeter as good as the product from beyond the seas. [ 83 ] saltpeter was used to make gunpowder and elizabeth was greatly concerned with the production of military supplies at this time. [ 84 ] it is doubtful if honricke was required to reduce the secrets of the process to writing before the bargain was struck but it was an express condition of the agreement that he was to disclose the process in writing before he received the promised reward of £300. honricke was probably not the inventor of the process. upon his arrival in england, the queen assigned the contract to cockeram and barnes, who were london merchants. [ 85 ] the english apprenticeship clause was, of course, to be found mainly in those patents granted to foreigners, just in case they left the country at or before the expiration of the patent term. [ 86 ]
by modifying his source materials in this way, shakespeare was able to take an unremarkable revenge story and make it resonate with the most fundamental themes and problems of the renaissance. the renaissance is a vast cultural phenomenon that began in fifteenth - century italy with the recovery of classical greek and latin texts that had been lost to the middle ages. the scholars who enthusiastically rediscovered these classical texts were motivated by an educational and political ideal called (in latin) humanitas—the idea that all of the capabilities and virtues peculiar to human beings should be studied and developed to their furthest extent. renaissance humanism, as this movement is now called, generated a new interest in human experience, and also an enormous optimism about the potential scope of human understanding. hamlet’s famous speech in act ii, “what a piece of work is a man! how noble in reason, how infinite in faculty, in form and moving how express and admirable, in action how like an angel, in apprehension how like a god—the beauty of the world, the paragon of animals! ” (ii. ii. 293–297) is directly based upon one of the major texts of the italian humanists, pico della mirandola’s oration on the dignity of man. for the humanists, the purpose of cultivating reason was to lead to a better understanding of how to act, and their fondest hope was that the coordination of action and understanding would lead to great benefits for society as a whole .
credits (0. 09) [ credits overlay ] gvs ints. victoria station, london (0. 21) gvs british rail staff planning new non - stop service from london - edinburgh (0. 50) gvs br manual staff arriving for work at kings cross (1. 29) gvs ints. kings cross station on a june morning (1. 57) gvs catering staff putting food in train fridge (2. 10) gvs
silver fox
steam engine is coupled with the
elizabethan' s
carriages and passengers board the train (2. 50) gvs the train departs (3. 43) gvs br fitters carrying out train maintenance (4. 20) gvs passengers in the bar / buffet of the train (5. 33) gvs workmen making train' s upholstery and other fittings (6. 22) gvs passengers having lunch on the train (7. 43) gvs rail maintenance gang at work (8. 38) gvs br signalling / route system (9. 00) gvs train crew at work (11. 18) gvs train passes durham cathedral (11. 37) gvs train crossing the tyne at newcastle, with a tug on the river (14. 24) gvs driver and footplateman at work (15. 37) gvs train passes berwickshire coastline (15. 55) gvs train enters edinburgh, with children waving from tenement windows and playing in the street (16. 59) gvs inside waverley station (17. 30) gvs station master greets train at waverley with his top hat on (18. 33) gvs edinburgh with buses crossing waverley bridge (18. 58) ecs (19. 27 )
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the narration is a poetic monologue inspired by the gpo film unit' s beloved night mail (d. harry watt / basil wright, 1936). the whimsical, rhyming verse, however, takes less after w. h. auden than edward lear - less lofty but more fun. writer paul le saux' s words dart in and around station offices and buffet cars, ably served by the stylistically - varied photography. director tony thompson unites the exaggerated imagery at key moments with inspired close - ups, such as on the lips of control managers who sit with microphones ,
like prompters assisting the course of a play / breathing out words like arabian perfumes .
the repeated hints at a connection between train travel and storytelling reveal the slightly mournful tone of these promotional films. beneath the brisk, buoyant tone, a train ride, it seems, is much like a tale to be swept up in - but one that can end all too soon :
the loud hiss of steam as the train seems to slow to the pace of a cloud, breaks the afternoon task and disperses the dream .
* this film is included on the bfi british transport films dvd compilation' on and off the rails' .
this 1954 documentary is uploaded in a couple of places, but here it is without breaks and in the correct aspect ratio. one of the classic railway films .
britain' s greatest machines with chris barrie - s02e04: trains - the steam pioneers (5. 1 dpl ii, hd )
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lakeith stanfield and his sorry to bother you crew reveal their most soul - crushing jobs in our freewheeling interview .
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the exciting footplate photography is a fine tribute to the top link drivers of gresley’s mighty a4 locomotives. despite its classic status within the railway fraternity, the film proved controversial for its use of a rhyming commentary by paul le saux, which was perhaps trying to emulate w h auden’s famous recitation on night mail (1936). however, its 914 cinema bookings in 1954 and its numerous re - releases are testimony to the film’s lasting popularity .
the earliest film kiss held by the bfi national archive is this stolen smooch aboard a steam train, an important example of victorian film .
laughs and thrills come thick and fast in this edgar wallace comedy - thriller with a hair - raising car versus train chase .
reporter michèle brown visits london' s western hospital, where a computer is on the medical staff to help doctors with routine doctor \ patient consultations .
one of the most gruesomely memorable of all british anti - smoking promos depicts fat oozing out of nonchalant smokers' cigarettes .
the social and political revolutions of 1968 seem a long way from the musings of a moderate tory on the nhs and government .
straight - talking anti - smoking promo, which introduces us to janice, a 51 - year - old woman who uses a ventilator to breathe .
a well - to - do woman is unable to answer her child’s cries due to a coughing fit, in this exaggerated anti - smoking advert .
a child' s life is save through a blood transfusion and this incident demonstrate s the need for blood donors .
future learning and skills – giving everyone the opportunity to build a lifelong relationship with film .
the commentary is made up of fanciful and humorous rhyming couplets. though in the tradition of the feted night mail (1936), no one would seriously rate this verse alongside w. h. auden’s. by turns eccentrically inspired and enjoyably awful, its contrived but tongue–in–cheek rhymes are more reminiscent of the popular children’s comic whizzer and chips .
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this film is protected by copyright and is provided for personal, private viewing only. please use the hire, buy or ask a question button to ask about obtaining a copy of this film or a licence to use it, or to ask about its copyright status .
please read understanding catalogue records for help interpreting this information and using footage for more information about accessing this film .
ph. james ritchie, ronald craigen, robert paynter unit m. jim garrett asst. technicians w d williams, cyril moorehead, ken cooper, paul khan, alice ross, pat holmes ed. wm j maclean w. paul le saux spoken by howard marion crawford and alan wheatley p. edgar anstey m. clifton parker cond. alvir mathieston rec. at anvil films, beaconsfield
warning: screenonline full synopses contain' spoilers' which give away key plot points. don' t read on if you don' t want to know the ending !
people and things mobilise for its departure: the driver and his fireman sign in, passengers begin to form lines, porters follow and the chef checks his resources .
finally, a locomotive pulls into the station, with the words the silver fox emblazoned on its side. workers carefully link it up to carriages, and families begin to board. a guard nervously checks his timetable and - given the ok - the train eases forward. a lone fitter watches it pull away and pictures the hard work he did to get the engine ready .
the silver fox chugs resplendently ahead at top speed. a dapper man behind an elegant counter serves a variety of refreshments. behind a door, the kitchen staff is bustling. several waiters begin to serve the meal with flair. far ahead of the train walk rail workers, checking for gaps in the tracks to ensure a smooth journey .
picking up a signal, driver maccloud pulls back on the brake and the silver fox slows to a crawl. the decision was made by' men in control rooms', who sit armed with microphones and switches, directing the flow of train traffic .
daytime shows - £2. 50 (for each show) £2. 00 for svr members (please bring card )
daytime five - show ticket - £7. 50 (five for the price of three) £6. 00 for svr members (please bring card )
there will be 100 seats for each show and tickets will be sold on a first come, first served basis .
there will be no admittance to any show without a valid ticket, and there will only be 100 tickets available for each show .
a look at how the british transport industry was progressing six years after the war. it includes whitemoor and woodhead, bus operations in bristol and road transport in scotland .
the movement of a complete farm, livestock and machinery, from yorkshire to sussex by rail .
sam is a train driver whose loco breaks down, and then shows three sides to his character trying to solve the problem, with only one succeeding. a br staff instruction film .
ilm about the digging out and rescue of a freight train stranded in snow in the westmorland hills .
the development plan for the waterways in action and a glimpse of the north - eastern division at work .
as a port for great ocean liners, including film of the two ‘queen’s .
a record of track renewal at st pancras station and showing the large amount of manpower that was used .
version no 2 of film 8334, the edit is slightly different. the journey from kings cross to waverley station in edinburgh, many views and scenery on route plus interesting scenes of the passengers. for full description see synopsis on huntley archives website .
…life of a majority of elizabethans, but the christian faith was no longer single. rome’s authority had been challenged by martin luther, john calvin, a multitude of small religious sects, and, indeed, the english church itself. royal prerogative was challenged in parliament; the economic and social orders were disturbed by…
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on wednesday 25 th july 2012, deltic d9009 alycidon will set out from london king’s cross station with her first main line passenger train for many years and head north to edinburgh, pausing to collect passengers at peterborough, york and darlington. after a break in the scottish capital, tornado will head the train south covering the 393 miles to london – the reverse of her famous bbc top gear ‘race to the north’ with jeremy clarkson on - board – setting down as outward. this will be the first time a brunswick green liveried peppercorn class a1 will have departed edinburgh waverley station since the 1960s and we are pleased to confirm that the carriages will be in the historic carmine and cream livery. passengers in premier dining will receive a traditional silver service throughout the journey based upon an anglo - scottish menu .
we expect there to be much fast running at the permitted maximum of 75mph and with this being a summer tour we anticipate wonderful views of the scottish coast and the northumberland and yorkshire scenery with the long daylight hours .
the trust respectfully requests that anyone wanting to see tornado follows the rules of the railway and only goes where permitted .
60009 union of south africa on depot at roberts road this evening, ahead of tomorrow' s # raf100 trip to london. @ rafmarhammedia @ royalairforce
spotted some @ 60163 _ tornado advertising today on the side of a lorry at chieveley services on the m4 motorway .
we will be holding two guided tours at darlington locomotive works in between the birthday trains on 29th july. these will be given by david elliott. each lasting an hour, with one at 9am, prior to the 11am train and one at 3pm prior to the 5pm train. all images - a1slt
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the age of shakespeare was a great time in english history. the reign of queen elizabeth i (1558 - 1603) saw england emerge as the leading naval and commercial power of the western world. england consolidated its position with the defeat of the spanish armada in 1588, and elizabeth firmly established the church of england begun by her father, king henry viii (following henry' s dispute with the pope over having his first marriage annulled) .
sir francis drake circumnavigated the world and became the most celebrated english sea captain of his generation. sir humphrey gilbert and sir walter raleigh sent colonists eastward in search of profit. european wars brought an influx of continental refugees into england, exposing the englishman to new cultures. in trade, might, and art, england established an envious preeminence .
london in the 16th century underwent a transformation. its population grew 400% during the 1500s, swelling to nearly 200, 000 people in the city proper and outlying region by the time an immigrant from stratford came to town. a rising merchant middle class carved out a productive livelihood, and the economy boomed .
shakespeare was hardly the only working playwright in london back in the day. here' s a quick guide to his competition .
digital library containing some of the core printed primary and secondary sources for the medieval and modern history of the british isles. created by the institute of historical research and the history of parliament trust .
the bbc presents a very good history of elizabeth i as part of their online
church and state
series .
urltoken' s encyclopedic entry of elizabeth i and her reign. a good site to know, as you can also get information to
michael best of the university of victoria has assembled an impressive collection of web resources on shakespeare .
this is just an incredible site by maggie secara and paula kate marmor. more information than you could wish for about everyday life in shakespeare' s time .
from the official web site of the british monarchy. this is an excellently presented resource on the kings and queens of britain, scotland, and the uk from the original anglo - saxon kings to present day .
the official archive of the uk government. the national archive' s vision is to lead and transform information management, guarantee the survival of today' s information for tomorrow and bring history to life for everyone .
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the english were not the first to grant patents to inventors but they were the first to develop a lasting patent law. the patent system of the united states, originating at a time when the english law was in full flower, drew heavily from it and might never have come into being at all had the english law not been what it was in the eighteenth century. by this time the english lawyer had been victorious over the old monopoly abuses and had provided the fathers of our country with history from which considerable profit could be taken. knowing the problems england had had it was an easy matter to avoid the pitfalls of a. monopoly system and create a body of law which began where the english law had left off .
because we interpret and apply our patent law in the light of its history and because this history extends back to the beginning of the english law, there is value in the study of the early efforts of the english people. to fully know our patent law we must be familiar with its origin. the basic truths found by the english 400 years ago are still valid today and should continue to influence us in the interpretation and application of our law, even though it has become greatly refined and perfected .
a letters patent for an invention is a monopoly. in the united states the monopoly is :
… a. grant to the patentee, his heirs or assigns, for the term of seventeen years, of the right to exclude others from making. using, or selling the invention throughout the united states. [ 1 ]'
* associate professor of law, texas southern university, houston, texas. member of the new york bar .
1. the patent act § 154, 66 stat. 804 (1952), 35 u. s. c. § 154 (1952) .
in england it is the “sole privilege” to “make, use; exercise and vend” [ 2 ] the invention for sixteen years. [ 3 ] the united states inventor receives a negative right, the english a positive one .
the ancient greeks originated the term “monopoly. ” it is derived from… (alone) and… (to sell) and was first used by aristotle in 347 b. c. [ 4 ] for the purpose of this paper, a monopoly will mean a privilege consisting of the exclusive right to carry on a. particular business or trade, manufacture a particular article, or control the sale of the entire supply of a particular commodity. [ 5 ] we need deal here only with monopolies granted by the sovereign .
a grant of a letters patent was a personal and direct grant of some dignity, office, monopoly, franchise or other privilege by the english sovereign through the exercise of the royal prerogative and was recorded on the patent rolls in the record office. the documents received by the patentee were called letters patent, the term being derived from the latin literae patentes or “open letters” because they were addressed, not to particular individuals, but “to all to whom these presents shall come. ” the documents were traditionally sealed so that they could be read without breaking the seals, while “letters close” could not be read without first breaking the seals. [ 6 ]
this paper will be concerned with the history of letters patent for inventions. it will be necessary, however, to consider monopoly grants other than those for inventions to fully understand what kind of a privilege the inventor received. a short summary of some of the more important early developments outside of england before the beginning of english patent law will be helpful .
3. the seventeen year term in the united states dates from the date of issuance of the patent whereas the sixteen year term in great britain dates from the date of the filing of the complete specification .
4. aristotle, politics, bk. i, chap. xii, 48 .
5. black' s law dictionary 1158 (4th ed. 1951) .
athenaeus, writing in the third century a. d. , in his “banquet of the learned, ” quotes phylarchus, the historian, as saying that in about 500 b. c. in sybaris, a greek colony famous for luxurious living and self - indulgence, if any confectioner or cook invented a peculiar and exclusive dish, no one else was allowed to make it for a year. [ 7 ] in. a. d. 337 the roman emperor constantine decreed that artisans of certain trades who resided in cities were exempt from all civil duties, especially if their leisure hours were employed in perfecting themselves and instructing their sons. among the artisans so privileged were the locksmiths, chariot makers, engineers, workers in lead and manufacturers, which groups probably included most the inventors of the time. [ 8 ] while this was no monopoly grant, it was the grant of a privilege and a recognition of the value of rewarding those working in the arts and sciences. the romans were, in fact, distasteful of monopolies. the emperor zeno, in a. d. 483, made it clear that there was to be no monopoly of any kind over clothing or food, regardless if it was procured under a rescript of an emperor. [ 9 ]
7. athenaeus, “the deipnosophists, ” 3 bohn' s classical library 835 (1854) .
8. code of justinian, x, lx iv, 1; 15 scott, the civil law 155 (1932). the following artisans were listed in the edict :
in a. d. 344 surveyors, geometers and architects occupied in dividing land and other property and who took measures, established boundaries, conducted or removed water were added to the above list. code, x, lx i v, 2 .
abbot by count william of mortagne, authorizing him to establish windmills in a certain area. this is the first historical mention of windmills. [ 10 ] benjamin of tudela, who travelled around europe and the near east about 1160 to 1173, in his “itinerary” reported that the king of jerusalem granted annual fees to certain dyers and at that time dyeing consisted of trade secrets. [ 11 ] in 1236 the english king henry iii, who also ruled western france, confirmed a grant by the mayor of bordeaux to bonafusus de sancta columbia under which he and his fellows alone in bordeaux were permitted to make cloths of many colors after the manner of the flemings, french and english for fifteen years, after which time anyone could make the cloths and bonafusus was to have no advantage. [ 12 ] these early grants of privileges were not necessarily for inventions and did not all result in monopolies .
one of the first real patents for invention was granted by the signoria of florence to fillippo brunelleschi, the great engineer and architect of the magnificent cupola of the cathedral of florence. the patent privilege was given in 1421 for three years for a device for transporting heavy loads on the armo and other rivers. the work of anyone imitating his invention was to be burned. [ 13 ]
the world' s first patent law developed in the early republic of venice. around 1400 she largely monopolized the trade between europe and the rest of the world and possessed great power and wealth until the discovery of the sea route to the east around the cape of good hope. it is known that venice maintained a special privilege fund in 1332 from which a payment was made to one bartolomeo verde, who promised to build a windmill within six months of the payment. other payments from this fund were repeatedly made in the fifteenth century
10. frunkin, the origin of patents, 27 j. p. 0. s. 143 (1945) .
to persons claiming knowledge of millwork and ship design and probably to many others. [ 14 ]
in 1469 a venetian patent of monopoly was granted to john of speyer, a german printer who established himself on the lagune. john' s patent states that it was usual to grant such monopolies. [ 15 ] after this time patents were granted systematically and the custom was confirmed by a written pronouncement in the nature of a statute or administrative decree in 1474 in which it was said that :
privileges of ten years are generally promised to the inventors of new arts and machines. [ 16 ]
a substantial number of patents and copyrights were granted in venice between 1500 and 1550. in 1568 andrea brugone obtained a. patent for printing in red and black and francesco zamberlin received a. patent in 1572 for certain types of mirrors. many other grants were made and decrees were obtained enforcing them. as venice declined in power skilled artisans and inventors, many of them expert glass makers, began migrating to other countries. most of them went to france but, after the massacre of st. bartholomew in 1572 and the subsequent extreme religious intolerance, many of them migrated to england, holland and germany. [ 17 ] being familiar with the venetian patent system they were eager to obtain similar protection in their new homelands .
one of the most interesting patents granted by venice was that to galileo in 1594. from 1592 to 1610 galileo was professor of mathematics at padua. , which was then part of the republic of venice. he developed a machine for raising water which was successfully operated in the garden of the contarini in venice. a patent for the device was granted, giving galileo the sole right to make or use such a machine for twenty years. infringers would lose their machines and be required to pay a fine of 300 ducats. [ 18 ]
14. prager, a history of intellectual property from 1545 to 1787, 26 j p. 0. s. 711 (1944) .
18. federico. galileo' s patent. s j. p. 0. s. 576 (1926) .
other countries also granted a few patents about this time. in 1545 the emperor charles v of germany granted one hans hedler a twelve year patent for wind and water mills and other grants are known to have been made at the same time in the saxon and german states. patents are also recorded in antwerp, holland and spain in the sixteenth century. [ 19 ]
the french patent law developed about the same time as the english law, although the english were subsequently much more successful industrially with their law. french inventors were officially encouraged in about the same manner as they were in venice. [ 20 ]
in 1536 the french consular government of lyons, with the consent of king francis i, granted etienne turquetti from piedmont a privilege for the production of silk. turquetti obtained safe conduct for his workers, who came from genoa and other countries, and also received the right to collect royalties from silk makers in lyons who established there after turquetti. his privilege also made him exempt from taxes and under it he could obtain loans and other aid. the privilege was non - exclusive and hence non - monopolistic. [ 21 ]
the first monopoly patent in france was granted to another italian, theses mutio, of bologna, in 1551 for the art of venetian glass making. it was to run for ten years but it was registered by the parliament de paris for only five years. in the same year a french inventor, abel foullon, was granted a patent for a range finder which was also to run for ten years. [ 22 ] the french king henry ii felt at this time that the inventor should fully disclose his invention so the public could benefit from it when the patent expired and foullon was required to prepare what became printed in 1555 as the first patent specification. in 1557 henry ii issued an exclusive right to one gran -
elizabethan express is a 1954 british transport film that follows the elizabethan , a non-stop british railways service from london to edinburgh along the east coast main line . although originally intended as an advertising short , it now acts as a nostalgic record of the halcyon years of steam on british railways and the ex-lner class a4 . it was directed by tony thompson , with a tongue-in-cheek poetic commentary written by paul le saux . it is also notable for its music by clifton parker , who also wrote the score for blue pullman and several other british transport films . he was later to write the music for the 1959 version of the thirty-nine steps , which also features an a4 . 
elizabethan express is a 1954 british transport film that follows the elizabethan, a non-stop british railways service from london to edinburgh along the east coast main line. although originally intended as an advertising short, it now acts as a nostalgic record of the halcyon years of steam on british railways and the ex-lner class a4. it was directed by tony thompson, with a tongue-in-cheek poetic commentary written by paul le saux. it is also notable for its music by clifton parker, who also wrote the score for blue pullman and several other british transport films. he was later to write the music for the 1959 version of the thirty-nine steps, which also features an a4.
elizabethan express is a 1954 british transport film that follows the elizabethan, a non-stop british railways service from london to edinburgh along the east coast main line. although originally intended as an advertising short, it now acts as a nostalgic record of the halcyon years of steam on british railways and the ex-lner class a4. it was directed by tony thompson, with a tongue-in-cheek poetic commentary written by paul le saux. it is also notable for its music by clifton parker, who also wrote the score for blue pullman and several other british transport films. he was later to write the music for the 1959 version of the thirty-nine steps, which also features an a4.