Frederick Thomas Everard
Frederick Thomas Everard (1858-1929), shipowner, of F. T. Everard and Sons
1858 Friedrich Thomas Eberhardt was born in Shoreditch, son of Joseph and Mary Ann Eberhardt[1]
He became foreman shipwright for A. H. Keep, a barge builder at Greenhithe, in Swanscombe, Kent, after a period in its Battersea yard.
By 1880 he was yard manager, and bought the site to operate it himself.
1885 Married Susan Ann Spooner. They had three sons and one daughter, all of whom were encouraged to take an interest in the firm.
c.1890 Began to own barges, initially sailing barges but started to introduce powered craft just before WWI, unusually owning a motorship before it did a steam-engined vessel.
1891 Living with William M Spooner 55, locksman in Ratcliff, London, were Susannah Spooner 52, Susan A Eberhardt 28, Frederick T Eberhardt 32, barge builder, Alice E Eberhardt 5, Frederick W Eberhardt 3, William J Eberhardt 2[2]
1901 Fredk P Eberhardt 42, shipwright, barge and boat builder, employer, lived in Dartford, with Susan A Eberhardt 38, Alice E Eberhardt 15, Fredk Wm Eberhardt 13, Wm Jos Eberhardt 12, Alfred M Eberhardt 9[3]
Everard ensured his two eldest sons, Frederick William and William Joseph, received a thorough technical training at the Greenhithe yard and in the shipyard of Fellows at Great Yarmouth. His youngest son, Alfred, was trained as an engineer at the firm of Plenty and Son at Newbury. His daughter, Alice Ethel, the eldest of the four children, also helped with the business, especially on the bookkeeping and office management side, remaining undistracted by marriage.
1911 Frederick Thomas Eberhardt 52, shipwright, employer, lived in Greenhithe, Dartford with Susan Ann Eberhardt 48, Alice Ethel Eberhardt 25, Frederick William Eberhardt 23, shipwright, William Joseph Eberhardt 22, shipwright[4]
By WWI all four children were playing an active part in the firm with William taking the lead in strategy and the operational side, Frederick in the construction and repair of barges.
WWI He changed his name to Everard.
1922 The firm was converted to a limited liability company.
1929 Died at Greenhithe