Evans Family Papers, 1709-1928

Access and use

Location of collection:
Library of Virginia
The Library of Virginia
800 East Broad Street
Richmond, VA 23219
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Archives Reference Services
Phone: (804) 692-3888
Restrictions:

There are no restrictions.

Terms of access:

microfilm.

Preferred citation:

Evans Family Papers, 1709-1928. Accession 39664, Personal Papers Collection, The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Va.

Summary

Creator:
Evans Family
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

Evans Family Papers, 1709-1928. Accession 39664, Personal Papers Collection, The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Va.

Background

Scope and content:

Papers, 1709-1928, of the Evans family of Paoli, Chester County, Pennsylvania and South Boston, Halifax County, Virginia. The majority of the collection relates to the activities of Joshua Evans, Jr. (1777- 1846), John Davis Evans (1814-1884), and Edward Livingston Evans (1857-1909). Includes correspondence, accounts and receipts, estate papers, subject files, oversized items, framed items, and a ledger containing miscellaneous papers.

Biographical / historical:

The Evans family were prominent residents of Paoli, Chester County, Pennsylvania, and South Boston, Virginia. Joshua Evans, Jr. was born in Paoli on 20 January 1777. He was a hotel keeper and farmer, and served one term in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives (1820) and two terms in the United States House of Representatives (1829-1833). He married Lydia Davis. She was the daughter of Dr. John Davis (1744- 1816), and was born on 2 February 1778. She died shortly after the birth of their fifth child, on 20 November 1818. Joshua Evans, Jr. died in Paoli on 2 October 1846 and is buried in the Great Valley Baptist Church cemetery in New Centerville, Pennsylvania.

His son John D. Evans was born on 18 October 1814. He lived his entire life in Paoli, and took over the hotel business after his father died. He was also a farmer, and a partner in the Columbia Manufacturing Company. He owned rental property in Philadelphia as well. John D. Evans never married. He died at his home in Paoli on 6 June 1884.

His "adopted son" was Edward Livingston Evans. Born Edward Livingston on 2 January 1857, he was orphaned at a young age and resided in an orphanage in Philadelphia under the charge of John D. Evans' cousin Nathaniel Jones. Evans later assumed much of the expense for his care. Edward Livingston took the last name Evans around 1873. He later resided in Farmville, Virginia in the residence of Major Andrew R. Venable, Jr., and graduated from Hampden-Sidney College. He married Mildred Blanton on 22 April 1884. They had ten children and resided in South Boston, Virginia where he was employed in the hardware business, as well as in the lumber business and in manufacturing of building material, and also in the tobacco business. He served as a town councilman and was mayor for two terms. He died at his home in South Boston on 15 March 1909.

Acquisition information:
Gift of J. Wayne Adams, Jr., South Boston, 20 June 2002.
Arrangement:

Organized into the following seven series: I. Correspondence.
II. Accounts and Receipts.
III. Estate Papers.
IV. Subject Files.
V. Oversized Items.
VI. Framed Items.
VII. Ledger.

The microfilm is organized in the following manner:
Misc. Reel 4172: Box 1 Folder 1 - Box 3 Folder 8
Misc. Reel 4173: Box 3 Folder 9 - Box 6 Folder 3
Misc. Reel 4174: Box 6 Folder 4 - Box 7 Folder 19
Misc. Reel 4175: Box 7 Folder 20 - Box 9 Folder 18
Misc. Reel 4176: Box 10 Folders 1-54
Misc. Reel 4177: Box 10 Folder 55 - Box 11 Folder 9
Misc. Reel 4178: Box 11 Folders 10-19
Misc. Reel 4179: Box 11 Folders 20-32
Misc. Reel 4180: Box 12 Folders 1-17
Misc. Reel 4181: Box 13 Folders 1-14
Misc. Reel 4182: Box 13 Folder 15 - Box 14 Folder 7
Misc. Reel 4183: Box 15 Folders 1-25
Misc. Reel 4184: Box 15 Folder 26 - Box 16 Folder 29
Misc. Reel 4185: Box 17 Folders 1 - Box 18 Folder 7
Misc. Reel 4186: Box 18 Folders 8-15
Misc. Reel 4187: Box 18 Folder 16 - Box 19 Folder 4
Misc. Reel 4188: Box 19 Folder 5 - Box 20 Folder 1
Misc. Reel 4189: Box 20 Folder 2 - Box 21 Folder 10
Misc. Reel 4190: Box 21 Folder 11
Misc. Reel 4191: Box 22 Folder 1- Box 24 Folder 15
Misc. Reel 4192: Boxes 25-26

Physical location:
Personal Papers Collection, Acc. 39664
Physical description:
10.75 cubic feet and 1 volume