Materials · 1784

Puddling

Stirring molten pig iron makes wrought iron in bulk with coal.

Henry Cort patented puddling in 1784. British wrought iron output rose sharply and supplied rails, boilers and ships.

Arcs above join it to what it stood on, arcs below to what it led to. The bar places this stretch on the tree's whole timeline.

What it built on 1

The dashed line marks when it first worked.

Output of key industries in England, 1270-1870 Latest: Coal: 3.77k index (1700=100) (1870) Source: Our World in Data

UK coal production since 1700 Latest: 2.17M tonnes (2019) Source: Our World in Data