Biography:
1. John Ashwood was employed to mark barrels according to a Return dated the 21st March, 1789 (Supply 5/212). He was seconded from Waltham Abbey to Faversham for training as a Labourer attending the stoves on the 1st January 1788 (Supply 5/70) returning to Waltham Abbey on the 1st February 1789, when he was paid 1/6d per day (Supply 5/217).
2. He served in the Artillery from the 1st April 1771 to the 1st May 1784, and became a Sergeant in the Volunteer Company (Supply 5/219 dated September 1798).
3. List of Personnel Working in the Storekeeper's Department dated the 27th March 1790 (Supply 5/214), stated he was "weighing powder at Corning House and marking barrels."
4. His wage was given in Supply 5/213 dated the 18th April 1789 as 1/6d per day.
In that document he is described as "cutting and planting willow trees, cutting of canal at the new Corning House, removing earth to the Store, unloading barge of coals and charring wood."
5. In September 1789, (also Supply 5/213) he was described as still "marking powder barrels", and his age was given as 27. On the 11th December 1790 (Supply 5/215) the details of age and employment remained unchanged.
6. An anonymous letter (Supply 5/190 dated January, 1791) to "His Majesty's Honble. Board of Ordnance" stated that "men whose work was very dangerous were frequently found in public houses neglecting his Majesty's duty and whose names ought to be reported." It made serious allegations against three men - John Goodfellow, John Ashwood and John White. The charge against Ashwood was that he "...often made complaints and finding faults without a cause with those men which he has no business with and whose buisiness he knows nothing of." The matter was referred to Major Congreve who was to "cause an enquiry to be made and report the result to the Board." The letter backfired on the anonymous writer, since no action was taken against Ashwood and he was still working at the Mills in 1793. Winters, in his Centenary book (pp.34-35) also refers to this incident, saying that the report was an anonymous letter complaining about several Millmen, i.e., John Ashwood, John Goodfellow and John White. He records also "the complaints were without foundation."
7. Supply 5/215 dated the 16th April 1791 described Ashwood as still "Weighing powder & marking barrels." This was again the case in January (Supply 5/215) and July-September 1792 (Supply 5/216) as well as at the 28th February 1793 (Supply 5/216).
8. Ashwood was promoted to Foreman of Labour on the 1st March 1793 (footnote to Supply 5/216 dated the 28th February, 1793) then to Master Mixer on the 18th June 1793 (Supply 5/217 dated the 24th June 1793).
9. A second letter of complaint against John Ashwood was received by the Storekeeper in August 1795. Its details are not known, but "two men discharged, (William) Fulham and Mason, the charge being non-proven" according to Winters (p.52).
10 A signed document relating to a Petition on Pay (Supply 5/220 of the 2nd February 1800), showed that Ashwood was literate.
11 A Report dated the 8th May 1801 (Supply 5/221) confirmed that Ashwood was the Master Mixer, that he was married with 4 children, and that he earned 3/-d. per day.
12 A Return of Artificers and Labourers dated the 3rd November 1801 (Supply 5/221) showed that he was superintending the Millmen and Labourers, cleansing and deepening the river.
13 In March 1805, (Supply 5/223) he was shown as a Master Mixer, earning a weekly wage of £1.6.0d.
14 In the List of Foreman Artificers and Labourers Employed dated the 30th January 1806 (Supply 5/224) he was described as a Master Refiner of Composition earning 5/-d per day, and at that date had been employed with the Ordnance for 18 years.
15 In June 1807, he was still in the same position and receiving the same wage, but in the remarks column of this document (Supply 5/226 dated the 18th June 1807) it appears that he was provided with a house and entitled to take on an Apprentice.
16 According to the entry on Supply 5/227 dated the 23rd August 1808, Mr. Ashwood was then the Assistant to the Master Worker, but still earned 5/-d. per day; he was allowed a house and given 6/-d per week to train an Apprentice, who, in August 1808, was Robert Perkis, Jnr.
17 Supply 5/228 dated the 1st September 1810, confirmed all of the details given in the Return of the 23rd August 1808.
18 A document dated the 8th November 1818 (Supply 5/231) recorded persons to whom pensions or charitable allowances had been granted by the Honourable Board as widows, orphans or relations of those who had lost their lives in the Manufactory, etc. Among the recipients was "Elizabeth Ashwood, the widow of John Ashwood." She died on the 7th March 1818, and had been in receipt of 3/6d per week, although it was not stated when her husband had died.
