Biography:
1. Edward Turnham was Apprenticed to Hugh Jones, the Master Mixer of Composition. He was a young man of 16 who lived in Waltham Abbey and earned 6/-d per week (Supply 5/231 dated the 25th June 1818).
2. A Return dated the 28th August 1818 (Supply 5/231) recorded the names of people to be retained between the 3rd September and the 31st December 1818, and Turnham's name was on the Return with his pay increased to 6/2d per week.
3. Supply 5/231 dated the 19th May 1819, confirmed that Turnham was still an Apprentice to the Master Mixer of Composition, that he was 17 years of age, and that he lived in Waltham Abbey and was paid 6/2d per week.
4. List of Employees dated the 13th September 1820 (Supply 5/232) recorded that Turnham was still an Apprentice but that his pay had increased to 6/4d per week.
5. List of Employees dated the 9th April 1821 (Supply 5/232) indicated that Edward was then 19, Apprenticed to the Master Worker and that his pay had increased to 6/8d per week.
6. List of Employees at the Royal Powder Mills (Supply 5/232 dated the 23rd January 1822) gave Edward's age as 19, and confirmed he was still an Apprentice with nearly 7 years' service, but then earned 7/-d per week.
7. Return showing the pay, allowances and length of service and every description of the persons in the pay and employ of the Ordnance at Waltham Abbey as at the 31st December 1821 (Supply 5/232 dated the 6th February 1822) appeared to be a more detailed, and probably more accurate, Return than that dated the 23rd January 1822. It recorded that Edward Turnham was appointed as an Apprentice to the Master Mixer on the 14th August, 1815 at Waltham, and then as a Gunpowder Maker. His total pay for the year amounted to £17.14.3d, he had nearly 7 years' service, he was aged 19 years and was a single man living in Waltham Abbey.
8. Return dated the 1st October 1822, giving the alterations made since the Return of the 1st April 1822 (Supply 5/233) recorded that Edward Turnham, Apprentice, having completed his Apprenticeship with the Master Mixer, had been discharged by the Board's order dated the 22nd May 1822.
9. Anthony Lambert was taken on as an Apprentice Cooper but discharged himself, possibly in September 1822. Edward Turnham was prepared to accept the same rates of pay granted to Lambert if he could fill this position (1/9d per day in the first year, 2/-d per day in the second year and when he could complete 6 powder-barrels a day, his pay would increase to 3/6d per day). The Board agreed to this and confirmed his appointment from the 1st October 1822 (Supply 5/204 dated the 27th December, 1822).
10 WO54/542 dated the the 1st April 1823, confirmed that Turnham was still a Cooper and that his pay for the year was £27.6.0d. His family and service details were also confirmed.
11 According to a document dated the 1st April 1823 (WO54/542 - Alteration in Return B), Edward Turnham had his pay increased to £27.6.0d per annum in accordance with the Board's Order dated the 27th December, 1822.
12 A Return dated the 1st October 1824 (WO54/546) recorded that Edward Turnham then earned £31.4.0d per annum as a Cooper. His period of service was given as nearly 9 years; he was aged 22 and was still single. He had originally trained as a Gunpowder Maker.
13. Return showing pay and allowances etc. dated the 1st October 1825 (Winters, pp.93-95) confirmed the previous information given and recorded that Edward had been appointed as a Cooper on the 27th December 1822. His pay at that date was £54.12.0d per annum.
14 WO54/550 dated the 1st April 1825, confirmed Turnham was still a Cooper and gave his pay as £54.12.0d per annum. This Return also confirmed his previous family and service details, which were repeated in WO54/550 dated the 1st October 1825 when he was employed in Cooper's work repairing barrels.
15 WO54/554 dated the 1st April 1826, confirmed the basic information given in WO54/550 dated the 1st October 1825 as did WO54/554 dated the 1st October 1826.
16 WO54/558 dated the 1st April 1827 recorded, "no alteration since the last report dated the 1st October 1826."
17 WO54/558 dated the 1st October 1827, gave the same information as in the previous notes. At that date Edward Turnham had nearly 5 years' service and he was then 24 years of age, married with no children.
18 Return dated the 1st April 1828 (WO54/562) gave similar information as in the notes above, with the exception that he had 1 child and had now served just over 5 years.
19 Return dated the1st October 1828 (WO54/562) updated his age and length of service, with family details and pay remaining unchanged.
20 Return dated the the 1st April 1829 (WO54/566) updated his age and length of service with family details and pay unaltered.
21 WO54/566 dated the 1st October 1829, stated that at that date Edward still earned £54.12.0d as recorded in Note 13. His length of service was given as just over 6 years, and he was then aged 25.
22 Return WO54/ 570 dated the 1st April 1830 updated his age and length of service, with his family and pay details remaining unchanged.
23 WO54/570 dated the 1st October 1830, recorded that Edward was then 26 years of age and stated that he had served just over 7 years. His pay was still the same as given in Note 21, and all other information remained the same.
24 According to Return WO54/575 dated the 1st April 1831, Edward was then 27 years of age and had served just over 8 years. He was still earning a total of £54.12.0d as indicated in the Return dated the 1st October 1825 (Note 13) some 6 years earlier. By this date he had two children.
25 WO54/545 dated the the 1st October 1831, updated his age and period of service in the April 1831 Return, with all other details remaining the same.
26 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.
27 WO54/581 dated the 1st October 1832, updated his age and period of service in the April 1832 Return, with all other details remaining unchanged.
28 WO54/587 dated the 1st April 1833, confirmed that at that date Edward was still earning £54.12.0d annually. His period of service was given as 11 years, and his age as 29.
29 WO54/587 dated the 1st October 1833, recorded that all details were the same as for the previous Return, except that Edward had served over 11 years and that he was 30 years of age.
30 WO54/593 dated the 1st April 1834, stated that although Edward was still employed as a Cooper, his basic pay had been cut to £45.12.6d per annum, . He still had 2 children, and his age and service details were updated.
31 WO54/593 dated the 1st October 1834 confirmed the information given in the Note above; he was now 32 years of age and had served nearly 12 years.
32 Return of Employees dated the 1st October 1839 (WO54/623) confirmed that Turnham was still employed as a Cooper with pay of £54.12.0d per annum. He was a 36-year-old married man with 3 children, with 17 years' service from the 27th December 1822.
33 Edward and his family moved into a cottage owned by the Board which had previously been occupied by John Simpson Junior, around 1839 or 1840. This cottage was one of a row known as "Bank Cottages".
34 The 1841 Census recorded that Edward, together with his wife, Charlotte, and their young family - a daughter, Mary, and two sons, Edward and John - lived on the north side of High Bridge Street. All the occupants were born in the County.
