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。。。＇
the value of Corts patents was estimated at only 100L。 Referring to
the schedule of Jellicoe's alleged assets； they say 〃Many of the
debts are marked as bad； and we apprehend that the debt from Mr。
Henry Cort； not so marked； of 54；000L。 and upwards； is of that
description。〃 As for poor bankrupt Henry Cort； these discussions
availed nothing。 On the death of Jellicoe； he left his iron works；
feeling himself a ruined man。 He made many appeals to the Government
of the day for restoral of his patents； and offered to find security
for payment of the debt due by his firm to the Crown； but in vain。 In
1794； an appeal was made to Mr。 Pitt by a number of influential
members of Parliament； on behalf of the inventor and his destitute
family of twelve children； when a pension of 200L。 a…year was granted
him。 This Mr。 Cort enjoyed until the year 1800； when he died； broken
in health and spirit； in his sixtieth year。 He was buried in
Hampstead Churchyard； where a stone marking the date of his death is
still to be seen。 A few years since it was illegible； but it has
recently been restored by his surviving son。
Though Cort thus died in comparative poverty； he laid the foundations
of many gigantic fortunes。 He may be said to have been in a great
measure the author of our modern iron aristocracy； who still
manufacture after the processes which he invented or perfected； but
for which they never paid him a shilling of royalty。 These men of
gigantic fortunes have owed muchwe might almost say everything to
the ruined projector of 〃the little mill at Fontley。〃 Their wealth
has enriched many families of the older aristocracy； and has been the
foundation of several modern peerages。 Yet Henry Cort； the rock from
which they were hewn； is already all but forgotten； and his surviving
children； now aged and infirm； are dependent for their support upon
the slender pittance wrung by repeated entreaty and expostulation
from the state。
The career of Richard Crawshay； the first of the great ironmasters
who had the sense to appreciate and adopt the methods of
manufacturing iron invented by Henry Cort； is a not unfitting
commentary on the sad history we have thus briefly described。 It
shows how； as respects mere money…making； shrewdness is more potent
than invention； and business faculty than manufacturing skill。
Richard Crawshay was born at Normanton near Leeds； the son of a small
Yorkshire farmer。 When a youth； he worked on his father's farm； and
looked forward to occupying the same condition in life； but a
difference with his father unsettled his mind； and at the age of
fifteen he determined to leave his home； and seek his fortune
elsewhere。 Like most unsettled and enterprising lads； he first made
for London； riding to town on a pony of his own； which； with the
clothes on his back； formed his entire fortune。 It took him a
fortnight to make the journey； in consequence of the badness of the
roads。 Arrived in London； he sold his pony for fifteen pounds； and
the money kept him until he succeeded in finding employment。 He was
so fortunate as to be taken upon trial by a Mr。 Bicklewith； who kept
an ironmonger's shop in York Yard； Upper Thames Street； and his first
duty there was to clean out the office； put the stools and desks in
order for the other clerks； run errands； and act as porter when
occasion required。 Young Crawshay was very attentive； industrious；
and shrewd； and became known in the office as 〃The Yorkshire Boy。〃
Chiefly because of his 〃cuteness；〃 his master appointed him to the
department of selling flat irons。 The London washerwomen of that day
were very sharp and not very honest； and it used to be said of them
that where they bought one flat iron they generally contrived to
steal two。 Mr。 Bicklewith thought he could not do better than set the
Yorkshireman to watch the washerwomen； and； by way of inducement to
him to be vigilant； he gave young Crawshay an interest in that branch
of the business； which was soon found to prosper under his charge。
After a few more years； Mr。 Bicklewith retired； and left to Crawshay
the cast…iron business in York Yard。 This he still further increased；
There was not at that time much enterprise in the iron trade； but
Crawshay endeavoured to connect himself with what there was of it。
The price of iron was then very high； and the best sorts were still
imported from abroad； a good deal of the foreign iron and steel being
still landed at the Steelyard on the Thames； in the immediate
neighbourhood of Crawshay's ironmongery store。
It seems to have occurred to some London capitalists that money was
then to be made in the iron trade； and that South Wales was a good
field for an experiment。 The soil there was known to be full of coal
and ironstone； and several small iron works had for some time been
carried on； which were supposed to be doing well。 Merthyr Tydvil was
one of the places at which operations had been begun； but the place
being situated in a hill district； of difficult access； and the
manufacture being still in a very imperfect state； the progress made
was for some time very slow。 Land containing coal and iron was deemed
of very little value； as maybe inferred from the fact that in the
year 1765； Mr。 Anthony Bacon； a man of much foresight； took a lease
from Lord Talbot； for 99 years； of the minerals under forty square
miles of country surrounding the then insignificant hamlet of Merthyr
Tydvil； at the trifling rental of 200L。 a…year。 There he erected iron
works； and supplied the Government with considerable quantities of
cannon and iron for different purposes； and having earned a
competency； he retired from business in 1782； subletting his mineral
tract in four divisionsthe Dowlais； the Penydarran； the Cyfartha；
and the Plymouth Works； north； east； west； and south； of Merthyr
Tydvil。
Mr。 Richard Crawshay became the lessee of what Mr。 Mushet has called
〃the Cyfartha flitch of the great Bacon domain。〃 There he proceeded
to carry on the works established by Mr。 Bacon with increased spirit；
his son William； whom he left in charge of the ironmongery store in
London； supplying him with capital to put into the iron works as
fast。 as he could earn it by the retail trade。 In 1787； we find
Richard Crawshay manufacturing with difficulty ten tons of bar…iron
weekly； and it was of a very inferior character；*
＇footnote。。。
Mr。 Mushet says of the early manufacture of iron at Merthyr Tydvil
that 〃A modification of the charcoal refinery； a hollow fire； was
worked with coke as a substitute for charcoal； but the bar…iron
hammered from the produce was very inferior。〃 The pit…coal cast…iron
was nevertheless found of a superior quality for castings； being more
fusible and more homogeneous than charcoal…iron。 Hence it was well
adapted for cannon； which was for some time the principal article of
manufacture at the Welsh works。
。。。＇
the means not having yet been devised at Cyfa