EVERSFIELD, Anthony (c.1621-95), of Denne Park, Horsham, Suss.

Published in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1660-1690, ed. B.D. Henning, 1983
Available from Boydell and Brewer

Constituency

Dates

Mar. 1679
Oct. 1679

Family and Education

b. c.1621, 4th s. of Nicholas Eversfield of The Grove, Hollington by Dorothy, da. of Edward Goring of Oakhurst; bro. of Edward Eversfield*, John Eversfield and Sir Thomas Eversfield. educ. St. Alban Hall, Oxf. matric. 31 Mar. 1637, aged 16, BA 1640. unm. suc. bro. Edward c.1676.1

Offices Held

Commr. for assessment, Suss. 1661-3, 1664-80 1689-90, j.p. 1677-July 1688, Nov. 1688-d.

Biography

Having undertaken not to demand wages, Eversfield was returned for Horsham, where he held at least one burgage, at both elections of 1679. Shaftesbury confused him with his nephew Nicholas, but probably meant to class him as ‘old and vile’ (though he had not sat before), and he was marked ‘court’ on Lord Huntingdon’s list. Either uncle or nephew was given leave on 17 Apr. 1679 to go into the country until Friday in Easter week, but as neither voted in the division on the Exclusion Bill they probably agreed to absent themselves. Nevertheless, Eversfield was re-elected in August, but lost his seat to John Machell in 1681. His success in 1685 suggests that he was a Tory, and he certainly retained local office till 1688. To the lord lieutenant’s questions on the repeal of the Test Act and Penal Laws he replied:

I must remain doubtful until I have considered of the debates in the next Parliament, the most proper place to decide this question. I can give no positive answer to any of the three questions.

He retained his seat in 1689, and on 21 May broke with the family tradition of total inactivity both in committee and debate by having himself added to the committee to inquire into sending children abroad to be educated as Papists. He was buried at Horsham on 24 Oct. 1695. He was succeeded by his great-nephew Charles, who sat for Horsham and Sussex as a Tory under Queen Anne, but went over to the Whigs after the Hanoverian succession.2

Ref Volumes: 1660-1690

Author: B. M. Crook

Notes

  • 1. J. Comber, Suss. Genealogies, Horsham 94-96.
  • 2. W. Albery, Parl. Hist. Horsham, 509; Add. 5698, f. 206.