Waltham Common

WALTHAM COMMON LOCK

Lock	State	Date	Length	Length - Working Distance	Width	Fall	Removed or bypassed
Walton's Weir (on Old River Lea)	Extant	1741	~	~		8' 3''
Sir W Wake's Weir (on Old River Lea)	Built	1590	~	~		4' 0''

Waltham Common Lock	Built	1768			13' 4''	4' 10''	1922
Waltham Common Lock	Report	1917			13' 4''
Waltham Common Lock	Rebuilt	1922	90' 0''	87' 0''	16' 0''	4' 10''

Waltham Common Lock was the original name from the first survey in 1792 until 1829 (except for a couple of years as Catlins Lock in 1826 and 1827). It then became Cheshunt Common Lock until 1868, when it reverted to Waltham Common.

On 21.6.1825, it was recorded that “The Surveyor do prepare a House to be erected in Cheshunt Marsh Lock on Wheels” (NA Rail 845/9)

A look under the western end of the bridge over the tail will reveal an iron bar – one of the relics of the horse drawn boat era. This was used to transfer the towing rope under the bridge by means of a chain-operated sliding hook on which the rope was placed.

The new house was actually authorised on 26.10.1877, “ to be built here on the site of the old one.” (NA Rail 845/21) but on 20.4.1883, the old lock house was insured for £100 (NA Rail 845/23)

On 7.9.1894, William Pollitt's tender of £290 to build the lock house was accepted. (NA Rail 845/27). The new house was finally built by 1895, although the plaque on the house shows 1892. . The plans were also later used to build the new house at Stanstead Lock

LMA ACC 2423/P044

Daniel Ward, Lock keeper at

Waltham Common Lock from

1896-1905

Gill Bellord

Waltham Common Lock c1920

In 1922, the lock was rebuilt to the 16' standard. The site plan is below.

LMA ACC 2423/P1892

The Waltham Cut and the Powdermill Cut

Having finished his work on the cut from King’s Weir (and the Homerton Cut further south), the Trustees contracted Jeremiah Illsley on 11th February 1769 to build the “Cutts or Canals intended to be made from Waltham to Enfield Mill Tail Stream and as much of the intended widening of Enfield Mill Stream as can be dugg by the yard and make the banks thereof round and hansome and finish the same…..for the same price of threepence a yard” (NA Rail 845/4)

The building of the Powdermill Stream and Edmonsey Lock connecting to the Royal Gunpowder Mills was authorised with the following entry in the Minutes:

3.7.1805 “At this meeting Application is made from Government for permission to make a Cut from the Powder Mills at Waltham Abbey into the Navigation below Waltham Common Lock….It is resolved that Permission be granted subject to the following Terms and Conditions, vizt That the Earth to be taken thereout be carried away or so spread that flood waters be not interrupted thereby. That a double pair of Stop Gates be made to communicate with the Navigation so as to prevent fflood Waters flowing into the Navigation and the Water therein from being drawn or flowing out of the same.” (NA Rail 845/8)

Waltham Common Lock

Census/Date	Name	Title	Wife	Location given by enumerator/Comments	Source Reference
19.5.1958	Chas E White	Labourer	Appointed (with lock-keeping duties, resident at house) at £7.14.11 (Moved to Dobbs Weir Lock)		LCB Records
2.8.1950	E A Robertson	Lock keeper	Increase to £4.18.6. NJIC Award		LCB Records
9.6.1948	E A Robertson	Lock keeper	Increase to £4.15.0		LCB Records
13.11.1946	E A Robertson	Lock keeper	Increase to £4.3.0		LCB Records
28.4.1942	Edwin Abbot Robertson (45)	Lock keeper	Appointed at £2.14.0 to be reduced to £2.5.0 when he takes up residence at the lock.		NA Rail 845/126
Robertson was previously employed from 30.1.1933 as a labourer at 9/5d per day, then demoted to a watchman at 7/4d per day on 6.3.1939 after medical problems before enlisting in the Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps on 28.10.1939, without the consent of the Board. No record of his return date.					LCB Records
6.3.1942	W Payne	Lock keeper	Died 27.2.1942 after 30 years service		NA Rail 845/126
4.4.1941	W Payne	Lock keeper	Sick since 9.11.1940. Granted full sick pay for 6 months then half sick pay until his return or 28.5.1941 whichever is earlier		NA Rail 845/125
1.4.1938	W Payne	Lock keeper	£1.8.0 to £1.10.0		NA Rail 845/122
1.4.1936	W Payne	Lock keeper	£1.7s to £1.8s		NA Rail 845/120
13.4.1923	W Payne	Lock keeper	Horse keeper, appointed		NA Rail 845/107
A minute of 5.1.1923 recorded that “the illness of Horse-keeper W Payne…he was now out of hospital; that he had not had an artificial leg fitted; that he was very anxious to return to work as soon as possible; …recommended that his allowance of 12/9 a week be continued” NA Rail 845/107
13.4.1923	F Eve (74)	Lock keeper	Resignation due to failing eyesight. Pension of 8/- per week Died 11.3.1938		NA Rail 845/107 NA Rail 845/122
14.11.1919	F Eve	Lock keeper	27/- + house, garden, and uniform		NA Rail 845/46
15.2.1918	F Eve	Lock keeper	22/- per week		NA Rail 845/66
1.12.1916	F Eve	Lock keeper	£2 war bonus		NA Rail 845/43
4.3.1915	F Eve	Lock keeper	+2/- per week		NA Rail 845/42
28.2.1913	F Eve	Lock keeper	Wages increased by 1/- per week		NA Rail 845/40
2.4.1911	Frederick Ear (sic) (62)	Lock keeper	Widower	Waltham Common Lock, Cheshunt	RG14PN7456 RG78PN360 RD132 SD8 ED6 SN233
15.12.1905	Frederick Eve (48)	Lock keeper	Appointed - Married, no family. Worked for 10 years for A.H. & D. Taylor, Sawbridgeworth		NA Rail 845/32
20.10.1905	Daniel Ward		Transferred to Waltham Town		Assumed
31.3.1901	Daniel Ward (58)	Lock keeper	Mary Ann	Waltham Common Lock house	Cheshunt/4/16
26.6.1896	D Ward	Lock keeper	Appointed at Survey. "A man...who has been for many years water warden at the powder works and most thoroughly understands the duties - he bears a most excellent character" (J Child)		NA Rail 845/28 LMA ACC 2423/005
24.6.1896	W B Nicoll	Lock keeper	Resigned after 10 months service		NA Rail 845/28 LMA ACC 2423/005
2.6.1893	Jonathan Wood	Lock keeper	Leaving with pension of 5/- per week for 2 years on condition of good conduct		NA Rail 845/27
19.5.1893	Jonathan Wood	Lock keeper	Given a month’s notice to leave		NA Rail 845/27
"Wood in now too old and infirm (being nearly blind) to discharge the duties and he has for the past year employed a man to assist him who is constantly quarrelling or getting into disputes with the bargemen.....it is time we had an alteration of the unsatisfactory state at this lock.. The man employed by Wood says if you appoint him he will allow Wood 5/- a week but he is not a desirable lock keeper." (J Child) LMA ACC 2423/004
5.4.1891	Jonathan Wood (69)	Lock keeper	Emily	Cheshunt Marsh Lock House	Cheshunt/6/11
29.6.1887 Wood appealed to return to full wages. Resolved, when he has paid £1 the fine be stopped. ( NA Rail 845/24)
4.2.1887	Jonathan Wood	Lock keeper	# see below		NA Rail 845/24
# Reprimanded for neglect in leaving a slacker running all night, without attention, causing the sinking of Ansell Brace’s barge
20.4.1883	J Wood	Lock keeper	Service 5 years. 16/- per week		NA Rail 845/23
6.5.1881	Jonathan Wood	Lock keeper	Appointed ex Aqueduct Lock (scarcely up to the work of that lock - J Child)		NA Rail 845/22 LMA ACC 2423/001
6.5.1881	George Newman	Lock keeper	Resigned having obtained another situation ( J Child)		NA Rail 845/22 LMA ACC 2423/001
4.4.1881	George B Newman (50)	Lock keeper	Mary Ann	Cheshunt Marsh Lock House	Cheshunt/6/16
2.4.1871	Joseph Wright (60)	Lock keeper	Lucy	Lock House (Joseph died 27.2.1880. Funeral expenses paid and pension of 10/- per week to widow ) NA Rail 845/22	Cheshunt/6/26
8.4.1861	Joseph Wright (50)	Lock keeper	Lucy	Lock House	Cheshunt/5/30
17.11.1855	Joseph Wright	Lock keeper	16/- per week		NA Rail 845/14
21.10.1854	Joseph Wright	Lock keeper	16/- per week		NA Rail 845/14
30.3.1851	Joseph Wright (38)	Lock keeper	Lucy		Mx/Cheshunt/1b/36
7.6.1841	Joseph Wright (25)	Lock man	Lucy	Lock House River Lea	He/Cheshunt/2/7
16.6.1840	Joseph Wright	Lock keeper	Transferred from Limehouse		NA Rail 845/12
21.3.1837	William Johnson	Lock keeper	Transferred from Hackney Brick		NA Rail 845/11
21.3.1837	Edward Waller	Lock keeper	Dismissed		NA Rail 845/11
16.12.1828	Edward Waller	Lock keeper	In place of Wm Catlin		NA Rail 845/10
16.2.1828	Wm Catlin	Lock keeper	Replaced by Edward Waller		NA Rail 845/10
18.1.1821	John Clark	Lock keeper	Desirious of resigning his office on being allowed something for his support		NA Rail 845/9

This site was last updated 03-Mar-2021