Biography:
1. Thomas Pallet was a Labourer set to work by Daniel Cornish in October 1787 at 9/-d per week, possibly renovating the Mills following their purchase from Mr. Walton by the Government (Winters, p.29). Pallet had started work on the 10th August 1789 as a Labourer in the Refining House, and was paid 1/6d per day (Supply 5/213 dated the 22nd August, 1789). Supply 5/214 dated September 1789, recorded that he was 23 years' old and was employed as a Labourer refining Saltpetre. A furher Report on Personnel Working in the Storekeeper's Department dated the 27th March1790 (Supply 5/214) confirmed Thomas was refining Saltpetre under John Baker.
2. A footnote to Supply 5/215 dated the 14th August 1790, recorded that he had been "bagging alder wood in the country," but that he had then returned to the Refining House.
3. He was refining Saltpetre in July to September 1792 (Supply 5/216) and was still in the Refining House in January 1792 and February 1793 (Supply 5/216 dated the 28th February, 1793) and August 1793 to January 1794 (Supply 5/216), as well as in August 1794 to December 1794 (Supply 5/216 and Supply 5/217).
4. Pallet enlisted as a Private in the Voluntary Company on the 7th May 1794 (Supply 5/219 dated September 1798).
5. A signed document, Supply 5/220 dated the 2nd February 1800 relating to a Petition on Pay, showed that he was illiterate and was still working as a Refining House Labourer.
6. A Report dated the 8th May 1801 (Supply 5/221) confirmed he was working as a Labourer, was married and had 6 children. Note: In this document, anyone not an Artificer, was described as a Labourer.
7. On the 23rd October 1801, Robert Coleman recorded in his Minute Book that 24 men were required to work at Faversham or be discharged. Thomas Pallet was one of these men, but the Storekeeper, J. Wright, intervened, and stated that as Pallet was very ill and had 5 young children, he should be allowed to stay at Waltham (Winters, p.60).
8. A Return of Artificers & Labourers dated the 3rd November 1801 (Supply 5/221) confirmed that he was still employed as a Refining Labourer, but " having been employed in cleansing the river etc. but have taken cold and are now very unwell, when recovered may be employed as before."
9. Pallet was still working as a Refining Labourer with pay then at 2/-d per day, and, in line with all Refiners, received an additional allowance of 1/-d per night when it was their turn to watch - on average every 5th night (Supply 5/222 dated the 8th May 1804).
10 Supply 5/224 dated the 30th January 1806, confirmed he was still a Saltpetre Refiner, and that he was still paid 2/-d per day. At that date he had 16 years' service.
11 On the 22nd April 1806, the Board purchased 13 houses in West Street (High Bridge Street) and Powder Mill Lane and one of the sitting tenants was a Thomas Pallet (WO44/681a). As mentioned above, Thomas was a sick man, and this was the last entry found in the records relating to him. Possibly he had died, since by an Order dated the 13th June 1808, a William Pallet was admitted as a tenant to a cottage in Powder Mill Lane (Supply 5/232) and may have been his son who would have been 15 or 16 at the time. The same information was repeated in a similar Return made the following year. The cottage with its small garden has been identified as part of a terrace located in Powder Mill Lane, forming part of Plot No.?????????????????on the 1826 Crawter's Map of 1826.
