Background
Walter Everendon was born in 1725.
colonial gunpowder manufacturer
Walter Everendon was born in 1725.
On August 22, 1673, the Rev. John Oxenbridge, the Rev. James Allen, and three laymen formed a partnership to build a powder-mill at Neponset in the township of Milton, across the river from Dorchester, Massachusetts.
The Massachusetts General Court considered the mill of so great importance as a source of supply that they arranged for guarding it and allowed the owners to impress men to build a watch-tower on the other side of the river.
It has been said that the Dorchester powder was of better quality than that which had been made previously, but the importance of the mill was due to the size of its output at a critical time, for which credit would seem to be due to the capitalists as much as to Everendon.
In 1701 the latter bought out one of the partners and gradually acquired the interests of all but one of the others.
In 1724 he sold out to his son, and died the following year.
The family, which also spelled their name Everden and Everton, continued to manufacture powder until after the Revolution, although by 1775 they appear to have fallen into poverty.