Benjamin J Evans

The founder of this large family was Benjamin Evans, who died many years ago near York and West York, Illinois. He died when the writer was a small boy, though he can well remember seeing the old man on his death bed shortly before passing away. He then lived at the old Evans residence, long since torn down, just southeast of the Bradbury Cemetery and then the Evans Grave Yard.

Benjamin Evans was the father, it is said, of twenty three or twenty four children, of whom thirteen were by his first wife, Rebecca Willard and seven by his second wife, Mrs. Hannah Moore, a widow. These children of Benjamin Evans by Rebecca Willard were Charles, Joseph, Nixon, Axum, Willis, William, Miles, Betsy, Nancy, Peggy, Abigail, Martha, and Rebecca, thirteen in number and the children of Benjamin Evans by Hannah Moore, his second wife were Mary, Noah, Malinda, Silas, Hannah Ellen, Sarah Jane, Henry, seven in number making a total of twenty who lived and reached manhood and woman hood estate and all of whom married except Henry and had families.

Charles Evans married Sophia Long. He had the misfortune to kill a man by the name of Lacey, while building a house for Lacey at York. He was released by friends and went down the Wabash River on a boat one night and was never heard of any more. This misfortune broke his old father's heart and he never ceased to mourn the loss of his unfortunate son. Nixon Evans was twice married, first to Minerva Bartlett, and the second wife was Betsy Willard. Willis Evans was married to Rebecca Spivey, and William was married to Jane Bailiff. Miles Evans married Betsy Willard, Betsy Evans married Samuel Prevo, of Marshall and others branch of the numerous Prevo family. Nancy Evans was married to William Buckner who was the famther of Col. Allen Buckner as well as William H., Nick, Elisha, Benjamin, Enos Buckner and several other children. Peggy Evans married Lewis Huckaba of Martinsville. Abigail Evans married John Wilson of York. Martha Evans married Henry Buckner, the father of Sarah E. Bell who is the mother of the Bell family of West York and of H. C. Bell of Marshall. Rebecca Evans married William Bishop of Kankakee, Illinois.

As before stated, the second wife of Benjamin Evans was a widow, Hannah Moore. By her he had seven children. Mary Evans who married first Samuel Pointer and second John Hamilton. Noah Evans who first married Martha Bell a sister of Wiley O Bell of Marshall and the other Bells of West York, and his second wife was Sarah Jeffers. Malinda Evans married Clinton Hungerford. Silas married Eliza Wilfong. Hannah Ellen Evans married John Guyer. Sarah Jane Evans married Martin Johnson.

Henry Evans died from injuries received from the Battle of Belmont a day or two after the battle. He was brought home and buried in the Evans, now Bradbury Cemetery and a salute by a squad of soldiers was fired over his grave, the first thing of the kind ever seen in those parts. Henry Evans the youngest of this great family was never married. He is said to have shown conspicuous bravery at the Battle of Belmont and was killed by the falling of a house while he was attempting to save one of the guns of his battery of light artillery from falling into the hands of the enemy. It was from these twenty grown up children of Benjamin Evans and all of them except Henry, marrying, that produced the large and influential Evans, Buckner and branch of the Prevo family and other families of Clark County; and it is from this large and prolific family of nineteen married children of Benjamin Evans that has produced the endless relationships of this family and their descendents in York and Melrose Townships, and make it almost impossible to say anything disparaging of anybody down there without getting on the consanguineous toes of the Evans family and their lineal and collateral kindred. If you poke a stick into this human hive of Melrose and York Townships the Evans, Prevo, Bailiff, Buckner, Bennett, Willard, Nidey, Claypool, Bell, Bradbury, Chenoweth, Reyonlds, Lindley, and other swardms of human bees of those parts are likely to run out and sting for the disturber of their peace and family relationships. It is safe to say that one third of the people of York and Melrose Townships are nearly or remotely related to each other as descendants of Benjamin Evans.

One of the Hive.* Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Sep 4 2022, 7:41:32 UTC

The founder of this large family was Benjamin Evans, who died many years ago near York and West York, Illinois. He died when the writer was a small boy, though he can well remember seeing the old man on his death bed shortly before passing away. He then lived at the old Evans residence, long since torn down, just southeast of the Bradbury Cemetery and then the Evans Grave Yard.

Benjamin Evans was the father, it is said, of twenty three or twenty four children, of whom thirteen were by his first wife, Rebecca Willard and seven by his second wife, Mrs. Hannah Moore, a widow. These children of Benjamin Evans by Rebecca Willard were Charles, Joseph, Nixon, Axum, Willis, William, Miles, Betsy, Nancy, Peggy, Abigail, Martha, and Rebecca, thirteen in number and the children of Benjamin Evans by Hannah Moore, his second wife were Mary, Noah, Malinda, Silas, Hannah Ellen, Sarah Jane, Henry, seven in number making a total of twenty who lived and reached manhood and woman hood estate and all of whom married except Henry and had families.

Charles Evans married Sophia Long. He had the misfortune to kill a man by the name of Lacey, while building a house for Lacey at York. He was released by friends and went down the Wabash River on a boat one night and was never heard of any more. This misfortune broke his old father's heart and he never ceased to mourn the loss of his unfortunate son. Nixon Evans was twice married, first to Minerva Bartlett, and the second wife was Betsy Willard. Willis Evans was married to Rebecca Spivey, and William was married to Jane Bailiff. Miles Evans married Betsy Willard, Betsy Evans married Samuel Prevo, of Marshall and others branch of the numerous Prevo family. Nancy Evans was married to William Buckner who was the famther of Col. Allen Buckner as well as William H., Nick, Elisha, Benjamin, Enos Buckner and several other children. Peggy Evans married Lewis Huckaba of Martinsville. Abigail Evans married John Wilson of York. Martha Evans married Henry Buckner, the father of Sarah E. Bell who is the mother of the Bell family of West York and of H. C. Bell of Marshall. Rebecca Evans married William Bishop of Kankakee, Illinois.

As before stated, the second wife of Benjamin Evans was a widow, Hannah Moore. By her he had seven children. Mary Evans who married first Samuel Pointer and second John Hamilton. Noah Evans who first married Martha Bell a sister of Wiley O Bell of Marshall and the other Bells of West York, and his second wife was Sarah Jeffers. Malinda Evans married Clinton Hungerford. Silas married Eliza Wilfong. Hannah Ellen Evans married John Guyer. Sarah Jane Evans married Martin Johnson.

Henry Evans died from injuries received from the Battle of Belmont a day or two after the battle. He was brought home and buried in the Evans, now Bradbury Cemetery and a salute by a squad of soldiers was fired over his grave, the first thing of the kind ever seen in those parts. Henry Evans the youngest of this great family was never married. He is said to have shown conspicuous bravery at the Battle of Belmont and was killed by the falling of a house while he was attempting to save one of the guns of his battery of light artillery from falling into the hands of the enemy. It was from these twenty grown up children of Benjamin Evans and all of them except Henry, marrying, that produced the large and influential Evans, Buckner and branch of the Prevo family and other families of Clark County; and it is from this large and prolific family of nineteen married children of Benjamin Evans that has produced the endless relationships of this family and their descendents in York and Melrose Townships, and make it almost impossible to say anything disparaging of anybody down there without getting on the consanguineous toes of the Evans family and their lineal and collateral kindred. If you poke a stick into this human hive of Melrose and York Townships the Evans, Prevo, Bailiff, Buckner, Bennett, Willard, Nidey, Claypool, Bell, Bradbury, Chenoweth, Reyonlds, Lindley, and other swardms of human bees of those parts are likely to run out and sting for the disturber of their peace and family relationships. It is safe to say that one third of the people of York and Melrose Townships are nearly or remotely related to each other as descendants of Benjamin Evans.

One of the Hive.* Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Sep 4 2022, 7:43:50 UTC