Biography:
1. John Johnson was appointed Master Refiner in the Saltpetre House, possibly following the death of John Baker in November 1798. He was paid 3/-d per day (Supply 5/220 dated the 2nd February 1800).
2. Another document (also Supply 5/220 of the 2nd February 1800) relating to a Petition on Pay, recorded that Johnson was literate.
3. Report dated the 8th May 1801 (Supply 5/221) confirmed that he was still the Master Refiner, and a married man with no children.
4. A Return of Artificers and Labourers dated the 3rd November 1801 (Supply 5/221) recorded that he was still employed as the Master Refiner, but having "considerable depot of salt petre etc. " was directed by the Comptroller to take care of the Refining House and Saltpetre Storehouse. In December 1801, Johnson, Master Refiner, was allowed £4.4.0d per annum for coal and candles (Winters, p.61). Supply 5/222 dated the 8th May 1804 gave his rate of pay as 4/3d per day.
5. Johnson earned £1.10.0d per week, with a candle/coal allowance of £4.4.0d per annum (Supply 5/223 dated the 28th March, 1805) and was to be paid an extra allowance of 6d per month (Supply 5/223 dated 8th May 1805).
6. On the 30th January 1806 (Supply 5/224) his pay was given as 5/-d per day, and at that date, he had just over 15 years' service.
7. In June 1807, he was still in the same position, receiving the same 5/-d per day; in the Remarks column of this document (Supply 5/226 dated the 18th June 1807) it was noted that Johnson was entitled to take on an Apprentice.
8. The Mills were, presumably, working long hours and Johnson was spending considerable time there, for on the 20th July 1807, he petitioned the Board for "a house on the premises to ensure that the necessary degrees of heat at which the liquor in the boilers must be kept..." He went on to say that the Master Refiner at Faversham was provided with a house. The Board granted his request (Supply 5/198).
9. According to the entry on Supply 5/227 dated the 23rd August 1808, Mr. Johnson now earned 6/-d. per day, with an allowance of £20.0.0d house rent, and coal and candle allowance of £4.4.0d. He was also entitled to an allowance of 7/-d per week to train an Apprentice, and his Terms of Employment were the same in 1810 (Supply 5/228 dated the 1st September 1810). By the 7th March 1810, he was entitled to a rent-free house, which was located in the Saltpetre Refinery on the north side of High Bridge Street (Plot No.712 on the 1825 Waltham Abbey Parish Map)
10 According to the List of Officers and Others Employed dated the 29th August 1812 (Supply 5/229), Mr. Johnson was then earning 8/1d per day, he still had a house and an allowance of £4.4.0d for coals and candles, and was allowed an Apprentice. This was also the case in 1814 (Supply 5/230 dated the 13th February 1814).
11 Lists of Officers & Others Employed dated the 25th June 1818 (Supply 5/231 and WO54/524) recorded that Mr. Johnson was a Master Refiner of Saltpetre, aged 57, who resided in Waltham Abbey and was married with three children. He earned 7/7d per day, had a house owned by the Board with an allowance of £4.4.0d per annum for coal and candles, as well as £22.8.0d per annum in respect of an Apprentice. .
12 A Return 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. Johnson's name was included, with his pay and conditions unchanged.
13 According to the List of Officers and Other Persons in the Employment and Pay of the Board dated 19th May 1819 (Supply 5/231) Mr. Johnson was still a Master Refiner of Saltpetre, then aged 58, and all the other information given in Note 11 remained the same. He was also still training an Apprentice.
14 List of Employees dated the 13th September 1820 (Supply 5/232) updated the previous entry, the basic details on pay and conditions etc. remaining unchanged, except that it was recorded that he then received 6/-d per week to train an Apprentice.
15 A statement "of monies to which the public were entitled to receive credit between the 1st January and the 31st December, 1821, shewing the amounts received by the storekeeper" dated the 4th April 1821 (Supply 5/232) confirmed that John Johnson, Master Refiner of Saltpetre, had been living rent free in a Board of Ordnance house, Tenement No. 9, from the 7th March 1810. The Refinery and house were located on the north side of High Bridge Street, and shown as Plot No. 39 on the Town Map in Appendix 1. The same information was repeated in Supply 5/232 dated the 16th February 1822, for the year 1821.
16 List of Officers and other Persons Employed dated the 9th April 1821 (Supply 5/232) confirmed that Mr. John Johnson was still Master Refiner, that he was then aged 60, was married, with no mention this time of children, and resided in Waltham Abbey. All other information as indicated in Note 11 remained the same, with the exception that there was no mention made of an allowance for an Apprentice.
17 Return (Supply 5/232 dated the 26th January, 1822) giving age, number of years in service and pay per day, confirmed that John Johnson was the Master Saltpetre Refiner and that he was paid 7/7d per day. He was then aged 60, and at that date had 40 years' service.
18 Return showing the pay, allowances and length of service and every description of the persons in the pay and employ of the Ordnance at Waltham Abbey as at the 31st December 1821 (Supply 5/232 dated the 6th February 1822) appeared to be a more detailed, and probably more accurate, Return than that dated the 23rd January 1822. It stated that John Johnson, Master Refiner of Saltpetre, was appointed on the 1st April 1780, as a Labourer at Woolwich, appointed Saltpetre Refiner at Faversham 1 June 1793, and appointed Master Saltpetre Refiner at Waltham on the 4th December 1798. His total pay for the year, including an allowance of £16.5.9d for teaching an Apprentice, amounted to £138.13.4d. In addition, it stated that he was provided with a house, that he had nearly 42 years' service, that he was aged 61, was married and lived in Waltham Abbey.
19 List dated the 21st March 1822 (Supply 5/232) of persons to form an Establishment at Waltham Abbey to regenerate 2000 barrels of gunpowder as well as to make 100 or 200 barrels of gunpowder annually, included John Johnson, Master Refiner of Saltpetre, who was to be retained.
20 WO54/542 dated the 1st April 1823, confirmed his pay, allowances and previous employment details.
21 According to Winters (op.cit. p.90) John Johnson, Master Saltpetre Refiner, was killed by lightning on the 27th June 1823, and his position remained unfilled.
22 Henry Wright's memories of the Powder Mills at Waltham Abbey as related to Winters, said, "I knew perfectly well Mr Johnson, Master Refiner of salt petre, who was killed by lightning in the presence of my father and myself; the only two persons that were with him in his office. He was reading at his desk close to the window, which looked towards the chrystalizing house; he was struck on the left side of his head; he was wearing his hat at the time; this was shattered. The electricity passed down his side and out of his shoe bursting it. He did not fall from his chair for a few seconds. My father immediately opened a vein in his arm; the blood was solid, not a drip came. At this terrible flash his wife was dreadfully alarmed; she was at home in a small room near the refinery now occupied by Mr Knowler. We were told she exclaimed ' My dear husband,' and I am under the impression she died very shortly afterwards." (Winters, op.cit., p.142)
