Katherine Everett (1872 – 1954) was an Anglo-Irish writer, memorist, and designer of houses and gardens.
Life
Katherine Everett was born Kathleen Olive Herbert in 1872 in Cahernane House, County Kerry. Her father was Henry Herbert of the Muckross estate. Everett had a difficult and unhappy relationship with her mother, leading her to leave home as a teenager living with relatives or others as a companion. She attended the Slade Art School, where she got to know her first cousin,
John Everett
Herbert Barnard John Everett (18 August 1876 – 22 February 1949), was an English painter.
Biography
Known as Herbert by his family, he was born in Dorchester, Dorset. They married in 1901 and had two sons, Henry, born 1902 and Anthony, born 1906. Her husband would leave for long periods at a time, eventually leaving Everett in 1914 with two young sons and no income. She worked for a time as a nurse, in various hospitals including
Mercer's Hospital
Mercer's Hospital () was a hospital in Dublin, Ireland. It was converted into a clinical centre and medical library for the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland in 1991.Lady Ardilaun. She was Everett's distant cousin and godmother. After Lady Ardilaun's death in 1925, Everett left Ireland and never returned. She lived for a time in
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...
, and
Italy
Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
, before settling in England.
During her life time, Everett became renowned for the designs and renovations of houses and gardens, primarily in England. She started by becoming a building contractor to support herself and her sons. Everett and her young son Anthony were the subject of
Henry Tonks
Henry Tonks, Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons, FRCS (9 April 1862 – 8 January 1937) was a British surgeon and later draughtsman and painter of figure subjects, chiefly interiors, and a Caricature, caricaturist. He became an influentia ...
' 1908 drawing, ''Summer''.
Everett died in England in 1954.
Writing
She published her autobiography, ''Bricks and Flowers'', in 1949 followed by the collection of stories, ''Walk with Me'', in 1951. More recent examinations of her autobiography have viewed it as a queer text, particularly in relation to the unorthodox way in which Everett lived as a woman supporting herself and her children. She recounts episodes during the
Irish Civil War
The Irish Civil War (; 28 June 1922 – 24 May 1923) was a conflict that followed the Irish War of Independence and accompanied the establishment of the Irish Free State, an entity independent from the United Kingdom but within the British Emp ...
, where she travelled across Ireland to salvage furniture from the houses of Lady Ardilaun. ''Bricks and Flowers'' was reissued in 2018.