These records have been very kindly offered for reproduction on this site by Mr Ricky Penberthy of Warmwell, Dorchester, a neighbour of Simon Crumbleholme. They relate to Mr Alex William Ware who was Ricky's uncle and who worked for Eddison for over 40 years starting in 1924 and finishing his career with the company in Wales in 1964.

The records are extremely interesting and consist of letters, memos and other documents sent to Mr Ware by the Eddison company. 

The first set of records relate to Roller No 468 - which from the Eddison records :

• Aveling & Porter No 10632, 8 ton, single cylinder, piston valved roller, made in May 1923 and bought new by Eddison. Its Reg No PR678.  

• It is also recorded that the roller was sold to P J & T M Abbott of Lyndhurst, Hampshire (date not noted)

Mr Ware was the first Eddison roller driver to use a diesel roller and it seems that he moved to Roller No 595 just after the outbreak of WW2 in 1939 

(see below)

Below : Two photographs with a letter dated April 1932.

Left : It is presumed that Mr Ware is standing on the right with his hand on his roller's wheel.

Right : An unknown child in the roller - perhaps a relative or daughter of Mr Ware ?  It is his roller (No 468) as the reg No was PR 678

Interesting to see from the above letter that his wife was expected to "flag" the roller (ie walk ahead with red flag when required) 

Below : An undated photograph with Mr Ware on the left hand side. This is probably his Aveling & Porter steam roller No 468 undergoing repairs. It appears that it is blocked up on the rear scarifier and has the rear offside wheel removed. The wheel is behind his colleague at the front of the roller. The living hut is behind and road rollers did not have canopies until later. 

The memo below shows that fairly substantial repairs were carried out whilst the roller was away from the depot - in this case renewal of boiler tubes.

WW2 had started earlier in 1939 and this memo from Dorchester was a rallying call.

The personal memo below prompted a move to Wales  and by then Mr Ware's steam roller had been a changed for a diesel one. Ricky says that his uncle was the first member of staff to drive a diesel roller :

• Eddison No 595 :

• Aveling Barford  AB046, 8 ton diesel. Manufactured 1938 - bought : not recorded.

This wage slip (Ricky has many) shows the rate of pay and overtime arrangements along with other expenses etc involved in running the roller.

The general memo below advised of the change to the company and the head office being moved from Dorchester to Grantham in Lincolnshire.

Below : some better news with hire fleet drivers working for councils receiving an additional 3d per hour.

Below : Mr Ware receives a 40 year bar to add to his 25 year service badge. (1964-40 = started in 1924). Note some 17 No depots.

Diesel roller with Mr Ware standing in middle photo. Presumed near the end of his career as the roller is quite modern. It appears to be a "Eddimatic Torque Ranger" roller (see Century of Service p 33) - the first roller with a torque converter introduced in 1957.

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