Biography:
1. John Fleming was appointed a Labourer "in the room of Henry Brown" on the 12th May 1830, according to a Return of Employees (WO54/570 dated the 1st October 1830). At that date he had served 4 months, was aged 29, was single, and was brought up in the Bakery Trade. He earned £33.16.0d per year but was allowed to watch in turn, which gave him a total amount annually of £39.0.0d.
2. WO54/570 dated the 1st April 1831 updated the October 1830 Return, with no basic changes.
3. 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. The same information applied to
WO54/581 dated the 1st April 1832, whilst updating his age and period of service in the October 1831 Return.
4. Supply 5/207 dated the 8th August 1832, recorded that John and 3 others had been cautioned for being absent from their work for a whole day without leave, and warned that a repeat would result in their dismissal.
5. WO54/581 dated the 1st October 1832 updated his age and period of service in the April 1832 Return, and all other details remained unchanged.
6. WO54/587 dated the 1st April 1833, confirmed that at that date John was still earning £39.0.0d annually. His period of service was given as nearly 3 years, and his age as 32. He was still unmarried at that date.
7. WO54/587 dated the 1st October 1833 confirmed that Fleming's details were the same as in the previous Return, except that he had then served just over 3 years, and was 33 years' old.
8. WO54/593 dated the 1st April 1834, recorded that although John was still employed as a General Labourer, his basic pay had been cut to £28.5.6d per annum. He was still allowed to watch in turn, which took his annual earnings up to £33.9.6d. He was 33 and single, but by then had served nearly 4 years.
9. WO54/593 dated the 1st October 1834, confirmed the information given in the note above, but he was then 34 and had served just over 4 years.
10 Return of Employees dated the 10th October 1839 (WO56/623) recorded that he was employed as a Storehouse Man, with pay of £57.7.4d per annum which included an allowance to watch in turn. It confirmed that he had been appointed as a Labourer at the Mills on the 12th May 1830, and transferred to the stores on the 12th July 1837. He was a 38-year-old bachelor.
11 According to Winters (p.105) John was appointed Master Mixer on the 13th December 1839.
12 A transcript of he 1841 Census records that John was only 35 years old, and that he was not born in Essex. He was then married, and he and his wife, Elizabeth, aged 30, lived in Romeland with their son, William, who was 4 months' old at the date of the Census. Both mother and son were born in Essex.
