Biography:
1. Clark Rook (Rooke), transferred from Faversham in October 1787 (Supply 5/212 dated the 27th November 1788). He had been working as a Labourer in the Corning House at Faversham, and on the 4th January 1788, he expressed a wish to be transferred from
Faversham to Waltham Abbey (Supply 5/113). He was still a Labourer in the Faversham Corning House when he transferred to Waltham Abbey on the 8th March 1788, and at Waltham his name was recorded as Rooke.
However, there seems to be some confusion as to where this man did actually come from, because on page 31of Winters' Centenary Memorial (published in 1887) it was recorded that on the 27th November 1788, Clark was a Millman lately employed by Mr Walton, from whom the Government purchased the Waltham Abbey Powder Mills.
2. A Return of Employees working in the Storekeeper's Department dated the 21st March 1789, recorded that Clark Rook was in the Corning House and was earning1/6d per day (Supply 5/212).
3. Rook(e) is 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" in Supply 5/213 dated the 18th April 1789.
4. In September 1789, Mr. Rook is described as "Corning gunpowder", and at that date he was 38 years of age (Supply 5/214). From March to September 1790, Rook was still working in the Corning House (Supply 5/215).
5. In December 1790, he, together with Sam Ellenthorpe, was recorded as "sick but receiving their pay." (Supply 5/215).
6. In April to June 1791, he was recorded as being "at the Corning Houses" (Supply 5/215).
7. On the 31st January 1792 (Supply 5/215) he was described as a "Millman" earning 2/-d per day, as was also the case in July to September 1792 (Supply 5/216 dated ther 31st July 1792), February 1793 (Supply 5/216 dated the 28th February, 1793), August to September 1793, January 1794 and August to December 1794 (all Supply 5/216).
8. A letter to the Board dated the 28th January 1795 (Supply 5/217) referred to the death of Clark Rooke and stated "we are sorry to inform your Honors that yesterday afternoon as the Millwright (Edward Jones) and several Labourers were endeavouring to disengage the water gates at the mill head from ice, a great quantity of water which came down was let off to prevent the several buildings from being overflowed; in these endeavours Clark Rooke one of our millmen fell into one of the Gully streams (which was very rapid) and carried him under the ice of the Tail Stream at the Refining House, when he was taken up and every endeavour used by the surgeons to restore him, but without effect."
9. In his Centenary Memorial (p.58), Winters recorded that on the 28th April 1796, the Board agreed to pay Rooke's widow 1/-d per day from his death.
