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Family help piece together Jumbo’s story
Another piece of Jumbo’s history has been saved for posterity thanks to a local family.
Nicholas Everett, great, great, great grandson of Henry Everett, whose son Henry John founded H. Everett & Sons, builders of Hythe Hill, Colchester, has given North Essex Heritage a copy of the priced estimate to build Jumbo.
The historic document, written in an elegant script and annotated with line drawings, was produced for the Borough Council. The council had invited an “estimate for the construction of new brick and stone water tower and other works in connection therewith for the water department of the urban sanitary authority of the borough of Colchester, County of Essex. Charles Clegg esq. Engineer. April 1882.”
The original estimate was for £7,699, but H. Everett & Sons revised this to £7,499. The estimate was accepted, and the firm built the magnificent tower which was designed by the Borough Engineer Charles Clegg and is still a landmark after 140 years. The bricks were made in Colchester. AG Mumford assembled the tank which is constructed with panels made in the north of England. AG Mumford had an iron foundry in Culver Street. The total cost of Jumbo was £11,138.
Members of the Everett family were able to marvel at their ancestors’ work on a visit to the top of Jumbo. Nicholas Everett, his wife Solveig, daughter Kerry Robarts, son-in-law Mike Robarts, and grandson, Jenson, 9, were given a guided tour by Trustees Andrew Crayston and Bill Hayton.
Nicholas Everett said:
“It was a privilege to tour Jumbo and reflect on my forbears’ impressive work. The construction of Jumbo was a prestigious project and realising the vision of the council, as designed by Charles Clegg, was a mammoth task. I hope North Essex Heritage’s The Jumbo Project is successful in restoring this building and bringing it back into sustainable use.
“I have said in the past that Jumbo must have a purpose if it is to be viable into the future. This is the first proposal for Jumbo to have a positive objective, which combines with the close neighbours and environment, and I wish it well.”
Andrew Crayston said:
“It was wonderful to welcome members of the Everett family inside Jumbo and learn more about the Colchester family which built this Grade ll* listed building. The estimate is a piece of art, with elegant calligraphy. It includes structural detail and sketches which could help North Essex Heritage and our architects as we work to breathe new life into this unique building.”