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The Town Crier of Colchester, J. Everett.

 

Reprinted from the Essex County Standard, December 7th, 1907

Photo by Deacon of Colchester

Includes Town Crier's Proclamation on December 1st:

 

"Cold December hath set in;

Poor men's backs are clothed thin;

Trees are bare, the birds are mute;

A pot and toast would very well suit."

 

 This tradition was revived on 1st December 2010 when the Mayor of Colchester, Councillor Sonia Lewis invited the Town Crier to re-create the proclamation as part of her Mayor's Charity Evening in the town centre.

Born at Coggeshall in 1851 and raised by his newagent uncle William and aunt Mary, by the time he was nine years old John was working in the family business at Sudbury. When the family moved to premises in George St. Colchester he continued to be employed by his uncle in the newsagent's business. John married Grace Sarah Simms at St. Martins Church, Colchester in 1874, together they had seven children, all supported by John's activites in the newspaper agency. As an extra he would progress around Colchester town centre with bill boards advertising local shop wares. His uncle William died on Jan 1st 1883 and although literate it was only then he discovered the family name was Everett and not Everitt. All his children had been registered as Everitt but the last son born in 1883 was registered as Everett and John used that spelling thereafter.

In 1900 the post of Colchester Town Crier became vacant and John was appointed. He was the last official crier of the medieval line; a post he held until his death in July 1917. He was a Colour Sergeant in the local militia, based at Stanwell St, Colchester and, during the Great War, 1914-1918 acted as recruiting sergeant for Colchester.

John apparently lived well, he suffered from gout and it was an infection from this ailment that caused him to have blood poisoning which caused his death. He was buried in a pauper's grave, joined later by his wife Grace in 1938. They are buried behind the Anglican Chapel at Colchester Cemetery and on the 90th anniverary of his death many of his decendants gathered around the grave to dedicate a memorial stone to his and Grace's memory.

(Recorded by his great grandson Frederick Charles Everitt - email 2011)

If you require any further information, please contact me at:

Mr Rennie Chilvers

 

 

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