Evans 2nd Generation
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Generation No. 2
2. William Parke2 Evans (Jesse1) was born April 06, 1811 in Chester Co., Pa, USA, and died March 01, 1852 in San Francisco, Ca., USA. He married Hannah Roberts Benner 1832 in Probably Downingtown, Chester Co., Pa., daughter of Jonathan Benner and Janette Himes. She was born November 11, 1811 in Chester Co., Pa., and died November 30, 1884 in Centerville, Utah, USA.
Notes for William Parke Evans:
William Evans is found in the 1840 Census for East Caln Pa., Twp., which included Downingtown as the town was not a separate entity until 1850. The Census shows 1 male under age 5, 1 male between 5-10, 1 male 40-50, 2 females 10-15, 2 females 15-20, 1 female, 20--30, and 1 female 40-50. It is possible that William and Hannah had some children who didn't survive until 1846 when they left Pennsylvania. Their known children were born in 1833, 1837, 1839, 1843, and the daughter, Janette Hines born 1849 in San Francisco.
Page 15 of the Section called : A Pictorial Essay on the History of Downingtown, by Joseph E. Miller, included within the Book called "A History of Downingtown", by Jane L.S. Davidson shows a shop labeled the John S. Mullen & Company Cash Store. The picture, taken in 1860 shows the building in bad state of repair, just before being torn down. An examination of the land transactions for said lot indicates that was the lot purchased in 1817, by Jesse Evans, and sold by his heirs in 1837. It is probable that William Evans had his tailor shop here.
William Evans is named as one of three tailors practicing their trade (supporting the industrial Revolution in that site) in Downingtown, Pa., in the book, "A History of Downingtown", by Jane L. S. Davidson, Downingtown Borough, 1982, page 39. Further research should uncover a business license.
This ad was found in Chester County Democrat, October 11, 1831: A Female Apprentice To the Tailoring business, is wanted immediately by William Evans, Downingtown, October 11, 1831 (26 3t).
From American Republican, February 19, 1833. Notice - All persons indebted to the subscriber are requested to make immediate payment, as he intends shortly to decline his present business, and those having demands against him will please present them for settlement. s/s William P. Evans, Downingtown, January 29, 1833 (1-3t).
There are several family accounts that state William Evans was the oldest son of Jesse Evans. In spite of continuing research, no siblings have been found or alluded to in any records thus far uncovered (1999).
He was baptised in the L.D.S. Faith in 1833 in Brandywine, Chester Co., Pa. From Garn Family History, 1989;VII, pp 175-180; L.D.S. Family History Library, He was married to Hannah Roberts Benner in 1832, in Pennsylvania. He departed New York City, Feb. 4, 1846 aboard the ship 'Brooklyn', with his wife and four children. He sailed 'round the horn' to San Fernandez Islands of the coast of Chile, to Hawaii, to San Francisco, arriving July 31, 1846. They off-loaded by small boat, over the beach. He was tailor, and raced sulky as a hobby. He was critically injured in a sulky racing accident on New Year's Day, January 1, 1852, and was cared for at home until his death on March 1, 1852. He was one of the twenty men who built the New Hope farming settlement in San Juaquin Valley, at the junction of the Stanislaus and the San Juaquin Rivers, near present-day Stockton, under the direction of Sam Brannan, to be the new home of the ship "Brookyn" colony.
From Bancroft's Pioneer Registry and Index to California History, Vol. II page 795, "Evans, (Wm), 1846, of the Morm. Col., with wife Hannah R., and 4 child. Amanda M., Jonathan B., Parley P., William H. v. 546; owner of S.F. lot '47. B. 683; d. S.F. '52; the family went to Utah in '57, where the mother died in '84 when the children were all living."
A conversation with Floyd Garn Hatch in the summer of 1998, established that William Evans requested ex-communication by Addison Pratt, at a hearing on the status of Mormon leader and head of the immigrants from the "Brooklyn", Sam Brannan, at which time Brannan was ex-communicated. The charges against William were 'drunkeness and abuse of family.' William's request was disregarded as it was said to be tendered in the 'heat of the moment'. Floyd Garn Hatch is a descendant of William Evans' youngest daughter, Mary Ann Jennet Evans.
After the failure of the farming community New Hope, (said to be caused by swarms of mosquitos which made human habitation impossible), William Evans returned to San Francisco, where he continued to practice as a tailor at his shop at what is now the corner of Market Street and Van Ness Avenues. The family home was located on Broadway between Powell and Mason Streets. A picture, found in the possession of descendants of Mary Ann Jennet Evans, shows a wood-frame construction. It was two stories, with bedroom windows located along the front of the upper story. The house was painted white and was surrounded by a white picket fence with a gate opening into the street.
William Evans is listed in the Business Directory for San Francisco for 1850, found in the Museum of the City of San Francisco: Evans, William; Evans and Robinson, Montgomery between C. and P. At the beginning of the listing was the explanation that there were not yet house numbers for San Francisco, and that the directory showed the closest streets. The 'C' and 'P' are Clay and Powell. Robinson is shown separately, in the same listing, as "cooper". Conclusion: William Evans was part owner (with Robinson) of a cooperage.
From: The Alta California, Page 2, Column 6, March 3, 1852
On the evening of March 1st, 1852, Mr. William Evans, ag'd 41 years, formerly of Chester County, Penn. He emigrated to this State in the ship Brookn. His relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend his funeral at 2 o'clock this afternoon, at his late residence on Broadway, between Powell and Mason streets.
From State Archives Records in Sacramento, Ca.: Buried at Yerba Buena Cemetery, San Francisco California, Grave No. 1684. Removed to City Cemetery 1870 or later. From inscription on stone: William Evans, Born Chester County, Pennsylvania, died in San Francisco, Died or Buried March 1, 1852. Age 41 years.
Notes for Hannah Roberts Benner:
From Chester County Democrat, 10/11/1831:
A FEMALE APPRENTICE
To the Tailoring business, is wanted
immediately by
WILLIAM EVANS,
Downingtown, October 11, 1831 (code No. 26 3t).
It is possible that Hannah Roberts Benner answered this ad for apprentice to William Evans. She was the oldest of three girls, just 20 years, and her father Jonathan Benner had suffered a bankruptcy ten years earlier. Although the exact date of her marriage is not known, it was sometime during the year 1832. Her apprenticeship was relatively short.
Hannah Roberts Benner Evans received the following letter from her sister in Pennsylvania. It was not in an envelope, but as was the custom, the letter was folded and sealed wih sealing wax.
July 14th, 1848 (Letter was received February 6, 1849, in San Francisco).
Dear brother and Sister and Dear little Children
I take my pen in hand to inform you that we are well at preasant hoping that when these lines reaches your hands they may find you all enjoying the same blessing Hannah We have parted with our Dear Mother She caught a bad Cold last December which settled on her lungs She kept her bed about five weeks She died on the 16th of February and was buried the 18th in the manor graveyard It was a hard stroke on us but all the worst on father he greives and frets so Hannah I think that she as the pertiest corps that I ever set my eys on for such old person she had a lovely smile on her countenance o but I wish you could have seen her It was very hard to part with her but we trust that she is better off She Said that death was no terror to her we Done all that we could for her Doctor Gaslon gave her up and then father send me and got Schenesks pulmonis suryp and she had taken almost 4 bottels of it when she Died Hannah when you read this don't grieve yourself two mush for she is far better of for she had no pleasure here and our loss is her gain last spring was a year She had a bad spell of bleding of the lungs and then I thought that she would not live and she was never the same afterward father thinks that when you hear of Mothers Death that you would not come back but I tell him you will if you live He lives with Mary and he Says that he ant contented but I think that after while he will be better contended God only knows Hannah I want to see you that bad that I don't know what to do sometimes Mary is all the one that I have to see of my own and when I go there I can see her and father both Amanda is a young woman I suppose I should like to see her Benner all most young man Parly and Wille fine littel boys no doubt So our littel James is a fine boy he can talk as fast as you can and he sucks yet and I am all most ashamed to tell it Mary and Frances is fine little girls and Kesia two Hannah I am Smoking now right now I have smokt most last winter and this summer than ever I believe Ludwicks family is all well I was down there last Sunday and Mary and me was talking about you Eliza Mattack has been not expected to live but She got better her mother is dead betsy Bones is dead Rebeca Kerns is dead old Mary Tamy is dead Robert Sin is dead I don't know of any wedings to tell you of but old William White he is married and Edith is married tit hannah is on the stocks yet Ira Wilsons wife has been laying now for more than a year that She has never been out of her bed mormons is skarce here now there is none but Mary and me Mifflin Parmer has quit them I hear Thes is the second letter that I have send to you and send me word if ever you got them or not I would rather see you than wright to you father was up to see me last Wensday he looks well now I don't expect that you need ever look for us out theire but I want to see you if God Spares me Somehow or other I reckon that if we should see each other again that you could tell me more than I ever knowd do you look like you did when you went away I know how you lookt then and Evans two and the dear lettil Children hannah that woman that borrowed your Cloak where is She i am getting sleepy and must bring my letter to a close and I want you to right to us often for it does us good to hear from you I pray that God will spare us to meet again in this world no More at preseant but still remains Your affectionate Sister Ann H. Crisman, George Crisman, Mary B. Crisman, Frances M. Crisman, Kesia B. Crisman, James P. Crisman, No More littil Crismans.
Hannah Roberts Benner Evans and her family arrived in Utah in November, 1857, with Zacheus Cheney and his wife, ( Hannah's oldest daughter, Amanda Miller Evans.) They were well-provisioned, as Hannah had prospered as a seamstress in San Francisco, and had sold both the family home, and William's interest in a building he owned with a Mr. Robinson on Montgomery between Clay and Powell. Mr. Robinson was a cooper. In Centerville, she bought what was in 1923 the site of the William Streeper home, joining the south side of that of her eldest daughter, Amanda Evans Cheney. There are family stories that the following summer (1858) believing in the threat of imminent invasion by Johnston's army, she took her family south to Lehi, Utah, and camped on the meeting-house lot until the alleged emergency was over when they returned to Centerville.
A letter from Mary Benner Ludwig, Hannah's sister, dated March 14th, 1883:
Dear Sister Hamie,
I have been looking for a letter for some time from you and on last Thursday, March 8th, I got won frome dear Nettie telling me of the death of your dear son Benner. I can sympathise with you dear sister. that is the first child you ever buried. Well thare is nothing harder. It is like tearing the heart out of us for the time but we must leave it to god to do as he thinks best. but be comforted. them that are gone is just passed away before us. thay will be ready to meet us and it wont be long. we are both getting perty well up in years so it wont be long before we meet them. what a happey meeting when we all get togather. So cheer up your loss is his gain and what is gods will we must put up with. I always say gods will be done for he knows best. you must comfort the wife and children and give them my love and tell them to put thair trust in god and he will bring them through. he will be a husband to the widow and a father to the children. well dear sister you are not the only won that has trouble. I got Nettie letter thursday and on Satuarday word came of Uncle Tuhie Benner death. (Florence's Note: This is probably Jehu Benner, brother to Jonathan Benner. See his Notes) he died sudentley. he just went out in the garden and was well as usual. hadent been sick. just went out from breakfast. he died in minutes. he had appletiey. he was married the second time. his first set of children had all left and thare was none but him and his wife. he had no children by this wife and nobodey thare but her. him dead in the garden and it a raining as hard as it could. amagin her feeling. she just set a screaming till she alarmed the neighbours. thay dont live far frome Aunt Tuliz Benner. she is living and very smart for her age. Aunt Elizabeth Benner is living but real queer. it's a pity but such things can't be helped. how old is benner youngest child. I expect thare is some of them that is grown up to be men and woman. well I must tell you I was to see Hannah Rigg a few weeks agoe. she rents her place to straingers and just won room downstairs and tow up stairs. she has none of her children with her. old Billey Vance her oldest brother lives with her. they are a perty feble couple. dont time change the people. you wouldent know half of the old folks that was young when you went away. this leaves us all well. Annies family. Ems Clara and John all well. give my love to all and to you a double share. Frome Mary H. Loudwick to Sister Hamie
According to her granddaughter Valerie Cheney Pack, in an article written for the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers, in 1960, Hannah Roberts Benner Evans was stricken with paralysis in February, 1884, while at the home of her daughter Amanda Cheney. She lived for two months, and died April 30, 1884. At the age of 73 years her hair was still black. Centerville Cemetery, Davis County, Utah, Plot A Block 16, Lot 2, Space 6.
More About Hannah Roberts Benner:
Burial: Unknown, Centerville City Cem., Davis Co., Utah
More About William Evans and Hannah Benner:
Marriage: 1832, Probably Downingtown, Chester Co., Pa.
Children of William Evans and Hannah Benner are:
+ 3 i. Amanda Miller3 Evans, born October 21, 1833 in Downingtown, Chester Co., Pa; died October 17, 1917 in Centerville, Davis Co., Utah.
+ 4 ii. Jonathan Benner Evans, born July 31, 1837 in Downingtown, Chester, Pa.USA; died February 19, 1883 in Centerville, Utah, USA.
+ 5 iii. Parley Pratt Evans, born March 18, 1839 in Downingtown, Chester Co., Pa; died October 21, 1912 in Park City, Summit Co., Utah.
+ 6 iv. William Hines Evans, born June 09, 1843 in Downingtown, Chester Co., Pa; died August 18, 1910 in Centerville, Utah.
+ 7 v. Janette Hines Evans, born January 08, 1849 in San Francisco, Ca.; died August 10, 1929 in Salt Lake City, Utah.
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