Biography:
1. Samuel Knowler, Snr. was engaged as a Labourer at Faversham on the 1st February 1787 (Supply 5/212) and transferred to Waltham Abbey as a Labourer at 1/6d per day on the 1st February 1789 (Supply5/113). He was "cutting and planting willow trees, cutting of canal at the new Corning House, removing earth to the Store, unloading barge of coals & charring wood." according to Supply 5/213 dated the 18th April 1789. Supply 5/214 dated September 1789 recorded that he was 25 years of age, and was employed dusting and glazing powder.
2. In March 1790, he was working in the Corning House (Supply 5/214).
3. In August and September 1790, he was "dusting & glazing gunpowder."(Supply 5/215).
4. Knowler was in the Corning House in December 1790 to September 1793 (Supply 5/216), when he was transferred to the Refining House refining Saltpetre after Benjamin Wall was sacked. He was still there in January 1794 (Supply 5/216) to December 1794 (Supply 5/217).
5. By June 1795, he was "setting and drawing stoves etc." (Supply 5/217 dated the 24th June 1795).
6. An entry for July 1795 listed Samuel Knowler as a Millman with pay of 2/-d per day, plus an extra 3d when on night duty. It also recorded that Knowler had enlisted as a Private in the Volunteer Company on the 7th May 1794 (Supply 5/219).
7. Supply 5/219 dated September 1798 described Samuel Knowler, Snr., as a Refining House Labourer.
8. A signed document, Supply 5/220 of the 2nd February 1800, relating to a Petition on Pay, showed that he was illiterate and was still working as a Labourer in the Refining House.
9. A Report dated the 8th May 1801 (Supply 5/221) confirmed he was working as a Labourer, was a married man, and had three children. In this document, anyone not an Artificer, was described as a Labourer.
Robert Coleman recorded in his Minute Book on the 23rd October 1801, that 24 men were required to work at Faversham or be discharged and Knowler was one who agreed to go (Winters, p.60). However, the Faversham Gunpowder Personnel Register 1573-1840 did not record his name, so it can only be assumed that his services were retained at Waltham Abbey
10 In 1804 he was working at the Mills as a Refiner in the Saltpetre House, with pay of 2/-d per day. All Refiners received an additional allowance of 1/-d per night when it was their turn "to watch" - on average every 5th night. (Supply 5/222 dated the 8th May 1804). The Parish Poor rates for 1805 (Huggins) indicated that he was living in High Bridge Street, adjacent to the Cock Inn (Plot 2158 on the 1825 Town Map).
11 Knowler was still a Refiner in the Saltpetre House in 1806, being paid 2/-d per day (Supply 5/224 dated the 30th January 1806). At that date he had 16 years' service, and "when not working allowed to watch in turn."
12 Samuel was promoted to Foreman Saltpetre Refiner in January 1808 (Supply5/198 dated the 4th January, 1808).
13 According to the entry on Supply 5/227 dated the 23rd August 1808, he was still a Foreman of Saltpetre Refiners, and earned 4/-d per day as well as being entitled to take an Apprentice, who, in1808, was March Baker.
14 He was still a Foreman in 1810 (Supply 5/228 dated the 1st September 1810) with his pay unchanged,and at that time was receiving 2/-d for being a Rounder every third night.
15. According to a Return dated the 29th August 1812 (Supply 5/229) Mr. Knowler was an Assistant Master of Refiners of Saltpetre, earning 6/4d per day, as he was in 1814 (Supply 5/230 dated the 13th February 1814).
He was granted a Board House in Powder Mill Lane on the 1st September 1815, with a rent of £1 per annum ( Supply 5/232). The house was one of the larger houses in the lane, and was built in timber salvaged from the buildings forming the Horse Mills (Winters, p.82). There was a clause written into the tenancy that the tenants were not allowed to take in lodgers or cause unnecessary delapidations. His house was the second from the northern end of the terrace of houses and cottages running back from High Bridge Street in Powdermill Lane, forming part of plot No. 64 on the Town Map in Appendix 1.
16 Supply 5/231 of the 28th August 1818confirmed that Mr. Knowler was an Assistant Master Refiner of Saltpetre, that he earned 5/10d per day, resided in Waltham Abbey and was married with six children, Edward Samuel Knowler - baptised 9th July 1794 at Waltham Abbey - Samuel John Jones Knowler - baptised Waltham Abbey on the 17 May 1799 - Thomas William Knowler - baptised Waltham Abbey 9th March 1805 - Catherine Mary Knowler - baptised Waltham Abbey 7th September 1796, and Francis Knowler - baptised Waltham Abbey 5th December 1810.
17 A Return of Employees 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. Knowler's name was on the list with his pay reduced to 5/4d per day.
18 Memo dated 14th December 1818 (Supply 5/202) stated that Samuel Knowler, Assistant Master Refiner of Saltpetre, was to continue to pay the same rent of £1 per annum for the cottage he occupied in Waltham Abbey.
19 Still Assistant Master Saltpetre Refiner in May 1819, Supply 5/231 confirmed that Samuel was a married man with 6 children, aged 52, who lived in Waltham Abbey, trained as a Baker, and was paid 5/4d per day.
20. List of Employees dated the 13th September 1820 (Supply 5/232) updated the previous entry, with the basic details on pay, etc., remaining unchanged.
21 A Statement dated the 4th April 1821 "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" (Supply 5/232) confirmed that Samuel Knowler had been living in a Board of Ordnance house, Tenement No. 21, from the 1st September 1815, at a rent of £1 per annum. This house with its garden has been identified as part of a terrace of houses located in Powder Mill Lane and shown as Property No. 714 on the Waltham Abbey Town Map of 1825. The same information was repeated in Supply 5/232 dated the 16th February 1822, for the year 1821.
22 Return dated the 9th April 1821 (Supply 5/232) confirmed that Mr. Knowler was still the Assistant Master Refiner of Saltpetre, that he was then aged 52, was married with six children, and resided in Waltham Abbey. His pay was still 5/4d per day.
23 The Storekeeper at Waltham Abbey, Empson Middleton, wrote to the Board of Ordnance on the 15th September 1821 requesting that Samuel Knowler, Assistant Master Refiner of Saltpetre, be granted a pension. He went on to say that during Knowler's 32 years' service at the Gunpowder Mills, he had received severe concussion on the chest by the falling of a quantity of saltpetre bags, "which occassions, at times, severe indispositions if he takes cold." The Board agreed in their letter of the 16th November 1821 (Supply 5/203) that he should receive a superanuated sum of £20.17.4d per annum, and allowed him to continue to live in the cottage, paying the same rent of £1 per annum.
24 A document dated 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 confirmed that Samuel Knowler was in receipt of £20.17.4d. superannuation per annum. A similar document, Supply 5/232 dated the 28th December, 1821, confirmed that the same pension would be paid in 1822, and according to Winters (p.95), this was still the case in 1826.
25 A list of Properties owned by the Board prepared by the Office of the Royal Engineers on the 20th December 1834, showed that Samuel's house was to be let to Mr. Simes, Millwright, with effect from the 7th November 1834.
26 Knowler was still in receipt of a pension in 1837 (Supply 5/237) and this document recorded that his pension started on the 16th November 1821.
27 The 1841 Census recorded that he was living with his son, Samuel John, in High Bridge Street.
