William Evans

• Burke, Bernard, Sir. A genealogical and heraldic history of the landed gentry of Great Britain & Ireland 6th ed. London : Harrison 1879. Vol I. page 522

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Of Allestree Hall, Derbyshire.

William Evans (17 January 1788 – 8 April 1856) was a Whig politician who represented the constituency of North Derbyshire.

Evans was the son of William Evans of Darley and Elizabeth Strutt who was the daughter of Jedediah Strutt of Belper. The Evans family had made a fortune from lead mines at Bonsall, and an iron slitting and rolling mill in Derby and a cotton mill at Darley Abbey. They also owned the Evans Bank in Derby.

Evans was MP for East Retford in 1818 and 1820, and in 1826 unsuccessfully contested Leicester at a cost of between £20,000 and £30,000. In 1826 a compromise was reached and Evans was returned for Leicester without a poll, the same happening in 1831 when Evans was a reformist. Evans was re-elected in the 1832 Reformed parliament, but lost his seat in 1835. He then stood for Derbyshire North in 1837 and held the seat until 1852.

Evans became High Sheriff of Derbyshire in 1829 and He was a Deputy Lieutenant of Derbyshire and J. P., and lived at Allestree Hall. He was philanthropic in his support of schools and churches.

Evans married Mary Gisborne, daughter of Rev. Thomas Gisborne of Yoxall Lodge in July 1820. He was father of Sir Thomas William Evans, 1st Baronet who also became a Member of Parliament.

• Updated from MyHeritage Family Trees via son Sir Thomas William Evans by SmartCopy: Mar 28 2015, 9:37:40 UTC