- Born: 1691, Wales
- Marriage: (1): Sarah Abt 1707, Prince George's Co, MD
- Marriage: (2): Priscilla 1726, Prince George's Co, MD
- Died: 30 Sep 1770, West Augusta Co, VA, at age 79
Event: Deed 7 DEC 1722 "Swans Delight" Prince Georges Co., MD Event: Deed 7 DEC 1722 Sell part of "Evans Range" to John Swan Event: Deed 7 DEC 1722 Wife Sarah is mentioned in Deed Event: Deed 5 SEP 1768 Sells 200-acres of Evans Range to Thomas Foster Event: Deed 5 SEP 1768 Sells to Thomas Foster 200-acres Event: Deed 5 SEP 1768 Wife Priscilla is mentioned in Deed Event: Migration 7 OCT 1730 Living near Hagerstown, VA (now MD) Event: Migration 7 OCT 1730 Conococheague River Settlements Burial: May have died Frederick Co., MD = Washington Co., MD 1776 Event: Birth Record 1691 Maryland = Gordon C. Baker Note:
The ultimate authority on this branch of the Evans family is Mr. Gordon C. Baker. He has written several historical articles for Cornerstone Clues. (Cornerstone Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 547, Waynesburg, PA 15370)
Mr. Gordon C. Baker
126 South Adams Street
Rockville, MD 20850-2324
Notes for Samuel Evans by Gordon C. Baker:
"Samuel Evans lived in Prince Georges Co., Md. before moving to Western Maryland. There is a deed dated 7 December 1722 in which Samuel Evans sells a tract of land called "Swans Delight" and part of a tract called "Evans Range" to John Swan. When his son John Evans moved in 1769 to Greene Co., Pa., (did not become Greene Co., PA until 1796) family tradition says that Samuel Evans went along, even in his advanced years, and died about a year afterward. Some family researchers dispute this and believe Samuel died in Maryland. In a deed dated 7 December 1722 Samuel Evans sold to John Swan for 40 pounds part of a tract of land in Prince Georges Co., MD called "Swans Delight" and "Evans Range" containing 100 acres. Sarah Evans acknowledged this deed. This would indicate he was married to a Sarah in 1722 (must have married about 1707 if they had 13 children). She may have been the mother of most if not all of his children (wrong). In another deed 5 Sept 1768 in which he sold 200 acres of "Evans Range" to Thomas Foster a wife Priscilla is mentioned. In the book "Pioneer Sketches And Family genealogies" by Ayres under an article on Samuel's son, Hugh Evans, it states, "Samuel Evans...was the father of 13 children by his first wife and 11 by his second. He was living near Hagerstown, MD when a son Hugh was born Oct. 7, 1730." This story probably descended down in the Hugh Evans family and was related to Ayres when he did his book. It is interesting that we do have the names of eleven children by Samuel Evans (We Actually have 14 or 15 and Gordon C. Baker didn't attach the correct children to the correct wives as he didn't realize that the first wife Sarah died in 1725). These were found in the "Swan-Hughes" Bible and printed in the book "The Tenmile Country And Its Pioneer Families" by Howard Lecky (which has errors in it). Just how many wives and children Samuel had will probably never be known. It is believed that Samuel Evans did leave Prince Georges Co., MD and move to what is now Washington Co., MD, which was then the frontier, and lived in what was known as the Conococheague Settlements. This was along the Conococheague River near what is now Hagerstown, MD. (Actually probably near what is now Williamsport, Washington Co., MD by the Potomac River). His sons, John, Richard and Hugh Evans probably lived in this settlement along with various other relatives from Prince Georges Co. This was the jumping off point for their move to Greene Co., PA about 1768 or 1769." Article By Gordon C. Baker (with amendments added).
Note: Actually Samuel Evans probably never moved at all. Part of Calvert County, Maryland became Prince George's County, Maryland in 1695, then part of Prince George's County, Maryland became Frederick County, Maryland in 1748, and then the section where he lived in Frederick County, Maryland became Washington County, Maryland in 1776. In all probability, he probably never moved at all, as the area where he lived was actually three different counties at one time or another. Additionally he probably never left Maryland along with his children to what is now Greene County, Pennsylvania in 1769 or to what was then Monongalia County, Virginia. The area on the eastern side of the Monongahela river was originally Cumberland County, Pennsylvania in 1750 to around 1770 and became part of Bedford County, Pennsylvania around 1772 on the eastern side of the Monongahela river and then became Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania around 1774, the area being disputed with Monongalia County, Virginia. The unsettled area on the western side of the Monongahela river became Washington County, Pennsylvania in 1781, and later the south portion of Washington County, Pennsylvania became Greene County, Pennsylvania in 1796. The area on the eastern side of the Monongahela river from Washington County, Pennsylvania became Fayette County, Pennsylvania in 1783. Parts of the old District of West Augusta, Virginia, disputed with Pennsylvania, became Monongalia County, Virginia in 1776, and later the south portion was separated by the Mason-Dixon line between Pennsylvania and West Virginia in 1863, when the new State of West Virginia was formed from the old Virginia. Samuel Evans probably never moved to what is now Greene County, Pennsylvania. If he did move with his sons, he moved to what was then known in 1769 as Cumberland County, Pennsylvania or Monongalia County, Virginia, on the eastern side of the Monongahela river. The area on the western side of the Monongahela river (Indian or depreciation lands not settled until 1781) became Washington County, Pennsylvania in 1781 and the south portion as Greene County, Pennsylvania in 1796. Gordon C. Baker erroneously listed Priscilla Evans b. 26 December 1726, John Evans b. 2 November 1728, Hugh Evans b. 7 October 1730, Eleanor Evans b. 25 June 1732, David Evans b. 26 March 1734, Richard Evans b. 26 May 1736, Thomas Evans b. 27 September 1740 and Rachel Evans b. 6 July 1742 as children of Samuel Evans first wife Sarah, however Sarah died on April 5, 1725 (at birth of child Sarah Evans on same date). All of those children born after 1725 were the children of Samuel Evans second wife Priscilla. This fact is proven by the birth of Priscilla Evans on December 26, 1726, named after Samuel Evans second wife Priscilla Unknown, who was living on September 5, 1768 according to Gordon C. Bakers notes.
Robert Smith has Samuel Evans born abt. 1700 in Wales, while according to Gordon C. Baker, he is actually Samuel Evans b. 1691 in Calvert Co., Maryland, which became Prince George's County, Maryland in 1695.
"Based upon research by Wilbur Evans, Samuel Evans was thought to have 2 wives and up to 22 children." This note is from Robert Smith, II (Rob Smith) firstname.lastname@example.org The note identified the proper Samuel Evans his family descends from, as his Samuel Evans he says was born about 1700 in Wales who is said to have had 22 children by two wives by Wilbur Evans is the same Samuel Evans born 1691 in Maryland who actually had about 24 children by two wives according to Gordon C. Baker.
According to Gordon C. Baker, Samuel Evans had 24 children by two wives. It was mentioned that Samuel Evans had 13 children by his first wife Sarah, and 11 children by his second wife Priscilla. All of the 11 children by his second wife Priscilla seem to be identified with a possible addition of a 12th child Edward Evans. Robert Smith only listed two children of Samuel Evans, one of whom was Richard Evans, who has been identified as Richard Evans born May 26, 1736, son of Samuel Evans and his second wife Priscilla, and the second he mentioned was Edward Evans, the ancestor of his family whose descendants lived in what is now Evansville, Preston Co., West Virginia. Since Robert Smiths ancestor Edward Evans married around 1764, it appears he may have been born around 1739-1744, or there may possibly be a missing generation and he could be a son of one of the 11 children of Samuel Evans second wife Priscilla. Edward Evans could be a twelfth unknown child of Samuel Evans second wife Priscilla as he had a daughter named Priscilla born about 1784, apparently named after either his grandmother or his mother Priscilla. Edward Evans is an inigma for now. Like Gordon C. Baker says, the truth may never be known.
Only 3 of the 13 children by Samuel Evans first wife Sarah were actually previously identified, as Gordon C. Baker mixed up some of the children of Samuel Evans second wife Priscilla as being children of Samuel's first wife Sarah. With the addition of Edward Evans and his descendants who lived in what is now Evansville, Preston Co., West Virginia, from Mr. Robert Smith, this would bring a new total of 15 known children of Samuel Evans by his two wives Sarah and Priscilla, with 10 children from Samuel Evans first wife Sarah still left to be identified, and the number of children from his second wife Priscilla possibly being changed from 11 to 12. Edward Evans ancestry is still in question and may never be known, as his marriage date of around 1764 indicates a birth date of around 1739-1744. How can we separate fact from fiction ? Only by posting what is known, part of it guessed and hopefully someone else may have additional information to add to and correct the record we currently have to someday help answer the question. I myself am not a crystal ball and cannot answer the queston. Possibly when I get to heaven, I will ask those folks there where and when they were actually born, and whom their parents were. M.B. Gapen, 2003.
Samuel married Sarah about 1707 in Prince George's Co, MD. (Sarah was born about 1691 in Calvert Co, MD and died on 5 Apr 1725 in Prince George's Co, MD.) The cause of her death was sarah died in childbirth.
Samuel also married Priscilla in 1726 in Prince George's Co, MD. (Priscilla was born in 1704 in Prince George's Co, MD.)