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Description

Account of how Matthew Wills of Yeovil [Somerset, England] makes parchment and vellum (which Beale believes is the best in England at 5 shillings a roll). He uses calf skin for vellum and skins of ewes or rams, rather than wethers, for parchment. Includes two small figures within the text and two larger figures on separate pages at the end of the paper, depicting tools used in the parcment making; knives used for scraping and a stretching frame.

Subject: Industry / Trade

Read to the Royal Society on 25 May 1664.

Reference number
CLP/3i/18
Earliest possible date
14 December 1663
Physical description
Ink on paper
Page extent
6 pages
Format
Manuscript

Creator name

John Beale

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Citation

John Beale, Paper, 'The art of making parchment, vellum, glue etc' by John Beale, 14 December 1663, CLP/3i/18, The Royal Society Archives, London, https://makingscience.royalsociety.org/items/clp_3i_18/paper-the-art-of-making-parchment-vellum-glue-etc-by-john-beale, accessed on 15 February 2025

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  • Classified Papers

    Dates: 1592-1741

    The 'Classified Papers' of the Royal Society are papers from British and international natural philosophers and scholars categorised according to subject areas.

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