Henry Cort and the ‘Black metallurgists’: on the accuracy of Bulstrode’s historical account

The editors of History and Technology have declared their ‘unreserved support’ for Jenny Bulstrode’s claim that 18th-century ironmaster Henry Cort stole his revolutionary iron-rolling process from enslaved metalworkers. This paper critically examines their defence of her theory, with a particular focus on connections between sugar and iron technology that are said by Bulstrode to have inspired ‘Black metallurgists’ in Jamaica to develop the process later patented in Britain by Cort. By exploring in depth the historical context, technological details, and primary sources relating to Bulstrode’s claim, this study demonstrates that her account remains unproven.