Bishop David Evans and His Family

From Cecil County Maryland To The Salt Lake Valley, 1804-1850

Maryland and Pennsylvania

David Evans, the second child of Israel Evans and Abigail Alexander, was born in Cecil Co., Maryland the 27th of October 1804. Of his father, Israel, we have but traditional information as to his parentage--a Welsh father and a German mother--that he was born about 1770 on the ocean while coming to the American Colonies from Wales. Israel is said to have Spoken on various occasions of his being the twenty-first child in his father's family. Nothing thereafter is known until the Cecil Co. marriage records list Israel Evans to Abby Alexander, 4 October 1802.

History of David's mother is somewhat more complete. She was the third child of Josiah Alexander and his wife, Elizabeth. Their children, seven in all, were James, Nancy, Abigail, Esther, Henry, Jane, and Margaret. The father, Josiah, was born 3 Oct 1752 in Cecil Co., Md., and died in 1818 in Centre Hall, Centre Co., Penn. Nothing is known of Elizabeth, his wife, except her death, 1825, in Centre Hall, Centre Co., Penn. Josiah's father, James Alexander, was born abt. 1690 again in the old home in Cecil Co.. Md. James was the father, by his first wife Margaret McKnitt, of sons who are associated with the drafting and signing of the Mecklinberg Declaration of Independence. Josiah was of his father's second family. His mother's name was Abigail. Students of the Alexander family claim Abigail to have been the sister of Margaret, James' first wife.

James Alexander was the son of Joseph Alexander, born about 1660, possibly at Raphoe, Ulster, Ireland, and died 1730 in Cecil Co., Md., and of Abigail, thought to have been a sister of John McKnitt Sr. Joseph, together with six brothers and two sisters, appears to have been children of the Reverend James Alexander, of Raphoe, Ireland--of the Laggan Presbytery. The Reverend James was born about 1625--it is not known whether in Ireland or Scotland. However, it is known that he was of Scotch extraction.

The property of Abby's father Josiah was the original "holdin's" of Grandfather Joseph, surveyed from the wilderness by George Talbot, Surveyor-General "for a certain Edwin O'Dwire and fifteen other Irishmen, " and later purchased by them from Thomas Stevenson. It was a tract of 128 acres on the east side of Big Elk River that overlapped into Pennsylvania along what later became the Mason and Dixon Line.

The country through which this tract--known as the New Munster strip--was surveyed is of rolling hills drained by the Big Elk, primarily a spring fresh. Through the years the areas that were formed not only gave their fertility to their crops but by the washing of the rains to the gullies and the streams. The thin mantle of soil overlaying a rocky foundation gradually gave way to this erosion sifting up the rocky subsoil and leaving a rocky scrabble over the surface. In the flatter areas back from the faster drainage, or where the ground has been protected by native growth as under the wooded thickets along the gully bottoms and sides, may be found myrtle and ivy in matted profusion. The soil here attests to the native fertility when surveyed by Talbot.

With the depletion of the soil over a large portion of the farm- -and with distinct advantages in the water of the Big Elk, Josiah established a mill and by the building of a dam and millrace, and by the frugal use of the limited waters of the stream, he became a successful miller.

It was into this setting that Israel moved upon his marriage to Abby. It was here that his first two children were born. The first a daughter, Eliza, 3 Aug 1803, followed by David, 27 Oct 1804. It is not known whether his name was suggested by King David, the sweet singer of Israel, whether it was because of its traditional Welsh flavor. Some wonder if it might be that David was his paternal grandfather's name following an old Welsh custom. We are led to believe that it was here that Israel learned the miller's trade from his father-in-law.

In 1795, prior to the marriage of Israel and Abby, the oldest brother James reviewed the advantages and disadvantages of the rocky Maryland soil against the claims of available rich land in Central Pennsylvania. While he recognized the disadvantages of living in Indian country he moved to Mifflin Co., Penn. In 1800 that part of Mifflin Co., where James lived, together with portions of several other counties were organized into Centre Co. As the family of father Josiah married, the advantages of farms in Central Pennsylvania attracted them, and as James was settled and able to help in finding a new home and land it was only natural to choose Centre Co. as the place to settle.

Sometime after David's birth, Israel and Abby decided to move westward. About thirty miles west and south of Centre Hall they found a place on Spruce Creek about a mile above its confluence with the Juniata River. This strip of Spruce Creek furnished a connecting valley for routes between the east and the fertile soil of the Ohio and Michigan valleys. To take advantage of this movement Israel built a one-room log structure that he operated as a tavern.

(Israel Evans--a son of David--recorded in his journal dated 16 November 1869: "I walked to the old tavern stand, one mile up Spruce Creek where grandfather once lived and kept tavern. Father--David Evans--was reared there. ")

It was in these surroundings that David grew to manhood. In such a background, the "homespun" was a way of life. It is to the credit of Israel and Abby that son David, together with the other children, gained a readin' and writin' education that, together with his frontier practicality sustained him in his many and varied pursuits throughout a long and eventful life.

It was at Spruce Creek that Jesse, a son, was born, 29 May 1811, followed by Nancy, a second daughter, 26 May 1814. It is at present believed that the last child, a son Israel, was born in 1823. While this may have been at Centre Hall it is almost certain that it was not at Chatham, Ontario, Canada as previously recorded in some of the genealogical sheets.

On the 23rd of March 1816, Josiah sold his land in Cecil Co., Maryland, and he and his wife Elizabeth moved to Centre Hall, Centre Co., Penn., to be with their family. Father Josiah was in poor health and passed away in the early part of 1818. (His will dated 10 Feb 1818 was executed 14 July 1818.) Mother Elizabeth died in Centre Co. in 1825. (Her will is dated 4 June 1819 and executed 22 Nov 1825.)

The death of the parents and the maturity of the first two of Israel's and Abby's children, together with a decline in the tavern business, triggered a family separation. Israel and Abby gave up their holdings on Spruce Creek and went to McGregors Mills. In 1830 they purchased land on the McGregor Stream and helped in establishing the town of Chatham, Ontario, Canada. Israel was very successful in Chatham as he there established the first carding and grist mills. They were powered by a team of horses on a treadmill. He established and operated the Cross Keys Tavern, hotel property, etc. A letter written by Abby to Eliza is here given- -which explains the establishment of the carding mill. It also reflects the great concern she had for her two children who had left the nest. It, too, tells us that though David had spent almost his entire premarried life in the environs of Spruce Creek, yet he was acquainted with the entire area and had enjoyed close family relationships with his mother's people in Centre Co., "over the mountain."

Chatham 1830 October 29
Dear Children:

I now write to you again to let you know we received your letters one dated March 2 the other September 12th. We got the last in ten days after it was wrote Jess was in Detroit when the mail came in and just got it. The first we did not get until the last of June. We got one from David the same time that was wrote in June I then wrote to you both but it seems that you did not get it. I wrote to you about David when he was coming and likewise to him about you for he wanted to know whether we had heard from you or not he then did not know where to direct a letter to you. We have not had any letter from him since perhaps he did not get it. I suppose you felt sorry for the loss of your baby but why should we mourn when your own life was spared it taken and you left to be a comfort to your husband. You say you have a comfortable home and like your situation. Well we feel happy to know that you have got a good companion and hope that you will live a peaceful and Godly life. Could I talk with you in place of writing it would be more satisfactory to me but must put up with writing a little longer. It is still a comfort to us when we can write and hear from one another. I got a letter from Nancy Boozer a few days ago which was wrote the 8th of August which informs us that your Uncle James Alexander is dead he died the 12th of January last and Francis and his step Mother lives together in the old place yet and doing very well. Her three children live with them and Amos Rachel and Jane she did not say a word about. Betsy what has become of her. They are still where we left them and have built a fine home this summer and have all their crops in Eliza is not married yet. John and Frances is still at home with them. James is midling well and is living with young Andrew Gregg better than one year he is clerking for him he keeps store and has built a mill where Alexander Johnston lived above James. Sally Boozer has four children she had one last summer and has been in a poor state of health since not able to do anything all winter but has got able to go out a little again. Sister Peggy and Ann Pain and Frances all live at Henry Boozers. Henry Alexanders family were all well and your Aunt was just at the falling foot with the fourth child she has three sons.

I must leave them off and write about some of our own concerns( I wrote to you in the last letter that we had bought the house that Dr. McMillian owned where the creek come s into the river we have built a large frame building on it and have our carding machine in it and have had it running since the first of July. it does very good business they have carded five thousand weight since that time and is still carding some every day. It goes by horses with a tread wheel it takes two horses to turn it. We left the Mill in July when the water failed this summer. We have a midling good house and one acre of ground to it. We have had a very th~p~g summer in building and getting our mill to is county is improving very much since we came to it we have a handsome situation here and I am pleased with it. I am beginning to feel as if we lived at home and can sit down by my own fireside with pleasure in the evenings we often talk of you and feel thankful that we are still in the land of the living and not in the place of repentance and we hope that our lives may be all spared until we do meet again and hope that an opportunity may soon come that we may meet again if not we must try to prepare to meet in a better place we would like to see you both if you could make it suit you to come but must be contended till we can we would like to see David and Polly and the little children but I suppose it will be a while before I shall and must content myself with praying for you all. It has been very healthy here this summer and we have had no sickness this two years we are all well at present thank God for his mercy to us. It has been very dry this summer crops is midling good and great crops of wheat and also of fruit Jess can still nuns yet but he has grown so very tall I suppose you would not know him he talks of coming to see you some time but I don't know when. Do not think we have forgotten you we have not I wrote as soon as I knew where to direct a letter. Your Father and the children joins me in love to you Remember us to your companion and tell him that we would like to see him.

Your loving Mother till death
ABBY EVANS

Write again as soon as this comes to hand and let us know how you are coming on and write to David.

David married, 25 July 1826, Mary Beck, the daughter of Henry and Margaret Beighel Beck, of Pennsylvania. Shortly after his marriage he took up ground near Hanoverton, Columbiana Co., Ohio where his first two children were born, Eliza Jane, 16 April 1827, and Israel, 2 October 1828. Sometime shortly after this they moved to a new farm near Worthington, Richland Co., Ohio, where David broke prairie ground with its first plowing. It was here that Henry, 25 Oct 1830, and Mary Ann, 2 September 1832, were born.

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