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HENRY CORT’S HOOPS CONTRACT
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Patrick Cadell's book, The Iron Mills at Cramond,
contains an appendix listing seven types of iron hoop supplied by the company.
They vary in length from 5 ft 11 in (shortest coopers plate hoops) to
24 feet (longest vatt hoops) and in width from one inch (Spanish and Madeira
hoops) to three inches (widest vatt hoops). Instructions are not given on how to fit one. Presumably it is curved round the neck of
the cask, cut to the correct length, and sealed with a blacksmith's weld. The Navy's casks have to last a long time at sea. If one is not properly sealed, the
contents will rot. Bad news for the
crew, and for the ship's purser who has to keep
them fed. Cort's experiences with hoops are well covered in the Watson-Dundas memorandum of May 1790 (National
Archives of Scotland document GD51/2/10/2). In
the year 1780 Commissioner Kirk of the Victg Office applyed to Mr Cort to
make some Iron work which the Commissrs of that Board had occasion for at the
port of Portsmouth, and in the course of conversation asked him if he could
make Iron Hoops.
From Watson-Dundas memorandum,
1790 Some commentators have assumed that Cort is asked to make mast
hoops for attaching ships' rigging.
But such a request would have come from the dockyard, not from the
Victualling Office. According to Commissioner Kirk, the Navy's hoop suppliers
"combined together at the time of tendering for the Contract and had the
price they demanded". He wants
Cort to undercut these suppliers. The
suppliers are not happy when they get wind of the negotations At
the time this Contract was in agitation with Commissr Kirk the combined
contractors got some intelligence of the intention and two of them came down
to Fontley with an air of menace. From
Watson-Dundas memorandum, 1790 Cort
ignores their threats. The final
conclusion was making a Contract to commence 1st October 1780 to supply new
Hoops for the service of the whole Navy to be delivered at the Port of
Portsmouth at £21 per ton... In
addition he contracted to deliver one ton of new for two ton of Old. From
Watson-Dundas memorandum, 1790 The hoop suppliers retaliate (the story goes) by making every
effort to raise the price of iron. Mr
Cort verily believes every art was used to raise the price of such Iron as
was most proper for Hoops and various obstacles thrown in his way… The whole sum which appears by then
to have been lost and expended in and about this Contract was not less than
about £10,000. From Watson-Dundas memorandum, 1790 It may be unfair to blame the suppliers entirely. The cost of their imported raw material
has been substantially increased by the exigencies of war. Here is one source of nineteenth-century
theories that Cort was the victim of conspiracy. Yet it is the conversion of old hoops to
new that gives Cort ideas for developing his new
processes. |
Contract Agreed this Third day of
May 1780(?) with the Commissioners for Victualling His Majesty’s Navy for and
on the behalf of His Majesty by me Henry Cort of Gosport in the County of
Hants Ironmonger, and I do hereby bargain and sell to His Majesty, and oblige
myself to deliver into His Majesty’s Stores at Weevill, or on board any
Vessel at my Quay at Gosport as shall be required, free of all charge and
Risque to His Majesty after the twentieth day of Nov: next during the present
War, and further until six Months Warning shall be given on either side, all
such quantities of good new milled Iron hoops as shall be demanded by the
said Commissioners or their proper Officer of Officers, of such lengths as
their said Officers shall give me notice of not exceeding nine Feet
long. And I do engage that all the
hoops that shall be furnished on this Contract shall be good Milled Hoops of
fit Sizes, and wrought of the best Sweedes or Government Siberia Iron, or
iron of equal Quality and Goodness, and mark’d with a broad Arrow and
likewise with the two initial Letters of my Name by the Rolls, and in case
any of the said Hoops shall break in driving I do oblige myself to change
them weight for weight; And if the said Hoops shall run of a greater length
that nine Feet I do agree that the said Commissioners shall be at liberty to
cause such part of the said Hoops to be cut off as shall exceed the said
length, And I do also oblige myself to take back such Surplus length cut off
as aforesaid, and to return new Iron Hoops in the room thereof weight for
weight; And it is hereby agreed that I am to be paid for the said Milled
Hoops at the rate of Twenty one Pounds per Ton by Bills made out for them on
delivery of each parcel if required, during the present War, adding thereto
all the Discount of the said Bills above Five per Cent; And for what Hoops
shall be delivered in time of Peace Twenty Pounds per Ton by the like Bills,
but no Discount to be added, which Bills are to be paid in the Course of the
Victualling with Interest at four Pounds per Cent after six Months from the
Dates thereof, And if the said Commissioners shall have any old Unserviceable
Iron Hoops in the Store at Weevill, or shall think proper to bring any from
other Ports and deliver them at my Quay at Gosport, and deliver one Ton of
new Iron Hoops in lieu of every two Tuns of old Hoops that I shall
receive. And I do oblige myself to
procure two able and sufficient Persons such as shall be approved of by the
said Commissioners for their proper Officers to be bound with me jointly in a
Bond to His Majesty of Five Hundred Pounds for the due and well performance
for all and every the clauses and conditions of this Contract. And I do also agree that in case of my failing, to
deliver the aforesaid all such Quantities of Milled Iron Hoops as shall be
demanded of the sort and goodness beforemention’d, that in either of the said
Cases, it shall and may be lawful of the said Commissioners or any three, or
more of them, to buy either by Publication, or by Order to their officers
without Publication, all, and every such Quantity or Quantities of Iron
Hoops, as I shall fail to deliver with respect to time or Quality, as
aforesaid; and if the Iron Hoops which shall be bought by either of the said
Methods, shall cost more than the Price stipulated in this Contract, I do
agree that it shall and may be lawful for the said Commissioners for any
three, or more of them to stop and abate from any Bill or Bills made out or
to be made out to me on this or any other Contract, the full Sum of what the
said Iron Hoops so bought shall exceed the said Price; & if thereas paid
be no Bill or Bills made out, or to be made out to me then I do oblige
myself, my Heirs, Executors, Administrators or Assigns, to pay and make good
the same to His Majesty; and I do further oblige myself that before the
receiving a Bill for the Iron Hoops delivered on this Contract, or before the
last Bills if more, that one be made out to produce my Affidavit, that I have
not then given, or will afterwards give or cause to be given to any Officer
Clerk or Instrument concern’d in the Receipt of Stores employ’d under the
said Commissioners; or to any Person or Persons on their behalf, any Money or
other thing, as a Gratuity, Fee or reward, for favour in or relating to this
Contract, upon the Penalty of Five Hundred Pounds, incase of my Failure in
any Part thereof. In Testimony
whereof I have hereunto set my Had and Seal the day and Year first
abovewritten.
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