Pegmore
At the time of the 1806 Inclosure Act where Pegmore can be found today was Plot No 351, an allotment in Upper Churchfield of 9 perches belonging to John Averis who lived adjacent at Plot No 352, a house and garden of 21 perches, now Priors Cottage. The surname later seems to have been spelt Everiss and that will be used here.
[1806]
John was baptised at Elmstone Hardwicke on 28 May 1762, son of John and Ann Everiss, had married Sarah Cox at Norton on 10 September 1787 and they came to live in the village where they appear to have had at least nine children. Their first child born at Norton was John in January 1789.
By 1838 John Everiss would appear to have moved next door into a new cottage where Pegmore now stands with a garden of 9 perches at Plot No 351. This suggests that the first cottage on this site was built between 1806 and 1838 and most likely by, or for, John Everiss.
In 1841 John Everiss, an agricultural labourer, and Sarah were living with 25 year old son James, an agricultural labourer, and listed next door was another son William, also an agricultural labourer, who had married Catherine Whitmarsh of Stowton, Worcs, and they had one son; George William John. It would appear therefore that the Everiss’ were occupying both properties here at this time or perhaps living together at No 351 which seems more likely.
1st Edition OS 25” Map, 1844-1888
In 1851 John Everiss, now 93, and Sarah, 88, were still living ‘near the church’ most likely in the same cottage. Their son James had married a widow, Hannah Fry nee Tombs, of Norton in 1844 and they were living in the same cottage. All four were agricultural labourers although John and Sarah were also recorded as being paupers. Son William had left the village and was living at No 2 Longford Lane, where they had two more children; Lucy and Herbert Whitmarsh Everiss, and he was employed as a farm labourer. The Gloucester Journal newspaper of 29 May 1841 carried a ‘public apology’ which may explain why William left Norton; “I, George Clarck, apprentice at Norton, in the county of Gloucester, do hereby acknowledge that the reports which I have circulated respecting Catherine Everiss, wife of William Everiss, labourer, of Norton aforesaid, are entirely false and without foundation. I hereby express my regret for the fault which I have committed, and cause this apology to be published in order to prevent further proceedings – Norton, May 22, 1841”.
Father John Everiss died in April 1851 and mother Sarah in 1856 resulting in a legal dispute between brothers James and William. The case was an action of ejectment; “The parties in this suit resided at Norton, in this county. The plaintiff was the heir at law to a cottage, possession of which was sought by his younger brother, under a deed which had been executed by his mother, in consideration of having been partially maintained for some years by him, but as a wife has no power to convey such property, a verdict was returned for the plaintiff”. This would suggest that cottage passed into the hands of elder son William even though it was ruled that their mother Sarah had no right to convey the property.
In 1861 and 1871, James and Hannah were still living ‘near the church’ at Norton. William and Catherine were now living on the Tewkesbury Road at Longford with son Herbert and three additional children; Sarah Ann, George William and John Willie. The electoral register for Norton, however, lists William Everiss qualified to vote here as, although living at Longford, he held a freehold house and land near the church. Perhaps the brothers reached an amicable agreement.
William last appears on the electoral register in 1872, having died the previous year. Perhaps William’s death resulted in James and Hannah having to leave and they haven’t been identified again after 1871 thus ending the Everiss family connection to the village.
In June 1936, William Virgo of next door Priors Cottage, applied for permission from the Rural District Council to make additions to his cottage and the details were accompanied by a plan the following of which is my (poor) copy. Pegmore is the cottage to the left, Priors Cottage to the right.
Charles Blazdell and his wife Kathleen moved here from The Leigh in 1946 and it appears to have been them that named the cottage Pegmore.
Charles Blazdell was born at Camberwell, London, in 1885. He took his first employment with Dewrance in 1901 before going to Humphrey’s, Tennant & Co from 1904 to 1907 during which time he attended winter courses in engineering, practical fitting and machining at Goldsmith’s College, University of London; ”In fact he was about the best student we ever had in this subject”. After a few years with two mechanical handling companies, he joined Fairey Aviation at Hayes, Middx, in 1916 and then went to Hamble, Southampton, spending ten years with A V Roe & Co before joining Supermarine in 1928 where his letter of engagement was signed by R J Mitchell. During his years with Supermarine Charles also worked with George Dowty and designed the flying controls for the Supermarine flying boats that had such success in the Schneider Trophy races at this time and which were later incorporated into the Spitfire. In 1939 Charles came to work at Dowty and to live at ‘Todpool’, The Leigh, moving in 1946 to ‘Pegmore’, near the church at Priors Norton, where he remained for the rest of his life. Charles’ wife, Kathleen Elizabeth Blazdell, died 28 February 1962 aged 69 years and Charles himself on 5 April 1978 aged 93 years and they have a memorial in the churchyard at St Mary’s, Norton.
In 1985 Edward J and Mary Dowding were here.
In 2002 Dr Peter N and Janet E Whitehead were in residence. An archaeological watching brief was undertaken by Gloucestershire Archaeology Service between 29 July and 13 August 2002 during the construction of an extension at Pegmore. Groundworks were carried out in two areas. To the west of the house, the ground level was reduced by 1.02m in an area which had previously been subject to partial levelling for a patio. Natural clay was recorded 0.59m below ground level. It was cut by a post-medieval pit or furrow containing 18th to 20th century pottery. The second area of groundworks comprised the excavation of 1.27m deep footings to the south-east of the house. Natural clay was recorded 0.35m below ground level. No archaeological features or deposits were recorded. The site archive was deposited with the Cheltenham Art Gallery and Museum.
