Biography:
1. John Godwin, Snr. had joined the Royal Navy in his youth, and served for several years. He then worked at Waltham Abbey as a Gunpowder Maker and a Bargeman (Supply 5/222 dated the 2nd May 1804).
2. List of Artificers Employed dated the 22nd August 1789, recorded that John Godwin was "Setting and drawing stoves" (Supply 5/213). A further List of Employees dated the 14th August, 1790 (Supply 5/215) recorded that he was working in the Corning House for 1/6d per day. He was still there on the 16th April 1791 (Supply 5/215) and on the 31st January 1792 (Supply 5/215) and continued there until (circa) the 31st August 1793, when he replaced Clark Davie in the Refining House with the same rate of pay.
3. Supply 5/216 dated 31st August 1793, recorded that he was refining Saltpetre; however, by the 31st December 1794, he was setting and drawing stoves, for which he was paid 1/6d per day (also Supply 5/216).
4. Robert Coleman, Clerk of the Cheque, recorded on the 29th July 1793, that a Job Godwin (and others) was chequered (fined) one day's pay for "having gone across the Hoppit contrary to repeated orders." (Winters' Centenary Memorial, p.39).
5. John enlisted as a Private in the Volunteer Company on the 7th May 1794, and is recorded as having joined the Ordnance Board on the 1st April 1789 (Supply 5/219).
6. On the 24th June 1795, he is described as a "Bargeman" in Supply 5/217, and paid 1/6d per day exclusive of extras when in the barge at night. This was also the case in 1798 (Supply 5/219 dated September 1798).
7. Winters (p.55) stated that John Godwin and John Cook were Masters of the Bengal in 1795.
8. A signed document, Supply 5/220 of the 2nd February 1800 relating to a Petition on Pay, showed that he was literate and still working as a Bargeman.
9. A Report dated the 8th May 1801 (Supply 5/221) recorded that he was working as a Labourer, was a married man and had 3 children. Note: In this document, anyone not an Artificer was described as a Labourer.
10 In a letter dated 23rd June 1801 (Supply 5/195) it was stated that the writer had "the Board's command to transmit to you on the other side hereof a list of the men who have been burnt and otherwise hurt by the fire which lately (16th June, 1801) destroyed the Corning House at Waltham Abbey; and I am to desire the storekeeper will pay the men all of their pay until they are recovered."
11 The List, (also Supply 5/195) included John Godwin, and therein stated "we beg to represent the situation of the poor men who were burnt when the Corning House took fire 16th instant while under repair." It further stated "These men are burnt in a dreadful manner, their pain is very great ..." and "Our surgeon has represented the necessity of the men most burnt having immediate assistance in wine, as a considerable Suppuration is come on their constitutions. They cannot support it without wine, and we have directed wine to be immediately provided to them, and request your permission for our continuing to supply these poor men with such wine or other proper Support as their surgeon may think their respective situations require."
12 Winters, in his Centenary Memorial book, made it clear that the men were employed in repairing the Corning House which blew up on the 18th April 1801, and that the fire was caused "from the blow of a copper hammer on pit wheel."
13 In a letter to the Board dated the 29 July 1801 (Supply 5/221) it was stated that the men who were burnt at the Corning House on the 16th June had requested that they were reimbursed for the loss of clothing. The attached list included Mr. Godwin, whose claim amounted to £2.14.0d in all - for a hat (5/-d), handkerchiefs (2/6d) stockings (2/6d), shirt (5/-d) waistcoat (8/-d), breeches (8/-d), another shirt (6/-d) and sheets (17/0d). The same letter went on to say that Mr. Godwin, amongst others, suffered so much that he wished for death to release him from his torture, and that it was a matter of surprise that he was recovering. The constant attention the men needed meant that their wives could not undertake seasonal work (haymaking), at which they could earn sufficient to pay the rent. It was requested that financial allowances be made.
14 A Return of Artificers and Labourers dated the 3rd November 1801 (Supply 5/221) stated that Mr. Godwin and others had been so severely burnt in the old Corning House that it would be dangerous to expose him with the other men in repairing the river banks at that time, but that instead, he could perform trifling jobs as they occurred.
15 Letters dated 24th April and 2nd May 1804 (Supply 5/222) record that John Godwin, Bargeman, had died, and that it was believed that his death was caused by the injury he had received when the old Corning House was burnt on the 16th June 1801. He left a wife, Hannah, aged 32, and children, John (8) - see John Godwin, jnr. - William (6), Hester (3) and Elizabeth aged 16 months. James Wright wrote to the Ordnance Board requesting financial assistance for Hannah, and the Board agreed to pay her a pension of 16/-d per week, being her husband's salary.
16 A document dated the 8th November 1818, (Supply 5/231) lists persons to whom pensions or charitable allowances were granted by the Board as widows, orphans or relations of those who had lost their lives in the Manufactory, or who had been superannuated on account of trusts received, or for length of service in the departments. Among the recipients was
Hannah Godwin, who received a pension of 16/-d per week commencing the 17th April 1804.
17 Hannah was still in receipt of her pension in 1821 (Supply 5/232 dated the 17th November 1821).
18 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 Hannah's superannuation should continue at £41.12.0d per annum, and a similar document, Supply 5/232 dated the 28th December 1821, confirmed that the same pension would be paid in 1822. This was also the case in 1826 (Winters, p.96).
19 Hannah was still in receipt of a pension of 10/-d per week in 1837 (Supply 5/237) and this document confirmed that she had been in receipt of this amount since 1804.
20 The 1841 Census recorded that Hannah, aged 65 and described as an Ordnance Pensioner, together with her daughter Ester (not Hester) aged 30, were living in Silver Street. Both were born in Essex.
