Biography:
1. Henry Myres was a Warder at the 13th February 1814, earning 2/8d per day and allowed to act as a Rounder at 2/6d every third night (Supply 5/230 dated the 13th February 1814).
2. List of Employees dated the 25th June 1818 (Supply 5/231) confirmed that Henry was still a Warder; he was a married man, aged 34, with no children, who lived in Waltham Abbey, and this Return stated that he earned only 2/4d per day.
3. Supply 5/231 dated the 28th August 1818, showed the names of people to be retained between the 3rd September and the 31st December 1818. Mr. Myres' name was included, and this Return recorded that he was the Warder at the Lower Island. His pay remained unchanged.
4. List of employees dated the 19th May 1819 (Supply 5/231) confirmed that Myers was still employed as a Warder at Lower Island, that he was a married man of 35 with no children, living in Waltham Abbey and paid 2/4d per day.
5. Return dated 13th September 1820 (Supply 5/232) recorded that Henry at that date was 36, and confirmed that he was married with no children, and still lived in Waltham Abbey. Allthough earning 2/4d per day as a Warder, he was now in receipt of 1/6d per night when allowed to watch.
6. List of Employees dated 9th April 1821 (Supply 5/232) recorded that Henry was then 37, with all other details as given in Note 5. He lived in the Watch House which is marked as Plot No. 16 on the Town Map shown in Appendix 1.
7. Supply 5/232 dated 23rd January 1822 gave the age of Henry, Warder, as 37, with nearly 12 years' service and and pay per day of only 2/-d.
8. In the spring of 1822, the Ordnance Board decided to reduce the production and regeneration of gunpowder, and the Establishment at Waltham was to be smaller. Accordingly, Empson Middleton and James Wright drew up a list of people to be dismissed (Supply 5/232 dated the the 21st March, 1822) and they were subsequently dismissed on the 1st of June that year. Several Petitions were submitted by the men asking for financial assistance; many were long-service employees in their middle age, and they pointed out that they had little hope of finding employment after the hay and corn harvest had been gathered. The Storekeeper was sympathetic, and forwarded their Petitions to the Board for their consideration. Henry Myers was one of the Petitioners, and he was awarded two weeks' pay to ease his financial burden.
