When was Henry Cort born and where did he live in 1765?
The date of his birth is traditionally listed as 1740, yet no definitive proof exists to confirm this year. Henry Cort lived in an office on Crutched Friars near Aldgate in London during 1765.
Questions about Henry Cort
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Who lent money to Henry Cort in 1780 and what happened when he died?
Adam Jellicoe stood as chief clerk in the Pay Office of the Royal Navy when he agreed to lend money to Cort in 1780. When Adam Jellicoe died suddenly on the 30th of August 1789, the debt could not be repaid and the Crown seized all property belonging to both parties.
What patents did Henry Cort obtain for iron production in 1783 and 1784?
He obtained a patent in 1783 for a simple reverberatory furnace designed to refine pig iron by applying heat from above rather than using forced air from below. In 1784, he secured another patent for a puddling furnace equipped with grooved rollers that mechanized the process previously done entirely by hand.
How did Richard Crawshay modify Henry Cort's puddling technique for ironmasters?
Richard Crawshay and other Merthyr Tydfil ironmasters modified the system to handle coke smelted pig iron instead of charcoal furnaces. These later versions avoided payment of royalties entirely, leaving Cort without the wealth his inventions deserved despite approximately 8,200 puddling furnaces being used by 1820.
Why was Henry Cort declared bankrupt after his financial status improved?
The death of Adam Jellicoe in 1789 precipitated legal actions by the Crown to recover lent money which resulted in Cort being declared bankrupt. He never again engaged in industrial activities following this collapse even though he had rectified his financial status shortly after.