EVANS, William, 1787-1867
From Quaker Dictionary
| William Evans | |
|---|---|
 Silhouette of William Evans from Francis J. Stokes' "Stokes Cope Emlen Evans Genealogy" | |
| Alternative names: | |
| Gender: | M |
| Birth date: | 5 October 1787 |
| Place of birth: | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Death date: | 12 May or June 1867 |
| Place of death: | 322 Union St. (now Delancy St.), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Nationality: | US |
| Meeting: | |
| Branch: | |
| Disowned date: | |
| Spouse(s): | Abigail Musgrave (m. 1811), Elizabeth Barton (m.,1824) |
| Children: | 6 |
William Evans (October 5, 1787 - May or June 12, 1867) was a Quaker minister and for several years the Clerk of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting.
Biography
William Evans, the eldest son of Jonathan and Hannah (Bacon) Evans, was born on October 5, 1787 in Philadelphia. He attended Westtown in 1799 as one of the first 20 scholars there. In 1808, he was working as a druggist at 134 (now later changed to 252) South Front Street in Philadelphia, "three doors above the drawbridge." In 1811 he married Abigail Musgrave. They had two children. Evans' second marriage came in 1824, to Elizabeth Barton, a minister. The couple had four children. William Evans attended Ohio Yearly Meeting in Mt. Pleasant, Ohio in 1819. In 1820 he contracted yellow fever. Around 1822, Evans became a minister and visited meetings in the eastern United States and Canada, going as far west as Iowa. Considered an impressive speaker, his communications came usually late in meetings. Evans was on the Westtown School Committee for 53 years and was also Clerk of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting for several years. He was esteemed by some Friends of favouring a "middle policy" in the Gurney-Wilbur disputes (1845-1860). He died on the 12th of May or June in 1867 at 322 Union Street (now Delancey Street) in Philadelphia.
Works By
- The Friends Library (w/ with Thomas Evans, 14 vols., 1837-1850), Piety Promoted (w/ Thomas Evans, 4 vols., 1854)
Sources
- Shotwell, complainant, . . . Report of the testimony in a cause at issue . . . between Thomas L. Shotwell and Joseph Hendrickson and Stacy De Cow . . . by Jeremiah J. Foster, 2:328-337.
- "Memorials concerning deceased Friends, members of Philadelphia yearly meeting" Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, 1875, P. 98.
- Evans, William, Journal.
- Westonian, Westtown, Pa. Westtown Alumni Association 18:103.
- Jos. Smithts Cat., 1:580.
- Hodgson, Society of Friends in the 19th cen., 2:118 et. seq.
