Bishop David Evans Family Association News

My search began with the fact that Israel Evans married Abigail Alexander in Cecil County, Maryland On 4 Oct 1801. Abigail’s father, Josiah Alexander, owned property in the area of New Munster, Cecil County, Maryland. It seemed only natural that their marriage would take place in Cecil County. The Question was: where did Israel come from? It seemed only natural that some contact had previously been made between the Evans and Alexander families. Had this taken place because the Evans clan lived in Cecil County? An extensive personal and family organization genealogical search failed to clarify. It seemed so strange that not one shred of information about David’s grandfather had been left for his posterity. Why would such a silence have occurred when the Evans family seemed to function in harmony. Could the grandfather have died in the Revolutionary war? No! Search of military records gave no such clues. Could he have been a loyalist that escaped to the southeast, or was taken as a prisoner to the north, such as Canada or Nova Scotia? No! How could such an important man remain silent in the unrecorded histories of the past?

There were so many negative searching’s. It was assumed in David Evans history that “Israel learned the miller’s trade from his father-in-law, Josiah Alexander.” Why couldn’t he have learned it from his own father? Could you imagine my excitement when I found that a David Evans owned 219 acres at Julian and Martha’s Furnace in close proximity to the mill established by Israel and Abby Evans on Spruce creek? This David Evans also owned and ran a gristmill on Beech creek and at Potter’s mills. After the birth of David in 1804, Israel and Abigail established their mill on Spruce creek [See pictorial map]. The name of David for David Evans’s grandfather satisfies an old Welsh custom of conferring the name of the grandparent upon the grandchild.

Where did Israel Evans come from before his marriage to Abigail? Could the Evans family have had roots in Cecil County, Maryland, beforehand? Perhaps. A David Evans and William Davis acted as agents in procuring a grant of a Welsh tract from Penn. They were believed to be Presbyterians. The Reverend David Evans was the first pastor of the Pencader Presbyterian church. He was the son of the aforementioned David Evans. He went to Yale College, and graduated in 1713. He then had charge of the Pencader congregation until 1720. His successor was Thomas Evans, a relative. His pastorate extended over 20 years, until he died in 1742. Although this might be one explanation for an Evans-Alexander connection in Cecil County, it seems unlikely. [See History of Cecil County, Maryland by George Johnston, 1967, p. 165].

There are additional statements by Israel that need to be considered, challenged or satisfied. He indicated that he was born on the Atlantic Ocean. A search was made of around 30,000 names of immigrants into Maryland, Delaware or Pennsylvania from 1727 to 1776. A search of all ships bringing immigrants into Chesapeake or Delaware Bays was fruitless. Practically all the names entering Pennsylvania were Dutch. The Bishop David Evans history declares that Israel said that he was the twenty-first child in his father’s family. This statement cannot be satisfied, but amazingly there are nineteen Evans in the Centre County, Pennsylvania area that have birth and marriage dates that are compatible with Israel’s statement.

Lastly, a natural question regarding a friendship or acquaintance between the parents of Israel and Abigail should be posed. Well, lets see if we can establish a foundation for this consideration?

If you will refer to the map of the relationship between the counties of Maryland and Pennsylvania, you will see the proximity of Cecil County to Montgomery County in Pennsylvania where a David Evans was reported in residence in 1777. This is one possibility of contact between the Evans and Alexander families. A more likely explanation was the move of James Alexander, Abigail’s older brother, around the age of twenty, from Cecil County to Centre County, Pennsylvania in 1795. This was when Israel Evans, about the same age as James, was still living here, and his father, David, owned a mill on Beech Creek. Surely this must have been the pipeline that created the acquaintance between Israel Evans and Abigail Alexander that lead to their marriage.

Now, lets try to pinpoint the grandfather of David Evans. The most likely candidate is a David Evans who shows up in the 1770’s as the owner of 219 acres in the region of two township’s--Julian and Martha’s Furnace [See #1 on pictorial map]. A gristmill would be built here. Israel Evans would grow up in this area. Note its proximity to Spruce Creek where Israel and Abigail would establish a mill after they were married. This would be where David, their son, would spend his youth, just as his father, Israel, had done before him. It only makes sense that they would settle close to one another.

By 1784, David Evans is listed as the owner of a gristmill near Potters’ mills [See #2 Pictorial map]. In the 1790 census for Mifflin County, he is listed as the head of a household with one male over 16, one male under 16, and six females under 16. Israel Evans, having been born in 1770 would have been around twenty years of age, and living away from home. In 1795, James Alexander, the oldest son of Josiah Alexander, and the elder brother of Abigail Alexander (who would marry Israel Evans in 1802) moved to Centre County, Pennsylvania. This occurred while David Evans, the father of Israel Evans, was still working his mill on Beech Creek.

In the 1800 census for Mifflin County, the name of David Evans no longer appears. However, he is now listed as living at Patton, 15 miles southwest of Bald Eagle, and 35 miles from Martha’s Furnace [See #3 Pictorial map].

Frederick Evans, a surveyor, testified that in 1777 Joseph Brittin lived with David Evans, whose land joined his father’s land in Montgomery County. The date is somewhat out of sync with more compatible dates for David’s migrations.

In 1816, Josiah Alexander, Abigail’s father sold his land and holdings in Cecil County, Maryland, and moved to Centre Hall, Pennsylvania. It is believed that Israel and Abigail’s last child was born in this township in 1823. Josiah died in 1818 at the age of sixty-six. Twelve years later, Israel and Abigail would move northward to Chatham, Ontario, Canada.

Many of these moves were prompted by the poor, rocky soil of Cecil County and the inevitable “drying up” of the streams that provided power for the mills.

A key figure in the affairs of the Evans and the Alexander’s was Reverend Linn, a Presbyterian minister in Bellefonte, 15 miles from the Susquehanna River, and just a short distance from Centre Hall. He officiated from 1783 to 1868. During those years the two families were attending church together. Reverend Linn married three members of the Evans family and seven members of the Alexander family.

Now, let us see if we can reconstruct a family that approximates twenty-one children. If Israel’s statement is true, regarding the number, it would appear likely that he was married more than once, and most likely, his period of reproduction spanned close to forty years, from 1760 to 1800 (twentieth to sixtieth year of age). He could easily have lived into his eighties.

How about his righteous grandson and namesake, David? His life spanned eighty-one years, just as it had for his father, Israel. David was not married until he was twenty-five years old. His reproductive life extended over a forty-nine year period, and forty-one children were born. Eight of these died in early child-hood. Of the forty-one children, 27 (66 percent) were born during the Lehi years, and after David was fifty-one years of age. He was married seven times.

	Name	Birth	Death
1	Benjamin	abt 1760	?
2	David	abt 1761	?
3	William	abt 1762	1801
4	Azariah	abt 1763	?
5	Frederick	abt 1765	?
6	Rowley	abt 1766	?
7	Israel	abt 1770	16 June 1851
8	Sarah	abt 1771	abt 30 Aug 1824
9	Amanda	abt 1772	abt 2 Oct 1825
10	Margaret	abt 1773	abt 30 Nov 1825
11	Jonathan	abt 1775	?
12	Hannah	abt 1776	abt 30 Nov 1825
13	Ezekiel	abt 1777	?
14	Thomas	abt 1779	abt 20 Apr 1829
15	Enoch	abt 1782	?
16	Eleazer	abt 1785	?
17	Nancy	abt 1795	?
18	Rosanna	abt 1801	?
19	Rebecca	abt 1802	abt 25 Oct 1843

Subsequent to 1794 the assessments of Potter and Bald Eagle in Mifflin County were lost and never returned. They were taken out for some land trial and never returned. New settlers and movements of settlers during this period would not have been recorded between 1794 and 1800. This would have influenced the doings of the Evans and Alexander families.

I wondered why there were no Evans’ serving during the Revolutionary War when there were twenty-one children. The possibility of Loyalist sympathies was explored without result. If you analyze the considered birth dates of David’s children, however, it would appear that only two or three males would have been eligible.

Name appears on county records of Potter Township in 1778. This indicates a proximity to David Evans, his father, who lived in this same region. He is also listed with a Duncan McVickars, who was appointed with David Evans, Benjamin’s brother, to layout a road. Benjamin was at least eight years older than his brother, Israel.

Name appears with Duncan McVickars as appointed to layout a road. In 1789 he was listed on the Thomas Smith tract in the region of Bald Eagle. This would indicate that he was living away from home in 1778 and 1779. This David Evans was not a father to Israel, but a brother.

Listed on assessment list in Bald Eagle Township in 1792. Owner of 150 acres, 2 horses and 1 cow. His brother, David, had a similar ownership. He was also listed as a taxable inhabitant of Mifflin County on 30 Mar 1789. This would imply that he was a property owner raising a family by 1789.

A surveyor in 1791. Listed as a taxable in 1793. Helped layout a road from Wolfe’s tavern to mouth of Buffalo Creek. He was laying out property in Greenville in 1796, and was elevated to a member of the House in 1808.

In the assessment of Bald Eagle township the name of Rowley Evans appears in 1792. Listed as owner of 900 acres.

Her will cited on 30 Aug 1824. She mentions her mother’s name as Letitia. She does not mention her father who would now be dead.

Will probated on 2 Oct 1825. Register Docket Entry G7. Wills 3786H57. Perhaps Bishop Evans named his ninth daughter after this lady.

Will probated at Spring Township on 30 Nov 1825. Perhaps the fifth child of Bishop Evans was named after this lady who died 10 years before she was born.

In 1801 his name appears on the rolls of the lower Bald Eagle Township (just after the period of lost records.) He was a tanner. Could he have learned this trade from Joseph and James Alexander (tanners) who moved from Cecil County in 1795?

Will probated on 30 Nov 1825 at Spring Township. Perhaps Hannah Anderson, my grandmother, and the 37th child of Bishop Evans was named after her.

Listed as living with General Benner in 1794. General Benner was responsible for the Benner Township, which was listed as part of Centre County. He was listed as a maker of iron. Enoch Evans, Thomas’s brother was also listed as an employee in 1812.

Listed as an inhabitant of Ferguson Township, which had been erected out of Patton beginning at the line of Bald Eagle and Patton Township. He was married in 1801.

Listed as married to Robert McCrea on 15 Jun 1815 by Reverend Linn at Bellefonte. This could not have been Israel’s daughter who was born on 26 May 1814, but could be the aunt after whom she was named.

Married by Reverend Linn to Enoch Passmore Boggs on 23 Jun 1823. Will was probated on 25 Oct 1843. The Executor was James W. Evans.

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