CAMPBELL COUNTY, VA - HISTORY - Campbell Chronicles and Family Sketches Family Sketches - Evans ----¤¤¤---- CAMPBELL CHRONICLES and FAMILY SKETCHES Embracing the History of CAMPBELL COUNTY, VIRGINIA 1782-1926 By R. H. EARLY With Illustrations J. P. BELL COMPANY LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA 1927 Evans Two Evans families appear on Campbell records. The first represented by Matthew Evans, who patented 4OO acres on both sides of Reedy creek in the section then embraced in Lunenburg. In 1782 William Evans was allotted 204 3/4 acres, on Wreck Island creek, together with Tarleton Patterson. Evans gave a power of attorney to Charles Lynch, Jr., upon Lynch's payment of £100, he having become the real legatee of Benjamin Clement by purchase of Evans' share of Clement's estate in 179O. Arden and Susanna Evans sold Richard Bloxsam, of Louisa, 384 acres lying on Hills and Cheese creeks. Rees (written also Rice, Welsh Rhys) Evans, born 1719, died 18l3, came from Wales to Chester county, Pennsylvania, in 1752, and two years later to Virginia, settliiig in Campbell near present Concord station on Norfolk and Western railroad. The receipt for payment of his ocean passage is preserved by descendants and is as follows: "Received of Rice Evans eleven pounds, five shillings (£ English), in full for passage of himself, wife and child from Dublin to Philadelphia, April 7, 1752," signed, Nathan Stokes. The wife was Bridget Evans, and child, his eldest son, Daniel. In 1776 Rees Evans acquired 34O acres on Naked creek of Falling river, which had been granted to David Rankin of Bedford county in 1771 and which Evans gave to his son Daniel in 1792, at the same time gave him a title to the land upon which he lived, stipulating that Daniel pay his sister, Letty, £2O, and, with the further condition that Daniel furnish his father and mother a comfortable maintenance on the plantation during the remainder of their lives. Rees' will, recorded in 1813, made Daniel executor of his estate, gave the widow her dower, provided for the sale of his personal property and for distribution of the proceeds in five lots, respectively, to his heirs, John Davis, John Bryan, Thomas Franklin, Lewis Lewis and Sampson Evans. Children of Rees Evans: —Daniel, born 1750, married Jane . . .; had children:-Eleanor, born 1781; —Rees, born, 1783, m. 1835, Martha J., the dau. of James Robertson. He was a militia captain;— Thomas, born 1785, m. Miss Robertson; sons, Dr. Daniel S., of Cherry Hill and Dr. Thomas W., of Man's View; he was a militia colonel;—Letitia, born 1789, and Bridget, born 1793. —Sampson, born 1752, served in the Revolutionary War, was a pensioner of same; aged 81 years in 1835. He bought of his brother, Daniel, 225 acres at the head waters of Falling river in 1783, a tract which had been conveyed to Daniel in 177O. Sampson also owned land around Concord. —Elizabeth, born 1759;-Nancy A., born 1764;—Catherine, born 1766;—Letitia, born 1769. Major Daniel J., Jr., son of Captain Rees Evans, resides at Gypsy Farm, near Concord, married Lillian, the dau. of Lewis, grand-daughter of Colonel Robert Franklin of the Pilot Mountain estate. He received the title of major of the 117th militia regiment by commission from Governor Henry Wise, entered the Confederate army as orderly sergeant, later made lieutenant of the "Appomattox Invincibles," which was numbered Company "C" of the 2Oth Battalion of heavy artillery. Afterwards he was detailed to the commissary department with title of captain, and was acting as such in Richmond at its evacuation, under General John C. Breckenridge, escaping over Mayo's bridge after it had been set afire by the Federal forces. His commissary supplies became seized, and his fine horse, which he had loaned to a wounded soldier, was also taken, and he was captured, sent to Washington, and thence to Johnson's Island. Upon returning to Campbell, after release from prison, he followed the profession of teaching. Now retired from business activities, he resides at his home near Concord, advanced in years but mentally well preserved and with keen interest in community affairs. His daughter, Martha, also adopted the profession of teaching and now holds a position in Concord school. In 1753 Robert Evans patented 4OO acres lying on Dry creek adjoining the land of Owen Franklin. Edward S. Evans, the head of E. S. Evans & Company, of Detroit, Michigan, and the country's foremost loading and shipping engineer, (of Lynchburg parentage), was born in that city in 188O; his father was one time owner and editor of the Lynchburg Advance, and his mother a member of the William Murrell family, long resident in the town. Evans mastered the science of automobile loading, turning out loading blocks and crates by millions. Success came to him after many trials and failures, and his early efforts were hampered by ill health and disappointments. It is claimed that he saved the automobile business $6O,OOO,OOO and that 9O% of all automobiles loaded for shipment are crated, blocked and secured with Evans' material and under Evans' controlled patents. He owns lumber mills and forests in seven states and Canada, from which he draws his timber supplies and is the largest industrial user of pine lumber in America. He heads his own bond and investment house, is vice-president of a national advertising agency and secretary-treasurer of a motor-truck manufacturing company. Another member of the above Murrell family was Dr. David Murrell, of Paducah, Kentucky, who was at the head of a hospital in that city. He married Cornelia Randolph, of Louisiana, who survives him. ___________________________________________________________________ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com ___________________________________________________________________ File size: 5.8 Kb