An original patent seal document dated May 17th, 1873, with attached Queen Victoria seal in tin, the patent was for 'Thomas Whittaker of Malton-le-dale near Preston in the county of Lancaster...that he is in possession of an improved apparatus for and means of extinguishing fires in mills, warehouses and buildings'. The document is a form document with handwritten particulars in extremely good condition only with minor marks, and of most interest is the seal attached and in it's original tin, also in good order and attached by braided rope.
 
1873 was in the middle of a significant period of industrial innovation in Britain, particularly for fire safety apparatus following numerous devastating mill fires.​ The textile industry was booming at the time and cotton mills were extremely vulnerable to fire due to cotton/flax dust, thus fireproofing innovations were actively being developed. Given that Thomas Whittaker was from "Malton-le-dale near Preston in the county of Lancaster" (a major textile manufacturing region), we can deduce that this was designed specifically for the Lancashire cotton mill industry and likely involved:
Automated sprinkler or piping systems
Water distribution networks through mill buildings
Pressure-based activation mechanisms
Storage tanks and pump systems
 
A treasured collectable or a magnificent display piece.
 
The document measures  77.5 x 52cm (30" x 20"). The document will be supplied folded along the original crease lines.