In 1784, he obtained a patent for an improved version of Peter Onions's puddling process, for refining cast iron, although its commercial viability was only realised in the 1790s, through further innovations introduced by Richard Crawshay and Homfray of the Cyfarthfa Ironworks in Merthyr Tydfil.

[3] In 1768, Cort's second marriage was to Elizabeth Heysham, the daughter of a Romsey solicitor and steward of the Duke of Portland whose estates included Titchfield.

[5] In 1780, the Royal Navy's Victualling Commissioners reached an agreement with Cort, who had taken over Attwick's business, to convert scrap iron hoops for their barrels.

[6] Short of funds, he turned to Adam Jellicoe, at that time chief clerk in the Pay Office of the Royal Navy, who agreed to loan Cort funds to develop a new method of converting cast iron to bar iron, over the next ten years this amounted to the amount of nearly £58 000 on seemingly little security beyond the value of the business.

[8] In 1787, Cort came to an agreement with South Wales ironmaster Richard Crawshay whereby all iron manufactured according to the former's patents would result in a royalty of 10 shillings per ton.

[11] His business ventures did not bring him wealth, even though vast numbers of the puddling furnaces that he developed were eventually used (reportedly 8,200 by 1820), they used a modified version of his process and thus avoided payment of royalties.