... Anyone seen glass with PATENT on it which didn't relate to the standard design registration system?
Neil — Yes. Two of the Sowerby patents, #2433 of 15 September 1871, and, possibly, #4505 of 15 October 1881. This second patent in my working copy of Cottle has an old pencilled note added: "Re 'PATENT' on sugar bowl pattern No. 1616 Rd. October 19 1881??" The 1616 sugar bowl is the one with vertically ribbed rounded corners where the naturalistic decoration on the sides was picked out in fired-on enamel. I can assure you that my pencilled note made sense when I wrote it many years ago, but I can't figure it out now as it doesn't seem to tie in. Perhaps Hajdamach I explains it (mine has gone temporarily walk about). I think Roy has had one of these through his hands — any ideas Roy?
Other examples of British glass carrying the moulded word PATENT:
At least one of the Hayward pavement lights, see here (http://glassian.org/Prism/Hayward/product_pics.html),Bottles — many of the bottle patents relate to innovative closures,Davidson's #3 and #5 "dome" flower blocks, see here (http://www.cloudglass.com/Frogs.htm),Lillicrap's Hone.
I'm sure there are more.
Bernard C. 8)
Neil — Can you check that they have these documents before going, to save a wasted journey? Also you may be able to order these documents in advance, so they're ready for you when you arrive.
Also, if you are permitted to take photographs of documents for posting on the GMB, would you please find out exactly how images should be watermarked, including capitalisation and punctuation. As you will appreciate, we have to be ultra careful to get it absolutely correct, otherwise we are likely to make it difficult for future researchers.
The agreed National Archives watermark for items over 50–51* years old is:-
© 2012 John Smith, courtesy of The National Archives of the UK
Theirs might be any one of:-
© 2012 John Smith, courtesy of The British Library Board© 2012 John Smith, courtesy of The British LibrarySomething different.
Bernard C. 8)
* — we still don't know whether it is 50 years on a daily basis or 50 years on an annual basis, with a whole year's worth coming out of Crown Copyright on the 1st January or some other date each year.