WAPP - Waltham Abbey Personnel Project

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Biography:

1. William Bave joined the Engineers' Department as a Labourer sometime between April and October 1829; he was a 29-year-old married man with 3 children. His pay was 2/2d per day, giving him an annual wage of £33.18.2d (WO54/566 dated the 1st October 1829). 2. According to Return WO54/570 dated the 1st April 1830, all details remained the same for Willian as in Note 1, except that his service was then 1 year. 3. Return WO54/570 dated the 1st October 1830, confirmed that William was still working as a Labourer, with family details and wages unchanged, but length of service and age updated. 4. 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, showed in detail the several points of information called for by the Master General and Board's Order dated the 31st January 1831. It recorded that William Bave was one of the 15 Labourers to be employed at the Waltham Abbey Powder Mills and the Enfield Small Arms Factory. He was to be paid 2/2d per day and employed to undertake different services as a Labourer in the Manufactories, where steadiness and sobriety were particuliary required (WO54/575). 5. WO54/575 dated April 1831, updated his age and period of service in the October 1830 Return, with all other details remaining unchanged. 6. WO54/575 dated October 1831 confirmed that William still earned 2/2d per day as indicated previously, giving him a total of £33.18.2d per annum. He was then 31, and his family details remained the same. 7. WO54/587 dated the 1st April 1833, confirmed the information given in Note 6, except that he was then aged 32 and had served 4 years. 8. WO54/587 dated the 1st October 1833 recorded that William Bave was transferred from the Engineers' Department to the Manufactory on the 15th July 1833, replacing Charles Clayden as a General Labourer. He was paid £33.16.0d per annum and allowed to watch in turn, which gave him a total wage of £39 per annum. This document also stated that he started work in the Engineers' Department on the 26th May 1828. General details were the same as the previous Return, except that William had then served 5 years and was 33 years of age. He was a married man, and at that date had 5 children. 9. WO54/593 dated the 1st April 1834, recorded that although William was still employed as a General Labourer within the Manufactory, his basic wage had been cut to £28.5.6d per annum. He was still allowed to watch in turn, which increased the annual wage to £33.9.6d. He still had 5 children and his age and service details had been updated, 10 WO54/593 dated the 1st October 1834, confirmed the information given in the note above; he was then 35 years' old and had served just over 6 years.