Biography:
1. William Allsup was Apprenticed to Master Mixer, George Pittendrigh, in August 1808, with remuneration of 6/-d per week (Supply 5/227 dated the 23rd August 1808). This document also indicated that Mr. Pittendrigh was allowed 6/-d per week in respect of his Apprentice.
2. A receipt for eight weeks' pay dated the 30th September 1808, showed that William was illiterate (Supply 5/227).
3. Supply 5/227 dated the 30th September 1808 confirmed that he was Apprenticed to the Master Mixer of Composition at 6/- per week.
4. Employee List (Supply 5/228 of the 1st September 1810) confirmed William was still Apprenticed to the Master Mixer, was paid 6/- week, and that 6/- per week went to the Master Mixer.
5. According to the Employee List of the 29th August 1812 (Supply 5/229), William was still Apprenticed to the Master Mixer, but he now earned 6/2d per week, with his Master getting 6/6d per week.
6. At the 13th February 1814 (Supply 5/230) William's circumstances remained the same, except that he then earned 6/8d and his Master was allowed 8/-d per week. WO54/516 dated the 19th February 1816 indicated that he was employed as a casual Labourer earning 2/8d per day in the Engineers' Department, and that he was first employed as a Labourer on the 4th August, 1815. He was an 18-year-old bachelor living in Waltham Abbey.
7. Robert Perkis and William Allsup were two of the casualties of a reduction in the workforce in 1818. In their Petition (Supply 5/231) they stated that they were Articled Apprentices who had paid three pounds when first Articled, and that they had served seven years, continuing two years after the term of Apprenticeship had expired, after which they were discharged upon the reduction. Having gone into the Works at an early age, they were now unable to earn a livelihood in any other employment. They further wished to state that they had made themselves proficient in their several Departments, and hoped that their Lordships would take into their benign consideration their disagreeable case, and replace them again into their former situation in the Works, in which case, "your humble Petitioners will as in duty bound to you for ever pray."
8. In a letter dated the 7th April 1818 (Supply 5/231), it is stated "In obedience to the Honourable Board's commands contained in your letter of the 1st instant, desiring us to report upon the enclosed Petition of Robert Perkis and William Allsop, praying that they may be restored to their situations in the Royal Powder mills, having served their Apprenticeship in the Department from which they were discharged on account of the reduction. We beg leave respectfully to represent that Robert Perkis and William Allsup were taken as Apprentices, the one as Apprentice to the Assistant Master Worker, the other as Apprentice to the Master Mixer of Composition, [and] after serving their Apprenticeship they were employed as Labourers in the Manufactory." Further, "In forming an arrangement to comply with the Honourable Board's commands of the 22nd December last that a reduction should take place at the Royal Gunpowder Manufactory at Waltham Abbey, the beforementioned Robert Perkis and William Allsup were selected, amongst others, as the junior Labourers to be discharged, for if a preference had been given to them to be retained, other Labourers with families who had been longer in the service than themselves who are single young men [would feel the same and] we are therefore humbly of [the] opinion that they have not any cause for complaint." Nevertheless, in a letter dated the 10th April 1818 (Supply 5/202), it appears that the Board ordered these men to be re-entered when any augmentation should be required.
10 List of Officers on Employment dated the 13th September 1820 (Supply 5/232) stated that William was now 23, lived in Waltham Abbey, earned 2/4d per day and was single. He was also allowed 1/6d per night when watching in turn.
11 WO54/536 dated the 19th April 1821 stated that William Allsup, a single man aged 24, living in Waltham Abbey, was now employed as a Saltpetre Refiner; he was paid 2/4d per day and allowed to watch in turn, for which he received 1/6d per night.
12 List of Employees (Supply 5/232 dated 23rd January 1822) gave the age of William Allsup, Saltpetre Refiner, as 25, with nearly 13 years' service and pay per day of 2/4d.
13 Return dated the 6th February 1822 (Supply 5/232) showed length of service and other full details of those persons employed by the Ordnance at Waltham Abbey as at the 31st December 1821. This appeared to be a more detailed and accurate Return than that of the 23rd January 1822. William Allsup, Saltpetre Refiner, was Apprenticed to the Master Mixer at Waltham Abbey on the 26th March 1808, and by Orders of the Board dated the 4th September 1818 and the 4th October 1819, was appointed a Saltpetre Refiner. He was allowed to watch in turn to guard the Works, for which he received an additional 2/-d per night, giving him a total annual income of £41.14.4d. According to this Return, at the 31st December 1821 he had nearly 14 years' service, was 25 and was single man who lived in Waltham Abbey.
14 In the Spring of 1822, the Ordnance Board decided to reduce the production and regeneration of gunpowder and the Establishment at Waltham was to be reduced. Accordingly, Empson Middleton and James Wright drew up a list of people to go (Supply 5/232 dated the the 21st March, 1822), and the men were subsequently dismissed on the 1st June. Several Petitions were submitted by the men asking for financial assistance; many were long service employees in their middle age, and they pointed out that they had little hope of finding employment after the hay and corn harvest had been gathered. The Storekeeper at Waltham was sympathetic and forwarded their Petitions to the Board for their consideration. William Allsup was one of the petitioners, and he was awarded two weeks' pay to ease his financial burden (Supply 5/203 dated the 20th June, 1822).
15. After he left the Royal Gunpowder Mills, William married Esther (Ester), and by the time their son, also William, was baptised at Waltham Abbey on the 10th January 1830, he was working as a Miller (Huggins, op.cit.p.134).
16. According to a List of Property owned by the Board and prepared by the Royal Engineers' Office in May 1840, William Alsop, Miller, was living in a cottage previously occupied by Benjamin Ginn (WO44/133). This would have been part of Plot No. 62 shown on the Town Map of Waltham Abbey. However, he must have moved shortly after this, since the 1841 Census confirmed that he was still a Miller and that the family were then living in Romeland. 17. William died at the age of 71, and was buried in Waltham Abbey on the 20th June 1868 (Huggins, op.cit.p.134).
