Biography:
1. Benjamin Wall (Snr.) started work as a general Labourer on the 1st April 1789, earning 1/6d per day. He worked in the Dusting House and was also "cutting and planting willow trees, cutting of the new canal at the Corning House, removing earth to the store, unloading barge of coals and charring wood" (Supply 5/213 dated 18th April 1789).
2. Supply 5/214 dated September 1789, recorded that he was 41 years' old and was dusting and glazing the powder.
3. Benjamin was working in the Corning House in March 1790 (Supply 5/214 dated the 1st March 1790), April to December 1790 (Supply 5/215), April to June 1791 (Supply 5/215) and throughout 1792, 1793 and 1794 (Supply 5/215 of the 31st January 1792, Supply 5/216 dated the 31st July 1792, Supply 5/216 dated the 28th February 1793, Supply 5/216 dated the 31st August 1793, Supply 5/216 dated the 31st August 1794 and Supply 5/217 dated the 31st December 1794).
4. In Supply 5/219 dated September 1798, it was stated that Wall was a Private in the Volunteer Company, having joined on the 7th May 1794. He was then shown as "foreman o/c Corning House & rounder."
5. A signed document, Supply 5/220 of the 2nd February 1800 relating to a Petition on Pay, recorded that he was illiterate, still working as a Foreman in the Corning House and was a Rounder. He was still being paid 1/6d per day.
6. In a letter dated 23rd June 1801 (Supply 5/195) it was stated that the writer had "the Board's commands to transmit to you on the other side hereof a list of the men who have been burnt and otherwise hurt by the fire which lately destroyed (16th June 1801) the Corning House at Waltham Abbey; and I am to desire the storekeeper will pay the men all their pay until they are recovered." Benjamin's name was included therein.
7. The list dated also stated, "we beg to represent the situation of the poor men who were burnt when the Corning House took fire 16th instant while under repair." It further recorded that Mr. Wall and two others were "Burnt so as to prevent them working, but they may soon be well." and, "Our surgeon has represented the necessity of the men most burnt having immediate assistance in wine, as a considerable Suppuration is come on their constitutions. They cannot Support it without wine, and we have directed wine to be immediately provided to them, and request your permission for our continuing to Supply these poor men with such wine or other proper Support as their surgeon may think their respective situations require."
8. Winters in his book "Centenary Memorial" made it clear that the men were employed in repairing the Corning House which blew up on the 18th April 1801, and that the fire was caused "from the blow of a copper hammer on pit wheel."
9. Benjamin appeared to have recovered from his burns, since a Return of Artificers and Labourers dated the 3rd November 1801 (Supply 5/221) recorded that he was employed as a Labourer and was cleaning and deepening the river and canals, and performing sundry other necessary work.
10 Benjamin was Foreman at the Corning House in 1804, and was then paid 2/4d per day (Supply 5/222 dated the 8th May 1804). He was also receiving an allowance of 1/6d every third night for "rounding." Supply 5/223 dated the 28th March 1805 recorded his pay as being 16/8d per week.
11 In March 1805, he was still Foreman at the Corning House, and in addition to his weekly pay of 16/8d, he was given an allowance of 6/-d per month, with a further payment of 1/6d every third night for Rounding.
12 Wall was still a Foreman in January 1806 (Supply 5/224) with 16 years' service, which differentiates him from his son.
13 In June 1807, he was described as Working Foreman of Corning Houses with pay of 2/6d per day, and was allowed 1/6d every third night as a Rounder to superintend the Millmen who were on duty, as well as the Watchmen (Supply 5/226 dated the 18th June 1807). This was also the case in August 1808 (Supply 5/227).
14 Benjamin was still one of the Corning House Foremen, then with pay of 3/-d. per day, and he was allowed 2/-d every third night as a Rounder (Supply 5/228 dated the 1st September 1810).
15 List of Employees dated 29th August 1812 (Supply 5/229) confirmed that Mr. Wall was still a Foreman of Corning Houses, but that he then earned 4/-d per day, in addition to which, he was a Rounder earning 2/-d every third night.
16 Supply 5/230 dated 13th February 1814, confirmed the same details as given in Note 10.
17 List of Persons in Employment dated the 2nd March, 1816 (Supply 5/230) confirmed that Mr. Wall (Senior) was still Foreman of the Corning House, with 28 years' service, and recommended that he received a daily superannuation of 4/-d. In the attached notes was the comment that Mr. Wall and others should be superannuated because "of the hurts they have received in this dangerous Manufactory". It was also stated therein that Mr. Wall was " a very trustworthy servant" and that he had been "much burnt in a Corning House [fire/explosion] in the year 1801", and that he had been "with the Merchants before [the] Government purchased the Powder Mills". However, in a letter dated 6th March 1816, (Supply 5/200) Mr. Wall was finally awarded superannuation of only 3/-d per day for six days in the week, commencing on the 1st April, 1816.
18 A Supplement to a document dated the 8th November 1818, (Supply 5/231) listed persons who had been superannuated on account of their length of service in the departments. Among the recipients was Benjamin Wall, Foreman of the Corning House, who received a pension of 18/-d per week which commenced on the 1st April 1816.
19 Supply 5/232 dated 17th November 1821, confirmed the previous entry.
20 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 was confirmed that Benjamin Wall, lately Foreman of the Corning House, was in receipt of £46.16.d superannuation per annum. A similar document, Supply 5/232 dated the 28th December 1821, confirmed that the same pension would be paid in 1822 as well as in 1826 (Winters, p.96).
