Biography:
1. Thomas Holmes started work at Faversham on the 1st November 1787, transferring to Waltham Abbey on the 1st February 1789 as a Labourer in the Storekeeper's Department, earning 1/6d per day.
2. He was recorded as "cutting and planting willow trees, cutting of canal at the new Corning House, removing earth to the Store, unloading barge of coals & charring wood" in Supply 5/213 dated the 18th April 1789. During August 1789, he was "setting & drawing stoves and sundries in various parts of the Manufactory" and in September 1789, he was described as a "collier" of 25 years old (Supply 5/214).
3. In March 1790 (Supply 5/214) he was "setting and drawing stoves and in the boats, and planting willows."
4. In August and September 1790, he was "in the country bagging alder wood." (Supply 5/215 dated the 14th August, 1790).
5. In December 1790, he was "At the Corning House" (Supply 5/215).
6. Between April and June 1791, he was "In the country charring" (Supply 5/215).
7. Between July and September 1792, he was still "in the country charring wood." (Supply 5/216 dated the 31st July 1792) returning to the punts in February to March 1793, before returning to the country again cutting wood (Supply 5/216 dated the 28th February, 1793). This was also the case in August to September 1793, but by January 1794, he was in the Mixing House "Mixing composition" (Supply 5/216 dated the 31st January 1794).
8. Thomas enlisted as a Private in the Volunteer Company on the 7th May 1794 (Supply 5/217).
9. In August 1794, he was "charring wood" (Supply 5/216) while in December of the same year he was "setting & drawing stoves, etc. in the punts" (Supply 5/217).
10 He was described as a charcoal burner in Supply 5/217 dated the 24th June 1795.
11 Robert Coleman recorded on the 25th October 1795, " Holmes and (Richard) Jameson sent to Faversham." He also recorded that on the 22rd March 1796, he wrote to Faversham asking for their return (Winters, op.cit. p.47).
12 At some stage Thomas was transferred to Fernhurst in West Sussex and made a "Foreman of Cylinders" (for making charcoal).
13 A Report dated the 8th May 1801 (Supply 5/221) confirmed that he was still a Foreman of Cylinders and that he was a married man with four children.
14 A Return of Artificers and Labourers dated the 3rd November 1801(Supply 5/221) recorded that he was still employed as a Foreman of Labour at the Cylinder Houses in Sussex. The same document said that since the cylinders had been out of repair, Holmes had supervised the men in stacking timber in the yards and levelling and preparing the ground where the cylinders were to be resited.
15 Thomas was still a Foreman of Cylinders in 1804 with pay of 3/1d per day, and an extra allowance of 6d per month (Supply5/222 dated the 8th May 1804).
16 In March 1805, he was still the Foreman of the Cylinders earning £1.2.0d per week, with an additional allowance of 6/-d per month. A note said that the appointments at the Cylinder Works were at Fisher Street and Faversham, but it is unclear where he and another Foreman, Fish, actually worked there.
17 According to Supply 5/224 dated the 30th January 1806, Thomas was still employed as a Foreman of Cylinders, earning 3/6d per day, and at that date, he had 18 years' service .
18 Holmes was still a Foreman of Cylinders in June 1807, on the same pay (Supply 5/226 dated the 18th June 1807)and in the 'remarks' column, it was stated that he had "apartments at Fishers Green and Farnhurst (Fernhurst)." In August 1808 (Supply 5/227 dated the 23rd August 1808) his pay was 4/-d per day, as was the case in 1810, according to Supply 5/228 dated the 1st September 1810.
19 Supply 5/229 dated the 29th August 1812, recorded that Mr. Holmes was an "Overseer of Cylinder Works" earning 5/8d per day. He also had an apartment at the Cylinder Works.
20 All of the above (19) still applied in 1814 (Supply 5/230 dated the 13th February 1814).
21 List of Employees dated the 25th June 1818 (Supply 5/231) recorded that Thomas Holmes was the Junior Overseer of the Cylinder Works at Fernhurst in Sussex. He was a married man aged 50, with seven children, and was provided with accomodation at Fernhurst. He earned 5/8d per day.
22 A List of Empoyees dated the 28th August 1818 (Supply 5/231) recorded the names of people to be retained between the 3rd September and the 31st December, 1818. Holmes' name was included, with his pay shown as 4/8d per day.
