Biography:
1. George Miller was first employed by the Board as an occasional Labourer in the Engineers' Department on the 29th July 1816, earning 2/4d per day . He was a 51-year-old married man without issue who lived in Waltham Abbey, and was trained as a Collar Maker. (WO54/520 dated the 28th February 1817).
2. WO54/524 dated 11th April 1818, confirmed he was still employed as a Labourer "Occasionally as required" and still paid 2/4d per day. This was also the case in 1819 (WO54/528 dated the 19th May 1819).
3. WO54/536 dated the 2nd April 1821 recorded that he was then aged 55, with his family details and terms of employment remaining unchanged. Lists of Properties owned by the Board dated 1821 and the 1825 Valuation, both recorded that Miller was living in a small cottage in Powder Mill Lane near its junction with High Bridge Street, possibly cottage No. 36.
4. In WO54/536 dated 31st December 1821, Miller was described as "Repairer of Hose and Band" and paid 4/6d per day. At that date he had nearly 6 years' service, was a married man aged 55, with no children who lived in Waltham Abbey. This document stated he had previously trained as a Sadler. Other documents said that he had trained as a Collar and Harness Maker. George lived in a property owned by the Board, with a small garden of 2 perches, which was listed as No. 36 in a "statement of monies due on the 31st December 1821" (Supply 5/232 dated 14th February 1822). For this he paid an annual rental of £5.4.0d. An analysis of the properties owned by the Board found that the cottage and its small garden was at the junction of West Street (High Bridge Street) and Powder Mill Lane, being part of Plot No. 61 on the Town Map in Appendix 1, and Miller and his wife continued to live there until the summer of 1833.
5. WO54/542 dated the 1st April 1823, recorded that he was paid 4/6d per day as a repairer of "hose and band" for 313 days, giving him an income of £70.8.6d for the year. Family and service details confirmed.
6. WO54/550 dated the 1st April 1825, confirmed that George was still paid 4/6d per day for 313 days as a Repairer of Hose and Band, giving him an annual income of £70.8.6d. His service was nearly 9 years, and he was aged 58, married, but had no children.
7. WO54/550 dated 13th October 1825, was a repeat of the record dated the 1st April 1825.
8. WO54/554 dated 1st April 1826, gave identical information as in Notes 6 and 7, except that he was then nearly 60 years' old with service of nearly 10 years.
9. WO54/554 dated the 1st October 1826 repeated the information given in the previous Return.
10 WO54/558 dated 1st April 1827, gave the same information as in the previous notes. However, at that date Mr. Miller had nearly 11 years' service and he was then 60.
11 WO54/558 dated 1st October 1827 had no basic alterations from the previous Return.
12 Return dated the 1st April 1828 (WO54/562) updated the same basic information as in the previous notes, except that Miller was then a widower.
13 Return dated the1st October 1828 (WO54/562) updated his age and length of service, with family details remaining the same as in Note 12.
14 WO54/566 dated the 1st April 1829 (WO54/566) confirmed that George at that date still earned the same as in Note 6. His length of service was given as nearly 13 years. and he was then over 62 years' old; all other information remained the same.
15 Return dated the 1st October 1829 (WO54/566) updated his age and length of service, with family and pay details remaining unchanged.
16 According to Return WO54/570 dated the 1st April 1830, all details remained the same for Mr. Miller as in Note 6, except that his service was then over 13 years and he was aged 63.
17 Return WO54/570 dated the 1st October 1830, confirmed that George was still a "repairer of hose and band", with family details and pay unchanged, but length of service and age were updated.
18 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 George Miller was the repairer of millbands, hose etc. at Waltham Abbey and Enfield, for which he was paid 4/6d per day. He was to work repairing millbands, hose, reels and fire engines, etc. in the Manufactory (WO54/575).
19 WO54/575 dated the 1st April 1831, updated his age and period of service in the October 1830 Return, with all other details remainining unaltered.
20 WO54/575 dated October 1831, confirmed that George still earned 4/6d per day as in Note 18, giving him a total of £70.8.6d per annum. He had served 15 years and was aged 65.
21 WO54/581 dated the 1st April 1832 updated his age and period of service in the October 1831 Return with all other details remain unchanged.
22 WO54/581 dated the 1st October 1832, confirmed that George still earned £70.8.6d per annum. He had by then served 16 years and was aged 66.
23 WO54/587 dated the 1st April 1833 confirmed the information given in Note 22, except that George had then served for over 16 years.
24 George Miller's name does not appear in the Return for October 1833 (WO54/587) since he retired on the 21st August 1833 and was given a pension, which he was still in receipt of in 1837 (Supply 5/237).
