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on the life and achievements of eighteenth-century inventor Henry Cort. Please email site controller Eric
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GENEROSITY OF FRIENDS 1789-94
When his business collapses at the beginning of
September 1789, Cort is probably in London for Adam
Jellicoe's funeral.
An extent is quickly issued for his arrest if he
returns to Hampshire.
He becomes established in "Devonshire
Street, Queens Square", London.
The street has since changed its name to Boswell Street.
A suggestion that he is "supported by poor
relief" can be discounted. He is
entitled to relief only in Hampshire.
But he can rely on the support of James Watson, who lives in Powis Place, just round the
corner from Queens Square.
To judge from the subsequent petition, Watson
enlists the help of some of his contacts.
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Sir, We take the Liberty respectfully to state
to you the unfortunate Case of Mr. Henry Cort, late of Gosport, at which
place he had, some time ago, iron contracts under Government, and among the
rest a contract for making malleable iron with raw pit-coal only, and the
manufacturing the same by means of grooved rolls by a process of his own
invention; we are sorry to add that, through the very great expense
necessarily attending the prosecution of these important improvements, this
gentleman failed, when on the eve of reaping the harvest of his patents,
which were taken possession of under extents from the Crown. We have therefore been induced, not only
from Compassion but from the good opinion we entertain of him, and from the
great national Benefits which now actually Result from these his Discoveries
and Improvements, to join with many others in a Subscription...
From 1791 petition to William Pitt |
The Cort family also has a small income from their
estate at Standon in Hertfordshire.
Having been declared bankrupt, Cort's first
priority is to pay off his debts to creditors other than the Crown. This is achieved in April 1790.
There follow sporadic attempts to wrest
recognition from the Navy, including the material sent by Watson that ends up
in the Scottish archives.
But the most revealing document is the petition of
1791 (not 1794 as stated in some accounts), addressed to Prime Minister William
Pitt.
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From these considerations we beg Leave, Sir, to recommend Mr
Cort to your Notice, in the strongest manner we are able; as deserving such Encouragement
from Government as may be thought most expedient, either by an Appointment to
some situation in one of His Majesty's Dock Yards, the Customs, or the
Excise, or any other public Office or Place in which his Talents and Industry
may prove useful to the Public and to himself. In any of which departments we will confidently engage that Mr.
Cort's Abilities and Conduct will be such as by no Means to discredit our
Recommendation, or any other Countenance which you, Sir, may have the
Goodness to show him at our Instance.
From 1791 petition to William Pitt |
Though the petition’s request is not granted, it
is probably the spur that prompts the Government to grant Cort a pension in
1794.
Who are the petition's
signatories?
James Watson, by now an
MP, is one. Many others are clearly his
associates.
A host of fellow MPs, but only one fellow lawyer: John Eames, originally from Gosport.
Eight Aldermen of the City of London, including
Lord Mayor John Boydell and two Sheriffs.
Two Directors of the Bank of England.
Eleven Directors of the East India Company.
The Deputy Master and eighteen other members of
Trinity House. Eleven city merchants
and businessmen.
Only one with Royal Navy connections: Sir George Jackson, who was Secretary to the Navy Board
when Cort was a navy agent.
Only one obviously connected with the iron trade,
and that a company: "John & Willm Wilson & Son, Swedish Iron
Merchants". They are known to be
partners in an ironworks in Scotland. (Cort's daughter
Charlotte later marries a John Wilson, possibly the "Son" of the
firm.)
43 signatories in all.
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Related pages Refutation of
allegations of conspiracies against Cort |
henrycort.net
p14