Biography:
1. Joseph Brown was employed as a Millman on the 6th February 1790 earning 2/-d per day, as he was in April to June 1791 (Supply 5/215 dated the 16th April 1791, updated weekly until the 26th June, 1791).
2. Supply 5/216 dated 31st July 1792 recorded that Joseph Brown was working in the Corning House as a Labourer on reduced pay of 1/6d per day.
3. Joseph was "Grinding Salt Petre, Charcoal & Brimstone" (Supply 5/216 dated the 31st January 1794) with pay of 1/6d per day. He continued in this occupation in August (Supply 5/216) and December 1794 (Supply 5/217), and, additionally, enlisted in the Volunteer Company on the 7th May 1794.
4. A Report dated the 24th June 1795 (Supply 5/217) on established Artificers and Labourers employed at the Powder Mills, stated that Brown was a "Charcoal Millman" with pay of 1/6d per day. This was also the case in September 1798 (Supply 5/219) when he was also shown as a Private in the Voluntary Company.
5. A signed document relating to a Petition on Pay, (Supply 5/220 of the 2nd February 1800) indicated that he was illiterate and was working as a Labourer.
6. A Report dated the 8th May 1801 (Supply 5/221) confirmed that he was working as a Labourer; it also indicated that he was a married man with no children. In this document, anyone who was not an Artificer was described as a Labourer.
7. Supply 5/222 dated the 8th May 1804 showed that Joseph was then working as a Refiner with pay of 2/-d per day. All Refiners received an additional allowance of 1/-d per night when it was their turn "to watch" - on average every 5th night.
8. List of Officers, Foremen and Artificers, etc. Employed - Supply 5/226 dated the 18th June 1807 - indicated that Mr. Brown was still working as a Saltpetre Refiner earning 2/-d per day, and that he was allowed to watch in turn, for which he received 1/-d.
9. According to the entry on Supply 5/227 dated the 23rd August 1808, Mr. Brown was still employed as a Saltpetre Refiner with his pay and allowance the same as indicated in the previous note.
10 Employee List (Supply 5/228 dated the 1st September 1810) recorded that Mr. Brown was then a Bargeman who was paid 3/-d per day.
11 List of Employees (Supply 5/229 dated the 29th August 1812) confirmed that Joseph was still employed as a Bargeman, but that his pay had increased to 3/10d per day.
12. List of Employees and their Salaries (Supply 5/230 dated the 13th February 1814) recorded that Mr. Joseph Brown was still a Bargeman at that date earning the same 3/10d per day, as does the List of Employees dated the 25th June 1818 (Supply 5/231). He was a married man aged 49, still childless, and lived in Waltham Abbey, but by this date his pay had been reduced to 3/-d per day.
13 A List of Empoyees dated the 28th August 1818 (Supply 5/231) recorded the names of people to be retained between the 3rd September and the 31st December 1818. Although Joseph's name was on the List, he was then shown as an Office Keeper and paid only 2/-d per day, but still allowed to watch in turn, for which he was paid 1/-d per night.
14 List of Employees dated the 19th May 1819 (Supply 5/231) confirmed that Brown was still employed as an Office Keeper, and that he was a married man aged 50 who had no children; he lived in Waltham Abbey and was then paid 2/11d per day, as well as having a watch allowance of 1/0d per night.
15 List of Employees dated the 13th September 1820 (Supply 5/232) recorded that Brown was still employed as an Office Keeper, with the same pay and conditions as stated in the previous note.
16 A Statement "of monies to which the public were entitled to receive credit between the 1st January and the 31st December, 1821, shewing the amounts received by the storekeeper" dated the 4th April 1821 (Supply 5/232) recorded that Joseph Brown was living in a house purchased by the Board of Ordnance, Tenement No. 40, with a rent of £5.4.0d per annum, but its location is uncertain.
17 List of Employees dated the 9th April 1821 (Supply 5/ 232) stated that Joseph was 52, and that all other details remained the same as indicated in Note 14.
18 List of Employees at the Royal Powder Mills (Supply 5/232 dated the 23rd January 1822) gave the age of Joseph, Office Keeper, as 52, with 33 years' service and pay per day of 2/11d.
19 Return showing the pay, allowances and length of service and every drescription of the persons in the employment of the Ordnance at Waltham Abbey as at the 31st December 1821 (Supply 5/232 dated the 6th February 1822) appears to be a more detailed, and probably more accurate, Return than that dated the 23rd January, 1822). It recorded that Joseph Brown, Office Keeper, was appointed on the 6th February 1790 as a Millman; he was allowed to watch in turn which gave him an annual earnings of £50.16.11d. He had 32 years' service, was aged 52, was a married man with no children, and lived in Waltham Abbey.
20 List dated the 21st March 1822 (Supply 5/232) was of persons to form an Establishment at Waltham Abbey to regenerate 2,000 barrels of gunpowder, as well as to make 100 or 200 barrels of gunpowder annually, and recorded that Joseph Brown, Office Keeper, was to be retained.
21 WO54/542 dated the 1st April 1823, confirmed that Brown was still the Office Keeper, that his pay for the year was £48.2.0d and that this amount included an allowance for watching in turn. His family and service details were as previously stated.
22 According to a document dated the 1st April 1823 (WO54/542 - Alteration in Return B), Joseph had his pay reduced by £2.12.0d per annum in accordance with the Board's Orders dated the the 27th December 1822 and the 15th January 1823.
23 WO54/546 dated the 1st October 1824, recorded that Joseph still earned £48.2.0d per annum as in Note 21, which included an allowance for watching in turn, for which he received 2/-d per week. His period of service was given as nearly 35 years, he was aged 55, and was married but was childless.
24 WO54/550 dated the 1st April 1825 confirmed he was still the Office Keeper, but gave his basic pay as £42.18.0d per annum. He was a Rounder which gave him, on average, 2/-d per week, giving him total earnings of of £55.1.4d per annum. This Return also confirmed his previous family and service details. WO54/550 dated the 1st October 1825 also confirmed his service and family details.
25 WO54/554 dated the 1st April,1826, confirmed the basic information given in WO54/550 dated the 1st October 1825, and WO54/554 dated the 1st October 1826, confirmed the information given in WO54/554 dated the 1st April 1826.
26 WO54/558 dated the 1st April 1827 recorded that there had been no alteration to his conditions since the previous Report dated the 1st October 1826.
27 WO54/558 dated the 1st October 1827 gave the same information as in the notes above. At that date Joseph had nearly 38 years' service and was then 56 years of age..
28 Supply 5/205 dated the 31st January 1828 stated that the Director General of the Ordnance Medical Department agreed that Joseph Brown should be supplied with a truss to prevent him incurring further injury.
29 Return dated the 1st April 1828 (WO54/562) gave the same information as in the notes above, except that he had then served 38 years.
30 Return dated the 1st October 1828 (WO54/562) updated his age and length of service, with family details and pay remaining unchanged.
31 Return dated the 1st April 1829 (WO54/566) updated his age and length of service, with family and pay details again remaining unchanged.
32 Return showing employees at the 1st October, 1829 (WO54/566) indicated that Joseph still earned in total £55.1.4d per annum, that his service was then just over 39 years, that he was 57 years of age, and was married, but was childless.
33 According to Return WO54/570 dated the 1st April 1830, all details remained the same for Joseph as in Note 32, except that his service was given as 40 years and that he was aged 58.
34 Return WO54/570 dated October 1830, confirmed the information given in Note 32, except that his service was then just over 40 years. WO54/570 dated April 1831, updated the October 1830 Return, and confirmed that he was still employed as the Office Keeper.
35 WO54/545 dated the 1st October 1831 updated his age and period of service in the April 1831 Return, with all other details remaining unchanged.
36 WO54/581 dated the 1st April 1832 updated Brown's age and period of service in the October 1831 Return.
37 WO54/581 dated the 1st October 1832 updated his age and period of service in the April, 1832 Return; he was still the Office Keeper, but now had a cottage belonging to the Board - the one previously occupied by John Brown.
38 WO54/587 dated the 1st April 1833 recorded that he was still the Office Keeper, was 61, was married and had no children. He had 43 years' service, being employed as a Millman on the 7th February 1790. His pay was still £55.1.4d per annum which included an allowance as a Rounder.
39 WO54/587 dated the 1st October 1833, gave the same basic details as before, but his age and length of service were updated.
40 WO54/593 dated the 1st April 1834 recorded that Joseph was still employed as Office Keeper, with his total pay remaining unchanged at £55.1.4d. His period of service was given as 40 years, and his age, 62. WO54/593 dated the 1st October 1834 confirmed the information given in the note above, but he was then 63 years of age and had served just over 40 years. A Return of Domestic Properties prepared by the Engineers' Office on the 20th December 1834, recorded that Joseph was occupying a tenement in Powder Mill Lane with the same rent as before (Supply 5/237). A similar Return for 1840 showed that he was living in a cottage originally built as a surgery in 1814 for $249 (Winters, op.cit. p.79) which locates it at the entrance to the Engineers' Yard (WO44/133), being Plot 92 on Drayson's 1833 Town Map.
41 In the 1841 Census, Joseph was described as a Labourer, living in Powder Mill Lane with his wife, Phillis, aged 70. Neither were born in the county
