Biography:
1. John Lockyer, Senior, had been transferred from Faversham as Foreman of the Brimstone Refining House, possibly in 1805. He had then been with the Ordnance for some 14 years, having started work in September 1792. His pay was 4/-d per day. (Supply 5/224 dated the 30th January 1806). See below for details and dates, and see also, "The Faversham Gunpowder Mills", p.57.
2. John petitioned the Board in January 1805, pointing out that he came to Waltham Abbey from Faversham, and that since he had taken over refining Brimstone following Mr Townsend's death, production costs using the methods employed at Faversham had fallen, and he now asked the Board for financial recognition. The Board agreed to increase his pay to 5/-d per day. He was still in same position and receiving the same pay on the 18th June 1807 (Supply 5/226).
3. Lockyer Snr. petitioned the Board again on the 5th May 1808 to be allowed an Apprentice, the same as the Master Brimstone Refiner at Faversham (Supply 5/198 dated 5th May 1808) which was agreed on the 23rd May 1808. The conditions and rates of pay for the Master and the Apprentice were clearly laid out in a letter dated 5th August 1808 (Supply 5/198).
4. According to the entry on Supply 5/227 dated the 23rd August 1808, Mr. Lockyer then earned 5/-d. per day. He also received an allowance of 6/-d per week for training an Apprentice, who so happened to be his son, John Junior.
5. The details given in Note 4 are confirmed by Supply 5/228 dated the 1st September 1810.
6. According to a Return dated the 29th August 1812 (Supply 5/229) Mr. Lockyer, Snr, now earned 6/4d per day as the Master Refiner of Brimstone. This was also the case in 1814 (Supply 5/230 dated the 13th February 1814).
7. In a letter dated 6th September 1814 (Supply 5/230) Lockyer stated that his son and Apprentice, John Lockyer, junior, had served the legal time of his Apprenticeship, and humbly solicited The Honourable Board to grant him another Apprentice. Messrs. Matthews, Breeze and Wright confirmed in a letter that the facts were as stated, and requested the Board direct the Assistant to the Ordnance Solicitor to prepare the usual kind of Indentures for Apprenticing a Thomas Martin, Junior, son of Thomas Martin, senior, to be Mr. Lockyer's new Apprentice. Master Thomas Martin, junior was described therein as "a stout lad about thirteen years' old."
8. Returns dated the 25th June 1818 (Supply 5/231 and WO54/524) confirmed that Mr. Lockyer was a Master Refiner of Brimstone aged 49, who resided in Waltham Abbey and was married, with one child. He earned 5/10d per day with no other allowances.
9. A List 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. Lockyer's name was included, with pay of 5/10d per day.
10 According to the Return dated 19th May 1819 (Supply 5/231) Mr. Lockyer, Snr. was still a Master Refiner of Brimstone, then aged 50, with all the other information given in Note 8 remaining the same; he still trained an Apprentice.
11 List of Employees dated the 13th September 1820 (Supply 5/232) updated the above entry, with the basic details on pay, etc. remaining unchanged. He was allowed 7/-d per week to train an Apprentice.
12 Return dated the 9th April 1821 (Supply 5/232) confirmed that Mr. Lockyer was still a Master Refiner of Brimstone recording that he was then aged 51, was married and had one child. He resided in Waltham Abbey, and his pay was confirmed atl 5/10d per day.
13 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 1820, showing the amounts received by the storekeeper" (Supply 5/232) recorded that John Lockyer was living in a house purchased by the Board of Ordnance - Tenement No 38 - with a rent of £5.4.0d per annum. The property, together with its small garden, has been identified as being one of a terrace of tenements in Powder Mill Lane (part of Property 714 on the 1825 Waltham Abbey Town Map or Plot 1434 on the 1842 Tithe Map). Similar information was repeated in Supply 5/232 dated 16th Feb 1822 for the year 1821, except that then his tenement number was shown as 37. This may possibly be because John Archer had moved and his tenement was left empty.
14 List of Employees in January 1822 (Supply 5/232 dated the the 26th January, 1822) gave John Lockyer's age as 52, and recorded that he had 29 years' service and that his pay per day as Master Refiner of Brimstone was 5/10d.
15 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 recorded that John Lockyer, Master Refiner of Brimstone, was appointed on the 5 May 1792 as a Labourer at Faversham, then appointed Master Brimstone Refiner at Waltham on the 4th September 1818. His total pay for the year, including an allowance of £21.13.5d for an Apprentice, amounted to £112.19.3d. His service was given as nearly 30 years, and he was aged 52, married, with one child. He lived in Waltham Abbey.
16 List dated the 21st March 1822 of persons to be retained 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 Lockyer, Master Refiner of Brimstone (Supply 5/232)
17 WO54/542 dated the 1st April 1823, confirmed Lockyer's pay as £91.5.10d per annum, and recorded that he no longer had an allowance for training an Apprentice. His family and service details were unchanged, and it also confirmed he was trained as a Brimstone Refiner.
18 WO54/546 dated the 1st October 1824, included John Lockyer Senior and confirmed that he was appointed Master Refiner of Brimstone on the 4th September, 1818. His pay was given as £91.5.10d per annum, with no allowances. By then he had just over 32 years' service, was aged 55 and was married with one child. WO54/550 dated the 1st April 1825 confirmed his pay and previous family and service details..
19 Return dated October 1st 1825 (Winters, pp.93-95) confirmed previous information, and recorded that Lockyer's service had been continuous since 1792. This information was also confirmed in Return WO54/550 of that date, giving his service as 33 years, and his age as 55.
20 WO54/554 dated the 1st April 1826, confirmed the basic information given in WO54/550 dated the 1st October 1825, and WO54/554 dated the 1st October 1826, confirmed the information given in WO54/554 dated 1st April 1826.
21 WO54/558 dated the 1st April 1827, recorded "no alteration since the last report dated the 1st October 1826."
22 WO54/558 dated the 1st October 1827, gave the same information as in the previous notes. At that date, however, John Lockyer had just over 35 years' service and was then 57.
23 Return dated the 1st April 1828 (WO54/562) gave the same information as previously recorded, except that Mr. Lockyer, Sr. had now served nearly 36 years.
24 Return dated the1st October 1828 (WO54/562) updated his age and length of service, with family details and pay remaining unchanged.
25 Return dated the 1st April 1829 (WO54/566) recorded that John Lockyer, the Master Refiner, had died and had been replaced by James O'Brien.
26 Winters (p.101) recorded that John Lockyer, Master Brimstone Refiner, had died on the 10th January 1829, aged 59.
