Stanthorpe Museum | Thunderbolt |
Everitt Family
I have been interested in the Everitt
family history & genealogy for some time, as my great grandfather's
sister Sarah Ann Roper married John Everitt. In 1990 while in
Bendigo I visited Maryborough, in country Victoria to seek more
information on the family.
John Everitt was born in Manningtree, Essex, England in the year 1826. As known to date, he had three brothers and one sister. ( Information from family a bible)
As a young man of seventeen John Everitt accompanied the Roper family to Australia on the "SS Fortitude" and arrived in Australia in January 1849, landing at Morton Bay, New South Wales, now Queensland. Along with his cousins James & Thomas Roper he went to the gold fields in Victoria. Little information is known of his time here, except that he did rather well and returned to England with some valuable gold which he intended to have made into jewellery for his family and friends. Along the way he was diddled of the gold. He married Elizabeth Clay at St Lukes, Church of England, London in the June quarter of 1857, when he was about the age of 28 years, before returning to Australia , where he returned to the gold fields but the gold fields yielded very little the second time around. His young wife was disallusioned with the new country and the harsh conditions.
According to the 1905 rate book , John Everitt lived in Majorca Road , his house and garden being valued at £16 . He paid £1 in rates and was listed as a gardener. He had a fine orchard and strawberry garden on Blackman's lead, no far out of Maryborough. He was a religious man and probably had strong convictions.
In the Church of England, Maryborough, Victoria, a reredos was dedicated to John Everitt. The inscription reads -
The ceremony of unveiling and dedication the reredos erected
in Christ Church in memory of the late Mr John Everitt took
place yesterday.
At the time appointed a member of Mr Everitt's old scholars and friends assembled in front of the choir stalls, and Mr A M Giddings, as treasurer of the Everitt memorial committee, requested the vicar to accept the reredos on behalf of the authorities of the church. The Ven. Archdeacon Haymar having expressed his willingness to undertake the custody of the Memorial, Messrs W L Dawes, facing the congregation, said: "We unveil this reredos to the glory of God and in loving memory of our old teacher and friend, the late John Everitt, in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost"......
Archdeacon Haymar-
"The movement to erect a memorial to the late Mr Everitt was entirely a lay one. It originated from men who had been taught by Mr Everitt in Sunday School and who wished to perpetuate his memory....
"In the Church Mr Everitt took a most valued place and was a vestryman for many years. But it was in the Sunday School that he left his most abiding work".
Included in the congregation were the three daughters of the
deceased, Mrs Pharo & Mrs Richards (Melbourne) and Mrs Clyne
(Sunbury), who had come with other relatives to attend the service.
there were also present Messrs A D Mackay (Melbourne) and Charles
White, who were superintendents of the Sunday School during the
period Mr Everitt was a teacher, and other old associates, Scholars
and friends.
(Monday, January 1, 1912, p2 cols3 & 4, Maryborough Advertiser)
Late John Everitt
In connection with the memorial recently erected in Christ Church to perpetuate the memory of the late John Everitt, the secretary of the memorial committee (Mr A M Giddings) has received the following letter from Mr John Richards of Fitzroy:-
"I'm asked by the family of the late John Everitt to tender
the old scholars and Friends their sincere thanks for the honor
you have done their father and them by erecting a handsome reredos
to his memry in Christ Church, Maryborough. It is pleasant to
them to know he is not forgottten by his old scholars after so
many years. His one great aim in life was to do what he could
to improve the minds of the young, morally and spiritually, and
never lost an opportunity of speaking a good word to them. It
was noticeable that the names of the old scholars present in church
on Sunday were always uppermost in his mind, and frequently mentioned
in conversation. I would like to assure you the presence of the
old scholars and the beautiful service deeply affected the family,
and the memory of it and the kind words spoken by the Archdeacon
will live long with them. Their earnest hope is that the good
seed sown by their father may bear fruit while life shall last.
Will you also please convey to the choir of Christ
Church the thanks of the family for its attendance that morning,
and the part they took in the beautiful ceremony. I may also say
the daughters were deeply touched with the rendering of their
father's favourite hymn, "Rock of Ages". Once more thanking
you, Archdeacon, and all friends who assisted in erecting the
memorial".
(Wednesday, January 10, 1912, p 2 col 6, Marborough Advertiser)
All the above photos are of John Everitt
|
|
 |
 |
 |
The family tree has been put together from information researched
in the BDM files and also supplied by descendants of John Everitt.
No responsibility is taken for any errors. As much care as possible
has been taken to make a correct account of the genealogy. I'm
hopeful that it may help fellow researchers and spark more research
to be carried out by descendants.
A very special thank you to Jessie Brent.
Please email me if you have any information which may link with the above families I would be more than delighted to hear from you. You can write to me at <jvbryant at halenet dot com dot au>.
