The Everards

St Peter's church, Bardon Hill

Mr Harris: Bernard Everard, (lived) at the, he was the managing director of the quarry, the head […] at the quarry and he, you could virtually say, you could almost say he was the squire of the village. He controlled the, well, he controlled what people did in the village because a very large percentage of the people worked at the quarry, and the wives worked at – they had a large amount of domestic help in those days and they worked in the house - it was a very big house. Bernard Everard was at one time High Sheriff, he involved himself in the church very much, he had a great say in the church, and they also built the church, built Bardon church, the Everards, and built the vicarage. Mrs Everard was very much involved in hunting and involved herself in a lot of charitable things. She was very keenly interested in the Women’s Institute and also the Nursing Association, this was of course when the district nurse was employed, engaged in the village.

Interviewer: Did you have a district nurse living in the village?

Mr Harris: Yes, well, near the village. And Mrs Everard did a lot of charitable work associated with the Nursing Association by buying houses, and made a lot of money available to further this.

Interviewer: Did you used to go to Bardon Church?

Mr Harris: Yes, yes.

Interviewer: Can you tell us something about Bardon Church and the parsons, the choirs, and so on.

Mr Harris: I can remember that the Everards had their special pew at the front, and the Everards were always attended morning service, and they, having built the church and been very largely responsible for it, had a say in how it was run and in the affairs of the church, as of course they did in the affairs of the village. I think that was pretty general in those days.

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