Biography:
1. Letter from W. Congreve, Major of Artillery, Waltham Abbey, 21st September 1787, to Mr. Daniel Cornish:-
"I am directed by his grace the Duke of Richmond to desire you will immediately hire the best of the Millmen and Labourers who lately worked at Mr Walton's Powder Mills. They will be paid nine shillings a week for a month certain, and for every week they may be continued in these Powder Mills if they (the mills) should be purchased by the Government; and they (the above named men) will be allowed every advantage that was hitherto given to the Millmen and Labourers who work in the Royal Powder Mills at Faversham. Mr Cornish, you will be paid fifteen shillings a week from the date hereof for one month certain."
2. Daniel Cornish, according to Supply 5/188 dated the 16th February 1789, in addition to his wage was entitled to train an Apprentice, for which he received 7/-d per week.
3. Supply 5/212 dated the 21st March 1789 stated that he earned 2/6d per day.
4. Supply 5/213 dated the 18th April 1789, recorded that he was "fitting up racks to the Store & preparing stuff to the Charcoal Mill etc", and later described as fitting sieve lines, etc. He continued with general repairs to buildings and equipment through 1790,1791,1792 and 1793.
5. Daniel had been a Carpenter with the Walton family since the year 1780, and joined the Ordnance at Waltham Abbey on the 1st November 1787 (Supply 5/217). He also joined the Volunteer Company as a Private on the 7th May 1794 (Supply 5/219 dated September 1798).
6. A signed document, Supply 5/220 of the 2nd February 1800 relating to a petition on pay, showed that he was literate and was still working as a Carpenter.
7. A Report dated the 8th May 1801 (Supply 5/221) confirmed he was working as a Carpenter for 3/-d per day, and was a married man with 4 children.
8. Daniel was shown as a Carpenter in the "Engineers Department Established" and paid 4/1d per day, with an additional allowance of 6/-d per week for an Apprentice. (Supply 5/222 dated the 8th May 1804).
9. In a letter dated 16th July, 1806 (Supply 5/197) it was stated that Mr. Cornish, Master Carpenter, should retire upon 10/6d per week, which would be borne upon the Charity List . In addition, "William White be appointed as Master Carpenter in the room of Daniel Cornish." However, in a further letter dated 19th November 1806, (also Supply 5/197) it appeared that Cornish had said that he was unable to support his family on the superannuation granted to him, and "requested the indulgence of being allowed to make ...Articles for the Powder Works at the prices stated against each." The letter went on to say that the writer desired that the Storekeeper paid Cornish "...periodically for such work as he may perform, quoting the date of this Order and the Storekeeper's authority for such payments."
10 In a letter from the Office of Ordnance dated 10th November 1817 (Supply 5/201) it was stated that the Board had ordered the superannuation allowance of 2/-d per day granted to Mr. Cornish - formerly Foreman of Carpenters in the Engineering Department, - to be paid by the Storekeeper, from the 1st January 1818.
11 A supplement to a document dated the 8th November 1818 (Supply 5/231) listed persons who had been superannuated on account of their length of service in the departments. Among those listed was Daniel Cornish, Foreman Carpenter, who received a pension of 12/-d per week which commenced on the 1st April 1816.
12 This pension was subsequently increased to 14/-d per week with effect from the 1st January, 1818. (Supply 5/231 dated the 8th November 1819)
13 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) indicated that Daniel Cornish, Pensioner, had been living in a Board of Ordnance house, Tenement No. 18, leased to him on 13th June 1808 for £6.10.0 per annum. Sometime after May 1821, Cornish moved to a tenement purchased by the Board of Ordnance that year. The house has been identified as being on the north side of High Bridge Street to the west of Powder Mill Lane at the eastern end of a group of tenements known as Bank Cottages (Part of Plot Number 1432 on the 1842 Waltham Abbey Tithe Map). This house was originally let to James and Eliza Allsup, who ran a Post Office. It was subsequently split into two dwellings and Daniel Cornish lived in the western half, while the Allsup family continued to occupy the portion nearest to Powder Mill Lane. Information on the rental for 1821 was repeated in Supply 5/232 dated the 16th February 1822.
14 List of Persons receiving Superannuation (Supply 5/232 dated 17th November, 1821) confirmed the information given in Note 10.
15 A document dated the 6th December 1821 (Supply 5/232) gave the estimated pay of persons between the 1st January and 31st December 1822, along with their superannuated allowance, as well as "the allowance to widows and orphans of those who have lost their lives at this place". It was confirmed that Daniel Cornish, lately a Foreman Carpenter, was in receipt of £36.8.0d superannuation per annum. A similar document, Supply 5/232 dated the 28th December 1821, confirmed that the same pension would be paid in 1822. According to Winters (p.96), a later Superannuation List confirmed that Daniel Cornish died in 1825.
Winters further recorded on page 152 that Daniel had received a pension of £38.8.0d per annum.
16 A Return of Domestic Properties prepared by the Royal Engineers' Office in May, 1840 (WO44/133) confirmed the location of Daniel's property, which was then occupied by Benjamin Cornish, his son.
