Biography:
1. Thomas Mold was a 15-year-old Waltham Abbey lad who started as an Apprentice to the Master Millwright on the 5th January 1814 at 6/-d per week. In 1817 and 1818 (WO54/520 and WO54/524 respectively) his pay was given as 6/4d per week, and WO54/528 dated the 19th May 1819, recorded that his pay had been increased to 6/8d per week.
2. WO54/532 dated the 13th September 1820, stated that Thomas was Apprenticed to the Master Millwright. He was then 19, still lived in Waltham Abbey, and this Return stated that he was single, and gave his pay as 7/-d per week. WO54/536 dated the 2nd April 1821, recorded that he was aged 20 and that his Terms of Employment, etc. remained unchanged.
3. WO54/542 dated the 1st April 1823 (Personnel Employed in the Engineers' Department) recorded that he earned 4/1d per day as a Carpenter for 313 days, giving him an income of £63.18.1d for the year. His appointment as a Carpenter on the Establishment dated from
the 8th March 1822, and in April 1823 he was still a single man. (Note: there are several examples in the records where a man trained as a Millwright was subsequently employed as a Carpenter).
4. WO54/550 dated the 1st April 1825 confirmed that Thomas was still paid 4/1d per day for 313 days as a Carpenter. His service was given as 10 years, and he was then aged 25 and still unmarried.
5. WO54/550 dated the 1st October 1825, confirmed the previous entry.
6. WO54/554 dated 1st April 1826 gave identical information as in Notes 5 and 6, except that he was then 26, with service of 11 years; he had also married and had 1 child.
7. WO54/554 dated the 1st October 1826, recorded that Thomas was a widower, having lost both wife and child.
8. WO54/558 dated 1st April 1827 confirmed the information given previously. However, at that date, Mr. Mold had 12 years' service and was aged 27.
9. WO54/558 dated 1st October 1827, contained no basic alterations from the previous Return.
10 Return dated the 1st April 1828 (WO54/562) updated the same basic information as given in the previous notes.
11 Return dated 1st October 1829 (WO54/566) updated his age and length of service, with family and pay details remaining unchanged.
12 According to Return WO54/570 dated the 1st April 1830, all details remained the same for Thomas, except that his service was then 15 years and he was aged 30.
13 Return WO54/570 dated the 1st October 1830, confirmed that Thomas was still a Carpenter.
14 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 Thomas Mold was one of the 7 Carpenters to be employed at Waltham Abbey Powder Mills and the Enfield Small Arms Factory. He was to be paid 4/1d per day, and required to undertake general services as a Carpenter in the Manufactory, which required great care, attention and sobriety, etc. (WIO54/575).
15 WO54/575 dated the 1st April 1831 updated his age and period of service in the October 1830 Return, with all other details remaining unchanged except that he had married for a second time.
16 WO54/575 dated October 1831, confirmed that Thomas still earned 4/1d per day, giving him a total of £63.18.1d per annum. He had then served for over 16 years and was aged just over 31.
17 WO54/587 dated the 1st April 1833 stated that Thomas was then 33 years of age, and had served for 18 years. Although trained as a Millwright, he was then a Labourer earning 2/2d per day for 313 days, giving him an annual total of £33.18.2d. This Return also recorded that he still had one child.
18 WO54/587 dated the 1st October 1833, confirmed that Thomas's basic details remained unchanged, but his age and length of service were updated.
19 WO54/593 dated 1st April 1834, recorded that Thomas still earned £33.18.2d per annum, that he had served 19 years and that his age was 34. According to this Return, he then had two children.
20 In 1839, he was a Labourer who was paid 2/2d per day, with an estimated annual income of £33.18.2d. He was a 39-year-old married man, then with 3 children, living in Waltham Abbey. At that date he had over 18 years' service (WO54/623 dated the 1st October 1839).
21 A transcript or the 1841 Census recorded that Thomas Mold, a Carpenter, and his wife, Hester (40) lived in Baker's Entry with their 9-year-old son, William. Mold's wife, Hester, was not born in Essex.
