Biography:
1. Thomas Littler served in the Royal Navy before joining His Majesty's Ordnance Board at Dover on the 8th June 1805 (Huggins, WAGP, p.124). He was appointed Extra Clerk (Assistant Clerk) at Waltham Abbey on the 8th June 1805 on the same day, with a salary of £70 per annum, and was still in the same position in June 1807 (Supply 5/226 dated the 18th June 1807). Supply 5/232 dated the 6th September 1822, recorded that he was transferred to Dover on the 1st August 1807, as First Clerk.
2. According to the List of Officers and Other Persons Employed dated the 29th August 1812 (Supply 5/229), Mr. Littler was appointed First Clerk at Waltham Abbey on the 26th February 1812. His salary was given as £90 per annum. with a £20.16.0d lodging allowance and £12.10.0d for coals and candles.
3. Return dated the 13th February 1814, (Supply 5/230) confirmed his salary was £90, and that he was allowed £20.16.0d per annum lodging allowance and £12.10.0d per annum for coal and candles.
4. List of Officers and other Persons Employed dated the 25th June 1818 (Supply 5/231) confirmed that Mr. Littler was First Clerk, that he was aged 58, lived in Waltham Abbey, and was a widower with seven children. It also stated that on the 8th June 1805, Mr. Littler became a Junior Clerk at Waltham Abbey, and that his appointment of First Clerk dated from 26th February, 1812. His salary was £90 per annum, with a £12.10 coal and candle allowance and a £35 gratuity, in addition to which, he was given a house upon the Establishment. Between 1814 and 1818, he was not entitled to a lodging allowance and was, therefore, living in Ordnance Board accommodation rent free, viz. Corn Mill House in Romelands, which had previously been occupied by James Wright, Jnr., who possibly vacated it during September 1814.
5. According to a Return dated the 19th May 1819 (Supply 5/231) Mr. Littler was still First Clerk, then aged 59, with all the other information given previously remaining the same.
6. List of employees dated the 13th September 1820 (Supply 5/232) updated the above entry with Littler's basic details on pay, etc. remaining unchanged,. His given age was then 60.
7. A Statement dated the 4th April 1821 (Supply 5/232) "of monies to which the public were entitled to receive credit between the 1st January and the 31st December 1820 showing the amounts received by the storekeeper" recorded that Thomas Littler was living rent free in a Board of Ordnance house from sometime in September 1814. His house was identified as being on the north-east corner of Romeland, Plot No. 715 on the 1825 Waltham Abbey Town Map or Plot No. 70 on the Town Map in Appendix 1. The same information was repeated in Supply 5/232 dated 16th Feb 1822 for the year 1821.
8. List of Officers and other Persons Employed dated the 9th April 1821 (Supply 5/232) confirmed that Mr. Littler was still First Clerk, that he was aged 60, was a widower with seven children, and lived in Waltham Abbey. All other information as indicated in Note 7 remained the same, except for his gratuity, which had been increased to £50.
9. Supply 5/232 dated 6th February 1822 updated his salary, etc. Littler was then paid £90 per annum, with a gratuity based on service of £50 and a candle and coal allowance of £12.10.0d, giving him a total income of £152.10.0d. He was provided with a house in Waltham Abbey, had served with the Ordnance for over 16 years, was 60 years of age, and a widower with 7 children. These details were confirmed by WO54/536 of the same date.
10 List of employees WO54/542 dated the 1st April 1823, confirmed Litter's salary, entitlement to a house, allowance of £25 for coal and candles and £27.7.6d in lieu of attendance of labour. His family details and previous employment were also confirmed in this Return.
11 WO54/546 dated the 1st October 1824, recorded that Mr. Littler's salary was £140.0.0d per annum, with allowances amounting to £12.10.0d, making a total of £152.10.0d per annum. He was entitled to a house, had just over 19 years' service, was then aged 62 and was married with 7 children. WO/550 dated the 1st April 1825 repeated the previous information given.
12 Return dated the 1st October 1825 (WO54/550) recorded that Thomas's basic salary was £90 per annum, and that at that date he received an increase of £50 per annum, with an allowance in lieu of coals and candles of £12.10.0d, making a total of £152.10.0d per annum in all. He had a house, and his period of service was given as just over 20 years. At that date he was 63, and a widower with 7 children.
13 Supply 5/205 dated the 21st December 1825 confirmed that he was First Clerk and recorded that his total salary at the 1st January 1825, was £176 per annum. Note: this was in the form of a memorandum, and adjustments in his salary do not appear to have been put into effect
14 WO54/554 dated 1st April 1826, recorded that he received a salary increase of £24.15.0d giving him a total income with allowances of £177.5.0d per annum, and showed that all other details were unchanged. WO54/554 dated the 1st October 1826, confirmed the Return dated 1st April 1826.
15 WO54/558 dated the 1st April 1827 recorded "no alteration since the last report dated the 1st October 1826."
16 WO54/558 dated the 1st October 1827, gave the same information as in the notes above. At that date Mr. Littler had just over 22 years' service and he was then 64.
17 Return dated the 1st April 1828 (WO54/562) confirmed the same information as in the notes above, with the exception that he had served nearly 23 years and was aged 65.
18 Return dated the1st October 1828 (WO54/562) recorded that Littler was paid £164.10.0d per annum, plus an allowance of £12.10.0d for coals and candles. Other details remained unchanged.
19 Return dated the 1st April 1829 (WO54/566) updated his age and length of service, with family details and pay remaining unaltered.
20 Littler requested payment of two guineas for auctioning timber at the Mills on the 4th June 1827 (Winters, p.97).
21 WO54/566 dated the 1st October 1829, stated that at that date Thomas still earned the same as in Note 18. His length of service was given as just over 24 years, and he was aged 66.
22. Return WO54/570 dated the 1st April 1830, updated his age and length of service, with family and pay details remaining unchanged.
23. According to the Return dated the 1st October 1830 (WO54/570) Thomas, First Clerk, was still earning the same per annum as as he was in Note 18. By then he had served just over 25 years and was 67 years of age.
24 Return WO54/ 575 dated 1st April 1831 gave the same information as that in Note 21, except that he had then served nearly 26 years and he was aged 68.
25 WO54/545 dated the 1st October 1831, updated his age and period of service in the April 1831 Return, with all other details remaining unchanged.
26 WO54/581 dated the 1st October 1832, confirmed Mr. Littler earned the same as stated in Note 21. At that date he had served over 27 years, and was aged 70.
27 WO54/587 dated the 1st October 1833, confirmed that Mr. Littler still earned £177.0.0d per annum. His service was given as just over 28 years, and his age as 71.
28 WO54/593 dated the 1st April 1834, updated the October Return for service and age, with conditions and salary remaining the same.
29 WO54/593 dated the 1st October 1834, updated the previous Return for service and age, with conditions and salary remaining unchanged.
30 Return of Staff dated 1st April 1839 (WO54/623) confirmed dates of appointments, etc. as before. Littler's salary, including allowances in lieu of coal and candles, was given as £177.0.0d. He had over 33 years' service, and was then aged 76 years.
30 Thomas died on the 17th July 1839, and is buried in Waltham Abbey Churchyard; he left 7 daughters, all of whom were mentioned in his Will.
