Biography:
1. Thomas Sadd was employed as a Cooper at 2/6d per day, but was not allowed to watch (Supply 5/228 dated the 1st September 1810).
2. Mr. Sadd was still employed as a Cooper in August 1812, but by then his pay had increased to 4/-d per day (Supply 5/229 dated the 29th August 1812). On the 13th February 1814, his pay was given as 4/6d per day, but he was still not allowed to watch (Supply 5/230).
3. List of Employees dated the 25th June 1818 (Supply 5/231) confirmed that Thomas Sadd was still a Cooper and a single man, aged 23, who lived in Waltham Abbey; at that date he earned 4/-d per day, but was not allowed to watch.
4. Supply 5/231 dated the 28th August 1818, recorded the names of people who were to be retained between the 3rd September and the 31st December 1818. Thomas Sadd's name was on the list, with his pay reduced to 3/-d per day.
5. List of Employees dated the 19th May 1819 (Supply 5/523) confirmed Sadd was still employed as a Cooper, and that he was still a bachelor, then aged 24; he still lived in Waltham Abbey and was then paid 3/6d per day.
6. List of Officers on Employment dated the 13th September 1820 (Supplyly 5/232) recorded that Thomas was then 25, that he was still single and lived in Waltham Abbey. He then earned only 2/4d per day, but was in receipt of 1/6d per night when allowed to watch.
7. List of Employees dated the 9th April 1821 (Supply 5/232) recorded that Thomas was now 26, still single and living in Waltham Abbey. He was a Cooper with his wage restored to
3/-d per day, but he was not allowed to watch
8. List of Employees at the Royal Powder Mills (Supply 5/232 dated the 23rd January 1822) gave Sadd's age as 27, with 13 years' service and pay per day of 2/4d.
9. Return dated the 6th February 1822 (Supply 5/232) recorded the length of service and other full details of persons employed by the Ordnance at Waltham Abbey as at the 31st December 1821. Thomas Sadd was appointed a Cooper at Waltham Abbey on the 13th July, 1809, and confirmed as such by the Board's Order dated the 4th September 1812. He had an annual income of £54.13.6d, and had originally been trained as a Cooper. He had served nearly 12 years, lived at Waltham Abbey, and was then married but had no children.
10 List dated the 21st March 1822 (Supply 5/232) of persons to form an establishment at Waltham Abbey to regenerate 2000 barrels of gunpowder as well as to make 100 or 200 barrels of gunpowder annually, recorded that Thomas Sadd, Cooper, was to be retained.
11 List of Employees dated the 1st October 1822 (Supply 5/233) recorded that Thomas then had one child.
12 Return showing pay and allowances, etc., dated the 1st October 1825 (Winters, pp.93-95) confirmed previous information given and recorded that he had been in continuous service with the Board since the 13th July 1809. His pay was £54.12.0d. per annum.
13 WO54/542 dated the 1st April 1823, recorded that Sadd's pay for the year was £54.12.0d and that his family and service details remained unchanged.
14 According to the Return dated the 1st October 1824 (WO54/546) Mr. Sadd still earned £54.12.0d per annum. His service was given as nearly 14 years, he was aged 29 and was married with 1 child.
15 WO54/550 dated the 1st April 1825, confirmed that Sadd was still a Cooper and that his pay was £54.12.0d per annum. This Return also confirmed his previous family and service details, and all of these details were repeated in WO54/550 dated the 1st October 1825, wherein it was also stated that Thomas was employed in Cooper's work repairing barrels.
On the 10th July 1825, he was admitted to a cottage and 6 perches of land owned by the Board on the south side of High Bridge Street previously occupied by John Braddock. The annual rent was £5.4.0d (Supply 5/237).
16 WO54/554 dated the 1st April 1826 confirmed the basic information given in WO54/550 dated the 1st October 1825, and WO54/554 dated the 1st October 1826, confirmed his start date as the13th July 1809.
17 WO54/558 dated the 1st April 1827 recorded "no alteration since the last report dated the 1st October 1826" except that he then had 2 children.
18 WO54/558 dated the 1st October 1827 gave the same information as in the notes above. At that date Sadd had nearly 17 years' service and he was then 31 years of age.
19 Return dated the 1st April 1828 (WO54/562) gave the same information as in the previous notes, except that he had then served for over 17 years.
20 Return dated the1st October 1828 (WO54/562) updated his age and length of service, with family details and pay remaining unchanged.
21 Return dated the 1st April 1829 (WO54/566) also updated his age and length of service with family details and pay unchanged.
22 WO54/566 dated the 1st October 1829 stated that at that date Mr. Sadd earned £62.12.0d per annum. His length of service was given as nearly 19 years and his age as 32.
23 Return WO54/ 570 dated the 1st April 1830 updated his age and length of service, again with family and pay details remaining unchanged.
24 WO54/570 dated the 1st October 1830 recorded that Thomas was then 33 and that he had served for nearly 20 years. His pay was still the same as in Note 22, and all other information remained the same.
25 According to the Return WO54/575 dated the 1st April 1831, Thomas was 35 and he had served for over 20 years. He was still earned a total of £62.12.0d.
26 WO54/545 dated the 1st October 1831 updated his age and period of service in the April 1831 Return, with all other details remaining unchanged.
27 WO54/581 dated the 1st April 1832 updated his age and period of service in the October 1831 Return with all other details remaining unchanged.
28 WO54/581 dated the 1st October 1832 updated his age and period of service in the April 1832 Return, all other details remaining the same.
29 WO54/587 dated the 1st April 1833 confirmed that at that date Thomas was still earning the same £62.12.0d annually. His period of service was given as nearly 24 years, and his age as 37.
30 WO54/587 dated the 1st October 1833 confirmed that details previously given were the same, except that Thomas had served 24 years at that date and that he was 38.
31 WO54/593 dated the 1st April 1834 recorded that although Thomas was still employed as a Cooper, his basic pay had been cut to £52.4.0d per annum. His age was updated, but this Return stated that he only had one child.
32 Sadd was appointed Master Mixer on the 5th September 1834, and Master Worker on the 22nd October 1838 (WO54/623).
33 WO54/593 dated 1st October 1834 confirmed the information given in the note above; however, he was then 39 and had served 25 years.
34 A List of Properties owned by the Board prepared by the Office of the Royal Engineers on the 20th December 1834, recorded that Samuel Knowler's house, which was in Powder Mill Lane, was to be let to Mr. Sadd, the Master Mixer, with effect from the 7th November 1834. The cottage Sadd had occupied in High Bridge Street South was then to be let as an office to Lt. Col. Moody at the same rent of 2/-d per week (Supply 5/237).
35 Return of Staff dated 1st April 1839 (WO54/623) confirmed dates of appointments, etc. as before. His pay in this Return was given as £120 per annum. He was provided with a house, had nearly 30 years'service, was 43 years old, a widower, and this Return confirmed he had 1 child.
36 On the 16th April 1836 "two Mills exploded when shut up and not at work". Thomas Sadd, Master Mixer was called before Lt.Col. Moody as a witness (Winters, p.103).
37 Hugh Jones, the Master Worker, retired on the 20th October 1838, and Thomas Sadd was appointed to replace him (Winters, p.104). Once he had become the Master Worker, two cottages were to be converted back into one house for his use, forming Plot No. 96 on the Town Map in Appendix 1.
38 On the 1st July 1840, Sadd was examined by James Wright, the deputy Storekeeper,concerning the house once occupied by Mr. Newton, who had been the Master Worker at Waltham Abbey for many years. The house on Horse Mill Island where Newton lived had originally been a stable, but as Mr. Newton's house at Newton's pond was falling down, the stable was fitted up as a dwelling house. When Newton died in February 1825, his house was converted into two dwellings. Hugh Jones, the late Master Worker, preferred to live in a house more convenient for his duty and preferred the quarters he occupied as the Master Mixer. This arrangement was approved of and so these matters remained for 15 years. Since Thomas Sadd was the Master Worker, the two cottages were to be converted back into one house for his use.
39 The 1841 census shows that Thomas was aged 45 and living with his 15-year-old daughter, Mary, in the "marsh" next to David Wilkie; this immediately places him on Horse Mill Island, living in the house built for William Newton.
40. On the 13th April 1843, some 40 barrels of gunpowder exploded in the Corning House together with another 20 in the Press House. Seven men were killed and much damage was caused in the town. Among those killed was Thomas Sadd, the Master Worker, aged 47 (Winters p.106).
41. A graphic description of the explosion and damage caused, etc. was given in the London Illustrated News dated Saturday, the 22nd April, 1843 (WAAC). All the documents catologued under WAAC confrm that Thomas left a widow and one child which indicated that he had remarried.
