JUNE 15, 1955 5

for the North Meth­ odists. Sure enough, his bound 'fHlE RlETUJRN of JAMES JEV AN§ volume for 1846 contained a copy of the bill printed fqr this sad "God moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform" occasion: REV. FRANK BAKER, D.D., Secretary, International Methodist Historical Society, , "Wesleyan Missions, Keelby. The Anni­ versary Missionary Meeting will he held in I am ashamed to say that I had first to Holland, and eleven years ing a little about someone who the Methodist Chapel, Keelby, on Monday, Nov. 23, 1846: (Hand) The Chair will never heard of James Evans. The later to the New World. There is sounded m i 1 d 1 y interesting. I he taken at six in the evening. The Meet­ Cree Indians and the Hudson's no Methodist minister living at turned up his obituary notice in ing will he addressed by the Rev. W. Vevers, of Hull, the Rev. J. Evans, late Bay Territory were words in the Keelby, nor ever has been. The the \Vesleyan l\Icthodist l\Iagazine Missionary . to the Territories of the Hudson's story-books of youth-for I had tiny cause there is served (among for 1847: Bay Company, the Revds. H. D. Lowe, H. Richardson, and other Friends." read my R. M. Ballantyne-but others) by a minister of one of "In our Foreign Missions • • • not living realities. How things the circuits. This min­ JAMES EVANS: a Missionary of remark­ have changed for me since last ister, the Rev. George Wedge, able ability and zeal, and of great useful­ November! ness among the North American Indians. could discover no local source of His success among the aborigines of Canada Perhaps it would be an imper­ led to his appointment as General Super­ tinence for me, a mere English­ information on Evans, and passed intendent of the recently-fanned ~Hssions the letter on to me; as Secretary in the Hudson's Bay Territory. To his man, to tell you about the man mental vigour and indomitable persever­ who has meant so much to the of the International Methodist ance, the Indians are indebted for many Historical Society, and (as it advantages; among these is a written and life of your greaf country, and printed character, suited to their language, particularly to its Indian popula­ happened) myself at this time of which Mr. Evans was the inventor. Many were the afflictions and trials he had to tion. What I can do, however, is serving Churches in North Lin­ endure: these issued in a failure of health, to explain how I personally came colnshire. which rendered his return home desirable, hut the results were not favourable. He died suddenly at Keelby, in Lincolnshire, on the 23rd of November, 1846, at the house of a friend, after attending a Mission­ ary meeting, at which his statements had excited great interest. He entered upon the Missionary work in 1834." This certainly quickened my interest, though I could not realize at the time what a typical example of the English understatement this obituary notice provided - espec­ ially that phrase "rendered his return home desirable" to describe the hounding to death of a slan­ dered saint! I must confess that I had been faintly amused at the implication Greatly reduced photograph of Bill in the original letter of enquiry announcing the missionary meeting that Evans had died while attend­ following which James Evans died. ing a "Methodist Conference" at Keelby. It is so easy for the man Below came the additional on the spot to smile at the errors information: of perspective inevitable in writ­ "Sermons will be preached on Sunday, the 22nd November, at a quarter past ten ing about completely unfamiliar o'clock in the morning and at six o'clock territory thousands of miles away. in the evening, by the Rev. J. Evans, and on Monday, the 23rd November, at two My brother Avery may have his o'clock in the afternoon, by the Rev. W. revenge as he scans the proof of Vevers. Memorial Tablet erected in the Waltham Street Chapel, Hull, near the some of my own misapprehen­ "N.B.: A Collection will be made during vault in which James Evans was buried. sions! At any rate the obituary each service in behalf of Missions." made things clearer. Evans had The Place of Burial to hear of him, how I learned Afflictions and Trials died at a missionary meeting. I So far so good. But still no clue more about him, and how even­ Almost every month a score or knew that it was of little use try­ as to where and when Evans had tually I was able to secure his two of such enquiries come to me, ing to trace this meeting in our been buried. A search among the earthly remains for the country to and have to be dealt with in the national archives. I knew also, 30,000 slips in my Methodist which he dedicated his life. midst of a busy circuit routine. I however, of the files of William Bibliography files had revealed It really commenced in Septem­ promised to do what I could, how­ Skelton, the Grimsby printer, who one book about Evans, Egerton ber, 1954, with a letter from the ever, realizing at the -same time kept copies of everything issued Young's Apostle of the North, and Rev. A. I. Avery, minister of that in the process of helping from his press between 1823 and I had written to our Methodist the James Evans United Church others I should myself be learn- 1860, including much undertaken Missionary Society in for Indian Mission at Norway House, the loan of a copy, as also for Manitoba, addressed "Methodist information about any other Minister, Kee 1 by, Lincolnshire, James Evans material. Meantime England." In view of the opening I managed to work on the files of of the new Residential School for the newspaper most widely cir­ the Indians at Norway House in culated in Lincolnshire in the 19th June, 1955, Mr. Avery wanted to century--The Lincoln, Rutland, collect all possible information and Stamford Mercury, then at the about the pioneer of the work peak of its size. Opened out, the there - a picture of the English bound volume over which I pored Church where Evans died and would have made a pleasant ridge­ presumably was buried, obitu.ary tent for two or three children notices, a death certificate, any playing at Indians-unless it had literature on him. slipped and c r u s h e d them to Actually there is no Methodist death! I studied it lying on the minister living at Keelby, situated library floor. But it was love's on the "Barton Street" of the labour lost. There was no mention Roman soldiers, now a village of of James Evans. 600 people, drowsily looking out At that time all the North Lin­ from the gentle s 1 o p e s of the colnshire Wesleyan circuits were wolds across Photo by "Hull Daily Mail," 84-86 Jameson St., Hull in the Hull District. Maybe the four miles of lowlying farmland The handing over of the casket containing the ashes of Rev. James Evans death of a Wesleyan missionary tp the dock~ and the by Rev. W. D. Watts, minister of the Queen's Hall, Hull, to Dr. Frank Baker, would be of greater significance tiny Humber creek whence the Secretary of International Methodist Historical Society. Left to right: Mr. W. to one of the Hull newspapers Pilgrim Fathers set sail in 1609, Parkin, Funeral Director, responsible for exhumation; Mr. Watts, Dr. Baker. than it was to the (Over) ,1

6 THE UNITED CHURCH OBSERVER

more widely-circulated "L.R.S.M." ever carried out in England. Even­ 'Enquiry through the Chief Librar­ tually it was obvious that although ian of my native city of Kingston­ transport had improved since the upon-Hull brought a rich reward. days when Evans had had to send The Eastern Counties Herald for his furniture from Lake Ontario. 26th November, 1846, contained to Lake Winnipeg via England, the following notice: yet there was a serious risk that "The Rev. - Eavins, Wesleyan minister, he might arrive late for the great late missionary from America, preached in the Wesleyan chapel, Keelby, near , event in June. By the time that in his usual spirited manner, apparently in all the legal formalities, material good health, and on Monday evening, while conversing with some friends, he sunk from transactions, and the c u s t o m s his chair, and instantly expired," enquiries were nearing comple­ As I was shortly to learn from tion, it was obvious that air Young's Apostle of the North, I transport was essential. was thus provided with a con­ It seemed to me fitting that the temporary illustration of Evans's remains of James Evans should vigorous enthusiasm, in that in some way continue to be asso­ phrase about his preaching "in his ciated with the sanctuary which usual spirited manner." More was to follow, however, news of had provided such a focal point especial interest to a native of in his life, as in his death. I Hull. Among the deaths noted in therefore asked for a casket to be the Hull Advertiser published on made from some suitable part of Friday, 27th November, was the the woodwork of the Church. Mr. following: W. Parkin, the funeral director responsible for the exhumation, "On Monday the 23rd instant ( whilst on a visit to England), the Rev. James discovered the one suitable piece Evans, lnte Wesleyan missionary amongst the Indians in the Hudson's Bay territory. of wood, a door-panel almost over died of apoplexy, at the house of a friend the preachers' vault- on Evans' at Keelby, near Caistor, immediately after attending: a missionary meeting:, The corpse right as he spoke from the was brought to this town by the Grimsby rostrum. Mr. Parkin himself pre­ steamer, to the house of Mr. Lundy ( his cousin), and interred in the preachers' vault pared and polished the casket. at Waltham-Street Chapel." Upper: The new Indian Residential School, Norway House, Manitoba, was The timber is a lovely flowered dedicated June 1st. Dr. M. C. Macdonald, Secretary Board of Home Missions, Waltham Street Chapel, Hull pitch pine, and we remember with was present on this occasion. interest that this tree is a native So that was where Evans was Lower: Indian children who live in the new School are shown in the classroom. of Canada, where this panel prob­ laid to rest! Waltham Street ably originated. After its ordeal Chapel, Hull. Although as a young the thrilling stories of an adven­ The Return by time, blast, lightning, fire and Sunday School teacher and local turer for Christ among the Red preacher in Hull I had only Shortly before discovering that water, the timber is somewhat Indians of the frozen north, his James Evans had been buried in cracked. And perhaps all the attended one gathering in that enthralled hearers refusing to let historic Church, I knew something Hull, I had been reading a news­ better for that. For in itself it him cease until near midnight. paper cutting brought back by my reveals something of the strange of its great traditions, and of its Nor could he have foreseen that wife from a visit to her parents story and the sterling worth of latter falling-off as a downtown a few days after this he *ould be Church. Its ancient glory had in there. It had told how the old the one whose ashes it enshrines, brought back from his last mis­ Waltham Street Chapel, derelict, part been recaptured for me by sionary meeting to be laid to rest who suffered much, who served a recent enquiry from a local bombed, struck by lightning, was magnificently, and who has at last in the vaults below his spiritual to be demolished as the site for architect-historian, for whom I returned to his true earthly home. birthplace. a new Methodist Central Hall, had been able to discover the On Sunday, 8th May, I held a identity of its architect, a certain Nor, we believe, would James adding that all the remains in the memorial service over the remains William Jenkins, called into the Evans, given his choice, have vaults were to be cremated under Methodist ministry by John Wes­ wished to lie there in his native a Home Office order, u n 1 e s s of James Evans in my own main ley himself, and a great personal city, even though he had said to claimed by relatives within two Church at Cleethorpes, not ten friend of Dr. Adam Clarke. A his beloved Mary, eager for their months. This information now miles from the place where he breakdown in health had com­ return to Canada, "Well, my dear, took on new significance. Here died-and was interested later in pelled Jenkins to superannuate, heaven is just as near from Eng­ was a providential opportunity! the week to be told by Dr. W. E. 1 whereupon he resumed his pro­ land as from Norway House." The James Evans might at long last Sangster that on hearing my news ! fession as an architect, and Rev. William Vevers, his fellow­ return to his beloved Indians! he, too, had held a memorial ser­ ! speaker at Keelby (though Evans, designed some of the finest Wes­ There was no time to lose, how­ vice in the Westminster Central as always, had stolen the meeting) leyan chapels in England, among ever. Another month and it would Hall, London, with his congrega­ recognized his colleague's tr u e which that at Hull ranked very have been too late-for ever. As tion of two thousand. high. home as he laid him to rest. For it was, speedy decisions had to be Vever's entry in the Waltham A century ago a tablet was At the opening of Waltham made. I claimed the remains of Street burial register describes his James Evans for Manitoba, and erected in the Waltham Street Street Chapel in October, 1814, "abode," not as "9, Whitefriar­ Chapel, Hull, by his many admir­ there were supposed to be four air-mailed Mr. Avery for confirma­ gate, Hull," where he was staying ers. It reads thus: thousand people present. Young tion of my action: This was sent, with his cousin, Charles Lundy, as I was sure it would be. James ·Evans, newly apprenticed milliner and straw hat maker, but "Sacred to the Memory of the Rev, to a Wesleyan grocer, would Not that everything worked out James Evans, a native of this town and - "H u d s o n B a y Territory, quite as smoothly as that. There son of Capt. James Evans. He laboured as almost certainly be among the Canada." a Wesleyan missionary sixteen years in two thousand for whom there was followed long and exasperating British N. America, including seven years It was a last, lovely gesture by spent in the Territories of the Hon. "standing room only." Did he have delays. Official permission had to Hudson's Bay Co, among the Indians; a devoted friend. Vevers knew, be secured from the Home Secre­ preaching the Gospel and promoting educa­ any premonition, we wonder, that however, that Evans and Hudson tary for the separate cremation of tion. After addressing a Wesleyan mission­ some months later these handsome ary meeting at Keelby, Lincolnshire, he Bay were parted for ever. How these, the only remains to be was suddenly called to his eternal reward walls, these shining pews, that could anyone dream that over a claimed, and for them to be Nov. 23rd, 1846, aged 45 years," impressive rostrum, would seem century later, by a strange series handed to one who was neither At the foot is added: the very gate of Heaven to him, of "coincidences," those candle­ "heir, executor, administrator, nor "This tablet was erected by his friends as his heart was stirred to its lit vaults would be stripped of relative of the deceased person." in Hull. depths and he accepted a Saviour? their d e a d, and the precious The physical difficulties of the James Evans still has many He could have hardly imagined remains of the greatest among mass exhumation proved far friends in Hull, and in Lincoln­ that o cc as ion thirty-two years them sent by means of a flying­ greater than was at first antici­ shire, and in the whole of Britain. later when he himself was the machine back to the eager wel­ pated; with over five hundred He has been speeded on his way focus of all eyes and ears, as from come of the great - great - grand­ interments, the Waltham Street to his last resting-place by the that same rostrum-"in his usual children of those among whom he vaults apparently provided the thankful prayers of a host of his I. spirited manner" - he recounted had ministered at Norway House. largest exhumation of its kind modern admirers. \