William Herbert Evenden

Newsagent's assistant, Heathfield. Evenden published a small selection of perhaps 6 or 8 hand coloured collotype cards of Heathfield and Cross in Hand featuring paintings by L. D. Rust. The cards, which were printed in Saxony, are somewhat lacking in detail and the colouring is subdued. They are labelled on the front: "Published by W. H. Evenden, Heathfield. Artist L. D. Rust". The cards were on sale by 1905.

A curious feature of the pictures, which appear to be based on photographs, is that many of the trees are bare silhouettes, indicative of winter, yet the colourist has added green dabs and washes as if trying to create summer-time views!

Evenden also published a halftone card of the Heathfield and Warbleton Protestant Martyrs' Memorial at Punnett's Town, Heathfield. Judging from the crowd of spectators, he may have taken the photograph when the Memorial was unveiled on September 27, 1905. In addition, he produced a collotype card of a Heathfield house called Violet Nook, perhaps in response to a special order from the owner.

Evenden was born at Burwash in 1880. His father, Thomas Evenden, who had been born in Mayfield, was for many years a newsagent at Heathfield. His mother, Sarah Evenden, came from Burwash. Besides William, the Evendens had two other sons (Thomas and Ebenezer), who both became postmen, and a daughter, Ruth. The 1901 census records that William worked as an assistant newsagent, presumably for his father. The family lived at Portland Square in Heathfield.

In 1902 William Evenden married Frances Elizabeth Jarvis, from Warbleton, who bore him at least two children: William Thomas Evenden in 1903 and Ella May Evenden in 1905. The 1911 census gives their address as Heathfield Station. William was still working as a newsagent's assistant.

William Evenden is believed to have died In 1941 at the age of 60.

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