CHAP. V. OF HKADINVr JIAVKN. 135 



tin- haven for tlie purpose of reclamation was main- 

 hiim-il. It a])|K'ars that Gibb sold liis ^raiit to one Sir 

 IV vis ThrKvall, a pn^-e of the King's bedchamber, who 

 at once invited Sir Hugh Myddeltoii to join him in 

 in i< In-taking the work; but Thelwall would not agivr 

 to pay (iil)l) anything until the enterprise had been 

 found practicable. In 1620 we find that a correspond- 

 ence was in progress as to "the composition to be made 

 by the Solicitor-General with Sir Hugh touching the 

 draining of certain lands in the Isle of Wight, and 

 the bargain having been made according to such direc- 

 tions as His Majesty hath given, then to prepare the 

 surrender, and thereupon such other assurance for His 

 Majesty as shall be requisite." l 



A satisfactory arrangement having been made with 

 the King, Myddelton began the work of reclaiming the 

 haven in the course of the same year. He sent to Hol- 

 land tor Dutch workmen familiar with such undertakings; 

 and from the manner in which he carried out his em- 

 bankment, it is obvious that he mainly followed the 

 Dutch method of reclamation, which, as we have already 

 seen in the case of the drainage of the Fens by Vermuy- 

 den, was in many respects but ill adapted for English 

 practice. But it would also appear, from a patent for 

 < Ira in ing land which he took out in 1621, 2 that he em- 

 ployed some invention of his own for the purpose of 

 facilitating the work. The introduction to the grant of 

 the patent runs as follows : 



" WHEREAS wee are given to vnderstand that our welbeloved 

 sul licet Hugh Middleton, Citizen and Goldsmith of London, hath 

 to his very great charge maynteyned many strangers and others, 

 ai id bestowed much of his tyme to invent a new way, and by his 

 Industrie, greate charge, paynes, and long experience, hath devised 

 ; m<l found out ' A NEW INVENCON, SKILL, OR WAY FOR THE 

 WYNNING AND DRAYNING OF MANY GROUND^ WHICH ARE DAYLIE 



! ' Domestic Calendar of State IV j ' ' Record of Patents,' No. 19. 

 IK-IS.' Docquet, 13th August, 1620. led 2nd July, 1621. 



