Horsham – St Mary’s Church (Memorial to Charles Eversfield)

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This really is a fine memorial located in St. Mary’s Church in Horsham and certainly one that stands out. It’s the memorial to Charles Eversfield (1683-1749) of the local country house known as Denne Place which he had inherited at the age of 12.

Eversfield was an MP between most of 1705 and 1747, representing Horsham between 1705 and 1710, then Sussex between 1710 and 1713, then Horsham from 1713 and 1715, then 1721 and 1741 before representing Steyning between 1741 and 1747. These were mostly rotten boroughs, Eversfield simply had the wealth and influence to ensure that he remained in the House of Commons.

This would have been an interesting time to be an MP, the English and Scottish union took place in 1707 and the whole Commonwealth debacle (or whatever you want to call it) had been resolved by this point. There’s more about Eversfield’s time in Parliament at https://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1690-1715/member/eversfield-charles-1683-1749.