Biography:
1. Henry Fish started work on the 1st July 1796 as a Cylinder man in Sussex earning 1/6d per day (Supply 5/219 dated the 1st July 1798).
2. A Report dated the 8th May 1801 (Supply 5/221) recorded that he was working as a Labourer, and that he was married with 4 children. Note: In this document, anyone not an Artificer was described as a Labourer.
3. A Return of Artificers & Labourers dated the 3rd November 1801 (also Supply 5/221) confirmed that he was still a Labourer at the Cylinder Houses in Sussex. The same document said that since the cylinders had been out of repair, Fish had been employed in stacking timber in the yards, and levelling and preparing the ground where the cylinders were to be resited.
4. According to the List of Foremen, Artificers and Labourers (Supply 5/224 dated the 30th January 1806), Mr. Fish, as a Cylinder Man, earned 2/-d. per day, and at that date he had served 10 years.
5. According to a further List (Supply 5/226 dated the 18th June 1807) Mr. Fish was still employed as a Cylinder Man at 2/-d per day, and this was again the case according to Supply 5/227 dated the 23rd August 1808.
6. Supply 5/228 dated the 1st September 1810 contained similar information to the previous notes, i.e., his wages and occupation remained the same.
7. According to the List of Employees ( Supply 5/229 dated the 29th August 1812, Mr. Fish was then earning 2/8d per day doing the same job as previously, and this was also the case according to the List of Employees and their Salaries (Supply 5/230 dated the 13th February 1814).
8. A Return of Employees dated the 2nd March 1816 (Supply 5/230) confirmed that Mr. Fish was still a Cylinder House Man, with 20 years' service. His age was given as 50, and it was recommended that he receive a daily superannuation of 2/8d. In the attached notes was the comment that Mr. Fish and others should be superannuated "because of the hurts they have received in this dangerous manufactory." It was also stated therein that the health of Mr. Fish "who is now extremely ill, has been so much impaired by the nature of his employment, as to make it improbable that he can ever be again advantageously employed in the service". However, in a letter dated the 6th March 1816 (Supply 5/200) Mr. Fish was finally awarded superannuation of only 2/-d per day for six days in the week, to start on the 1st April 1816.
9. 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 the recipients was Henry Fish, Cylinderman, who received a pension of 12/-d per week, and it confirmed that the pension had commenced on the 1st April 1816. He was subsequently paid his pension at the cylinder works.
