Biography:
1. George Pittendrigh, Snr. was described as "cutting and planting willow trees, cutting of canal at the new Corning House, removing earth to the Store, unloading barge of coals & charring wood." for which he was paid 2/-d per day (Supply 5/213 dated the 18th April 1789).
Supply 5/214 dated September 1789, recorded that he was 40 and employed as a Millman. He served in the Artillery from the 8th May 1776 to 21st April 1783, and on the 1st March 1788, he joined the labour force at Waltham Abbey, but was then secondedas a Labourer to the Mills at Faversham until January 1789 (Supply5/70). He returned to Waltham Abbey as a Labourer on the 1st February 1789 (Supply 5/217).
2. Working as a Millman in March 1790, he was being paid 2/-d per day (Supply 5/214).
3. A letter dated the 22nd May 1790 from the Storekeeper and Clerk of the Cheque to the Board, described how, between the hours of 10 and 11 o'clock, the two Hoppit Mills blew up. The Millman, George Pittendrigh, had just laid a fresh composition on the beds and was drawing water, and the runners had "scarce made two revolutions when the Lower Mill went off which communicated to the other." The letter went on to say that the Mills were very old and decayed and the fire had "great hold on them and that much damage was done." (WASC 475).
4. George was still working as a Millman in 1791, as well as at the 31st Jauary 1792 (Supply 5/215). This was also the case in July 1792 to February 1793 (Supply 5/216 dated the 28th February 1793). During this period, he was still being paid 2/-d per day.
5. He was promoted to Labour Foreman on the 1st July 1793, "Superintending in different parts of the Manufactory, drawing & setting stoves and weighing powder, etc." (Note on Supply 5/217 dated the 24th June 1793).
6. Pittendrigh joined the Volunteer Company on the 7th May 1794 (Supply 5/219), and was made a Sergeant by 1798 (Supply 5/219 dated September 1798).
7. A signed document, Supply 5/220 of the 2nd February 1800 relating to a Petition on Pay, showed that he was literate and was still the Foreman of Labour.
8. Report dated the 8th May 1801 (Supply 5/221) confirmed that he was still the Labour Foreman and that he was a married man with 6 children.
9. A Return of Artificers and Labourers dated the 3rd November 1801 (Supply 5/221) recorded that he was superintending the Millmen and Labourers, cleansing and deepening the river, canal and ditches,and performing other necessary work.
10 In March 1805, he was described as the Foreman of Manufacturing at £1.6.0d per week (Supply 5/224).
11 In the List of Foreman Artificers and Labourers Employed dated the 30th January 1806 (Supply 5/224) he was described as a Foreman of Manufactuary earning 5/-d per day, and he had been employed with the Ordnance for 17 years. He was still in same position and receiving the same pay in June 1807 (Supply 5/226).
12 According to Supply 5/227 dated the 23rd August 1808, Mr. Pittendrigh was employed as a Master Mixer of Composition, still earning 5/-d. per day. He was also allowed 6/-d per week to train an Apprentice, who in August 1808, was William Alsup (Supply 5/227 dated the 23rd August 1808).
13 Supply 5/228 dated the 1st September 1810, recorded that he was allowed a house, was paid the same and retained the right to train an Apprentice
14 Return dated the 29th August 1812, recorded that Mr. Pittendrigh earned 6/4d per day in his capacity of Assistant Master Worker, in addition to being allowed a house and the right to train an Apprentince (Supply 5/229). This was also the case in 1814 (Supply 5/230 dated the 13th February 1814)
15 Lists of Officers & Others Employed dated the 25th June 1818 (Supply 5/231 and WO54/524) confirmed that Mr. Pittendrigh was an Assistant Master Worker, aged 68, who resided in Waltham Abbey and was married with 5 children. He then earned 5/10d per day with an allowance of £15.12.0d d per annum in respect of an Apprentice. He also had a house owned by the Board.
16 According to the List of Officers and Other Persons in the Employ and Pay dated 19th May 1819 (Supply 5/231) George Pittendrigh was still the Assistant Master Worker, aged 69, with all the other information given in previous notes remaining the same. This Return, however, made no mention of an annual allowance in respect of an Apprentice.
17 List of employees dated the 13th September 1820 (Supply 5/232) updated the previous entry, with the basic details on pay, etc. remaining unchanged; he was allowed 7/-d per week to train an apprentice.
18 A statement dated the 4th April 1821 "of monies to which the public were entitled to receive credit between the 1st January and the 31st December, 1821, shewing the amounts received by the storekeeper" (Supply 5/232) recorded that George Pittendrigh, Assistant Master Worker, was living rent-free in a Board of Ordnance house from the 28th February 1812. The same information was repeated in Supply 5/232 dated the 16th February 1822 for the year 1821.
19 List of Officers and other Persons Employed dated the 9th April 1821 (Supply 5/232) confirmed that George was still the Assistant Master Worker, that he was then aged 71, was married and had 5 children, and that he resided in Waltham Abbey. His pay was still 5/10d per day and he was allowed a house. The house has been identified as part of Plot No. 62 on the Town Map in Appendix 1.
20 Empson Middleton, the Storekeeper at Waltham Abbey, wrote to the Board of Ordnance on the 15th September 1821, requesting that George Pittendrigh, Assistant Master Worker, be granted a pension. He had served the Board for 32 years, and was in a very ill state of health with Consumption. The Board agreed in their letter of the 16th November 1821 that he should receive a superanuated sum of £31.19.0d per annum (Supply 5/203).
21 A document dated 6th December 1821 (Supply 5/232) gave the estimated pay of persons between the 1st January and 31st December 1822, along with their superannuated allowance, as well as "the allowance to widows and orphans of those who have lost their lives at this place". It confirmed that Mr. Pittendrigh was in receipt of £31.19.0d superannuation per annum. A similar document, Supply 5/232 dated the 28th December 1821, recorded that the same pension would be paid in 1822, and Winters confirmed that this was also the case in 1826 (p.95).
