Biography:
1. William Drayson was first employed by the Board on the 19th September 1804 at Faversham as an Overseer of Works, and appointed Clerk of the Works at Waltham Abbey on the 17th March 1806. In September 1812, (WO54/512) he was on the Establishment, paid 7/-d per day and provided with a house which was in Powder Mill Lane. In addition, he also received an annual allowance of £12.10.0d for coal and candles.
2. WO54/516 dated February 1816, indicated that Mr. Drayson was aged 39, and was a married man with 8 unmarried children. He was still employed as Clerk of Works, was now paid 10/-d per day, was still provided with an apartment and had the same allowances.
3. WO54/520 dated the 28th February 1817, stated that Mr. Drayson was Clerk of Works, was 40 years old, was married and now had 9 unmarried children. He was still earning 10/-d per day, with the same allowance of £12.10.0d, and was provided with an apartment.
4. WO54/524 dated 1818, confirmed the above basic information, but recorded that he then had 10 unmarried children. According to WO54/528 dated the 19th May 1819, the children had increased to 11.
5. List of Employees dated the 13th September 1820 (Supply 5/232/WO54/532) confirmed that Drayson was still employed as Clerk of Works, with the same pay and conditions as mentioned in Note 3. WO54/536 dated the 2nd April 1821 recorded that he was aged 45 with 12 children, and that his terms of employment, etc. remained unchanged.
6. 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 dated the 4th April 1821) indicated that William Drayson, Clerk of the Works, was living rent free in a Board of Ordnance house from the 29th September 1809. This house, Tenement No. 7, was within the Engineers' yard on the west side of Powder Mill Lane and was Plot No. 700 on the 1825 Waltham Abbey Town Map, or Plot No. 73 on the Town Map in Appendix 1. The same information was repeated in Supply 5/232 dated the 16th February 1822 for 1821.
7. WO54/536 dated the 31st December 1821 is a repeat of the Return dated the 2nd April 1821 except he now had 13 children.
8. WO54/542 dated the 1st April 1823 - Personnel Employed in the Engineers' Department - confirmed that Drayson was still paid 10/-d per day for 365 days as the Clerk of Works, that a coal and candle allowance of £12.10.0d per annum was given, and that he was entitled to a house. This gave him an annual income of £195.0.0d. His service details were as before. He then had only 12 children, so ossibly one had died.
9. WO54/550 dated the1st April 1825, confirmed that Drayson was still paid 10/-d per day for 365 days as the Clerk of Works, that he had a coal and candle allowance of £12.10.0d per annum and that he was entitled to a house. This gave him an annual income of £195.0.0d. His service was then just over 20 years, and he was aged 49.
10 WO54/550 dated the 13th October, 1825, was a repeat of the record dated the 1st April 1825.
11 WO54/554 dated the 1st April 1826 gave identical information as in Notes 9 and 10, with the exception that he was then 50, with over 21 years' service.
12 WO54/554 dated the 1st October 1826 was as the previous Return, but he then had 13 children.
13 WO54/558 dated the 1st April 1827 gave the same information as Notes 9 to 12. However, at that date Mr. Drayson had over 22 years' service, and was 51 years of age.
14 WO54/558 dated the 1st October 1827 recorded no basic alterations from the previous Return.
15 A further Return dated the 1st April 1828 (WO54/562) updated his pay to 13/6d per day for 366 days, which gave him a total take-home annual pay of £247.1.0d.
16 Return dated the 1st October 1828 (WO54/562) updated his age and length of service, with family details and pay unchanged.
17 WO54/566 dated the 1st April 1829 confirmed the information given in Note 15, except that his length of service was over 24 years and he was aged 52.
18 Return dated the 1st October 1829 (WO54/566)) updated his age and length of service, with family and pay details remaining unchanged.
19 According to Return WO54/570 dated the 1st April 1830, all details remained the same for Mr. Drayson as in Note 15, except that his pay had risen to a total of £246.7.6d per annum. At that date his service was over 25 years, and he was then aged 53.
20 Return WO54/570 dated the 1st October 1830, confirmed the information given in Note 19, except that his service was then 26 years.
21 A Return of Persons belonging to the Civil Establishment of the Ordnance at the Gunpowder and Small Arms Manufactories at Waltham Abbey, Faversham and Enfield - showing in detail the several points of information called for by the Master General and Board's Order dated the 31st January, 1831 - recorded that Drayson was the Clerk of the Works at the Waltham and Enfield Manufactories, and was occasionally required at Faversham. He was paid £246.7.6d per annum and provided with a house. His duties were to carry out the orders of the Commanding Officer of the Royal Engineers, maintain accounts, official papers, stores and fixtures, as well as having to be acquainted with the machinery associated with the manufacture of gunpowder and small arms. This was in addition to the ordinary qualifications (duties) of a Clerk of Works, and he was required to perform the same duties at Faversham, by correspondence and occasional visits (WO54/575).
22 WO54/575 dated the 1st April 1831 updated his age and period of service in the October 1830 Return, with all other details remaining the same.
23 WO54/575 dated the 1st October 1831 confirmed his salary at £246.7.6d per annum, that he had served 27 years and was aged 55. His family details remained the same, i.e., he was married and had 13 children.
24 WO54/581 dated the 1st April 1832 updated his age and period of service in the October 1831 Return, all other details remaining unchanged.
25 WO54/581 dated the 1st October 1832, confirmed that he still earned £246.7.6d per annum. He had by then served 28 years and was 56.
26 According to the Return dated the 1st April 1833 (WO54/587) William was 56, and his service at that date was nearly 29 years.
27 WO54/587 dated the 1st October 1833, confirmed Drayson's basic details but updated his age and length of service.
28 WO54/593 dated the 1st January 1834, recorded that Mr. Drayson still earned a total of £246.7.6d per annum, that he was still entitled to a house, that he was now nearly 57, and that he had served for nearly 30 years.
29 Drayson's name did not appear in the Return for the 1st October 1834, and recorded that Henry Wright had been appointed as Clerk of Works (WO54/593) instead.
30 For further reading on the Drayson family, see The Faversham Gunpowder Register (1573-1840) by Godfrey & Arthur, and Waltham Abbey Gunpowder People by P. J. Huggins.
