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Evershot |
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Evershot, a charming village and parish situated mid-way between Beaminster and Cerne Abbas, is the second highest settlement in Dorset, lying 175m above sea-level. It is the source of the River Frome, which rises from a spring at St John's Well near the church and meanders for 35 miles across Dorset to the sea at Poole. Popularly thought to mean 'thicket where wild boars roam' from the Old English 'eofor' boar and 'sceat', the ancient spellings of 'Teversict' (1202) and Theuershet' (1268) hint that the name may in fact be derived from the Old English word 'teofor' meaning red lead, possibly referencing the colour of the soil. |
Inside the church there are a number of interesting artefacts, including a late 12th-century stone capital with the carved figure of man with a key, possibly St Peter, and a brass of William Grey, rector here from 1511 to 1524. It is a very rare 'Chaliced Priest' brass; there are perhaps two in Dorset and only twelve in the whole of England. Another famous rector was George Crabbe (1783 to 1789), regarded as one of our great national poets and certainly Jane Austen's favourite. Nor does Crabbe represent Evershot's only association with the literary world. Not far from St Osmund's church is a 16th-century coaching inn that Thomas Hardy called 'The Sow & Acorn' in his novels. Originally known as 'The Kings Arms', this old stone-built inn now called 'The Acorn Inn' once brewed its own ales with water drawn from the source of the River Frome. Thomas Hardy was a regular here in 1893 when he was working on the enlargement of the Dower House, originally built by Henry Fox-Strangways, 2nd Earl of Ilchester, in 1798 (and since 1979 a hotel). Evershot is the Evershead of Thomas Hardy's novels and his most famour heroine, Tess from 'Tess of the d'Urbervilles' had breakfast in a 'cottage by the church', still clearly recognisable today.
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Census |
1841 Census [Jacqui Bowen] 1851 Census [Terry Pine] 1861 Census [Keith Searson] 1871 Census [John Ridout] 1881 Census [Terry Smith] 1891 Census [Janet Courtney] 1901 Census 1911 Census |
Parish Registers |
Baptisms 1694-1717 [Rachel Kent] 1810-1825 [Keith Searson/Jon Baker] 1825-1876 [Keith Searson] Marriages 1813-1841 [Keith Searson] Marriage Banns 1837-1919 [Keith Searson] Burials 1813-1899 [Keith Searson] |
Trade & Postal Directories | |
Other Records |
Rectors of Evershot Parish [Kim Parker] Profile of John Martin of Evershot, Land Surveyor & Valuer [Kevin Pearce] [large pdf file, opens in new tab] Death of John Christopher 1864 [Michael Russell] |
Photographs | |
Monumental Inscriptions | |
Maps | |
View Larger Map |
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Records held at the Dorset History Centre [Ref PE-EVT] |
Registers Christenings 1694-1876. Marriages 1694-1841. Burials 1694-1899. |
Registration District
(for the purpose of civil registration births, marriages & deaths) |
1 Jul 1837-31 Mar 1937: Beaminster 1 Apr 1937-31 Mar 1997: Bridport 1 Apr 1997-30 Sep 2001: West Dorset 1 Oct 2001-17 Oct 2005: South & West Dorset |
Further views of
Evershot |
Visitors to Dorset OPC
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