Biography:
1. Henry Knowler, the brother of Samuel Knowler, started work as a Labourer working on the punts and "Setting and drawing stoves" on the 5th April 1791, and was paid 1/6d per day (Supply 5/215 dated the 16th April 1791). In May, 1791, he was "Dusting and Glazing Powder", and between January 1792 and September 1793, he was in the Corning Houses (Supply 5/216). In September 1793, he was replaced by William Speller.
2. Robert Coleman, Clerk of the Cheque, recorded that on the 29th July 1793, Henry Knowler (and others) was chequered (fined) one day's pay for "having gone across the Hoppit contrary to repeated orders." (Winters' Centenary Memorial, p.39).
3. January 1794 saw Henry working as a Labourer in the Refining House and he still earned 1/6d per day (Supply 5/216). He was still there in August 1794 and December 1794 ((Supply 5/216 and Supply 5/217 respectively) as well as in July 1795 (Supply 5/217 dated the 3rd July 1795) and September, 1798 (Supply 5/219). This document also recorded that he enlisted as a Private in the Voluntary Company on the 7th May 1794.
4. A signed document, Supply 5/220 of the 2nd February 1800, relating to a Petition on Pay, showed that he was literate and was still working as a Refining House Labourer.
5. A Report dated the 8th May 1801 (Supply 5/221) confirmed he was working as a Labourer, was a married man and had one child. In this document, anyone not an Artificer was described as a Labourer.
6. 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, op.cit. p.60). However, the Faversham Gunpowder Personnel Register 1573-1840, did not record his name, so it can only be assumed his services were terminated.
7. On the 13th February 1814, Henry Knowler was apparently re-engaged as a Labourer, "setting and drawing stoves and in the willow plantations", earning 2/8d per day; he was also allowed to watch in turn (Supply 5/230).
