£VANS OF GLOUC£ST£R~1iGb.QUC£ST£RSHll2£, ENGLAND, AND SOME ALLIED fAMILIES ·!FROM THE "RICHMOND SUNDARD, DATED FEBRUARY 21, 1880, PG. #43 UNDER NOTt::S AND ({U£RRl£5 IS FOUND THIS ILLUMINATING ORIGIN OF OUR £VANS LINE. UNDER THE TITLE, THE ARTICLE READS: STROUD, GLOUCESTERSHIRE, ENGLAND: £VANS, DAVIS, (MERY, FLOWERS, TYLER, EARLY CHURCH MUSIC IN THE U.S.A., AND: IN THE ISSUE Of THE "STANDARD," Of THE 17TH ULTIMO WE MADE NOTICE IN ANOTHER COLUMN OF THE PUBLICATION IN PARTS OF THE "GLOUCESTERSHIRE NOTES & 0UERRIES," WHICH APPEAR WEEKLY IN THE "STROUD JOURNAL," UNDER THE EDl~ORIAL CARE OF B.H. BLACKER, £so., CLERK M.A., NITSDALE HOUSE, STROUD, GLOUCESTERSHITE, fN&LAND INTIMATING AT THE SAME TIME THtlR VALUE IN GENEALOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS TO THOSE OF VIRGINIA WHO TRACE THEIR ANCESTRY TO THE SECTION ILLUSTRATED. SINCE THEN, IN REFERRING TO OUR MEMORANDUM BOOKS Of GENERAL GLEANINGS, WE MAY FIND SOME DATA WHICH WE ARE LED TO PRESENT HERE, IN HOPES THAT IT MAY DE~ELOP, SOMEWHAT, THE USEFUL MISSION OF OUR COLUMN AND MAY BE THE MEANS, MAYHAP, OF BRINGING ABOUT MUTUALLY GRATIFYING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN RELATIVES DIVIDED BY THE B80AD Aff~ANTIC AND WHOSE KNOWLEDGE OF EACH OTHER HAS BEEN RENDERED VAGUE BY LONG YEARS OF SEPARATION AND THE SUSPENSION Of CORRESPONDENCE. ' . JOHN, SON Of SAMUEL EVANS OF THE CITY 06 GLOUCESTER~iltURRIED ANN, DAUGHTER OF SAMUEL £MERY AND HAO ISSUE: ANH, SAMUEL, JOHN, AND JAMES. HE DYING, THE WIDOW MARRIED (2), THOMAS FLOWERS AND HAD ISSUE: MARV, THOMAS, AND ANN. JAMES fVANS, ABOVE, 3RD GENERATION, WAS BORN MAY 13, 1777, ANO MARRIED OCTOBER 20, 1798, MILLICENT (BORN JUNE 16, 1774), DAUGHT~R OF JOSEPH AND £LIZABETH DAVIS OF STROUD, (GIVEN BY THE FAMILY AS JUDGE JOSEPH 0AVIS).llHEV, HAVING A FAMILY Of TEN LIVING SONO AND DAUGHTERS). JAMES ANO MILLICENT HAO IN £NGLAND: JAMES,~ B. MAkCH 2, 1800, ANO JOHN, BORN APRIL 25, 1801 (NO MENTION WAS MADE Of OTHERS, BUT THEY WERE APPARENTLY BORN IN NEW YORK CITY, M. M~C.). THE BAMILY EMIGRATED TO NEW YOBK JN 180~. ~\ft. ~t(IE.Rs~VANSJ ENGAGED ;1N BUSl,.IESS ON BROADWAY, e1TY Of NEW YORK - HIS ESTABLISHMENT BEING THE £MPORIUM Of ITS DAY· IN WORKS OF ART AND VERTU - PAINTINGS~ STATUARY~ ARTISTS SUPPLIES, MIRRORS, PLATE GLASS, ANO ARTICLES Of A KINDRED CHARACTER. - AND WAS THE OAILY I RESORT OF ARTISTS AND LOVERS OF ART· MR. fVANS WAS PASSIONATELY FOND OF ~USIC, -ND HIS TASTE WAS ANOTHER BOND WITH A CH~ICE CIRCLE OF AMMETEURS· HE HAD A THOROUGH KNOWLEDGE Of IT AS A SCIENCE, INSTRUMENTAL ANO VOCAL, BESIDES POSSESSING A VOICE Of RARE COMPASS ANO TONE. HE PROBABLY CONTRIBUTED AS MUCH TO A DESIRABLE UNIFORMITY OF CHURCH Q"@~~LS AS POSSIBLY ANY OTHER CITIZEN Of NEW YORK Of HIS PERIOD Of RESIDENCE. HE WAS A MEMBER Of ITS EARLY iUTERPEAN SOCIETY AND INTRODUCED THE CUSTOM Of SOCIAL GATHERINGS FOH MUSICAL ENTERPRISES. HE COLL~~EODALSO A BOOK OF CHURCH MUSIC FROM THE MOST FAVORED PRODUCTIONS OF THE EMINENT COMPOSERS Of t7111?0PF WHlr.H WA~ AOOPTFO BV THF hF'NFRAI l.ONFf"RFNC:F OF THF ~Al='THOOIST F'PIRC:OPAI CHllRC:H OFT ~HE UNITEB STAT~S, -ND PUBLISHED UNDER ITS AUTHORITY IN 1808, WITH THE TITLE Of "0AVID 1 5 COMPANION." HE DIED AT RICHMOND, VIRGINIA, NOVEMBER 18, 1819, ANO IS BURIED IN THE CEMETERY OF THE VENERABL& Sr. JOHN'S CHURCH.## JAMES (VANS, JR.4 SON OF UIM LAST MENTIONED IS OUR VENERABLE CITIZEN, HELD UNIVERSALLY IN SUCH AFFECTIONATE REGARD, WHO MADE HIS RESIDENCE IN RICHMOND IN 1817, THE LONG YEARS SINCE BEING FILLED WITH HONORABLE USEFULNESS IN OURBUSINESS AND MUNICIPAL STATIONS. HE IS THE NESTOR OF THE MASONIC FRAIERNITY Of THIS CITY AND PROBABLY Of THE STATES; BUT IT IS IN HIS COMMUNICATIONS TO THE URAND LODGE OF THE STATE WHICH MET LAST DECEMBER. WE ~MOTE fROM THE fRINTED P,ROCEEDl,NGS: "fORTY-HiREE UEARS GGo, 1 \\'AS BrOUGHT TO MASONIC LIGHT IN HICHMOND-~ANDOLPH LOD8E F,lY, Of WHICH I WAS ELECTED 1>'ASTER.1 AM STILL A CONTRIBUTING MEMBER THERETO. SINCE THAT TIME I HAVE HELD MANY OFFICES~ FOR MY KIND BRETHERN HAVE NOT PERMITTED ME TO BE AN IDLE MASON - EVEN IN THE HIGHEST OFFICES WITHIN THEIR GIFT, IN LODGE, GRAND GOOGE, CHAPTER AND GRAND CHAPTER, AND FOR TWENTY-TWO YEARS IN BOTH BRANCHES AS GRANO LECTURER, HAVE THEY CONFERRED UPON ME, AND I CANNOT BUT FEEL PROUD THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE ADDED MY NAME TO THE LIST Of GRAND MASTERS ANO GRAND HIGH PRIESTS OF THESE VARIOUS MASONIC BCDDIES IN THIS TIME HONORED STATE Of VIP.GINIA - A LIST WHICt-: CONTAINS THE NAMES Of SOME OF THE HIGHEST AND MOST SHINING LIGHTS Of OTHER DAYS, AND WHOSE FAME IS CO-EXTENSIVE WITH THE MASONIC WORLD." MR. (VANS, BY REASON or INCREASING AGE, DESIRED TO BE RELIEVED Of THE GRAND LODGE Of THE IMPORTANT~POSTS OF GRAND LECTURER ANO CHAIRMAN OF THE COMMITTEE ON WORK, WHICH HE HAD HELD SO LONG AND ABLY; 8UT HIS ADMIRING BRETHERN WOULD TAKE NO REFUSAL. HE STILL REMAINS THE HONORED GUIDE AND PRECEPTOR Of THE ORDER IN THE STATE. HE HAS ALSO HELD CONNECTIONSWITH THE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR SINCE 1845f WHICK WAS FIRST CHARTERED APRIL 10, 1823. HE HAS HELD FOR YEARS THE POST OF GRAND REASURER FOR THE GRAND COMMANDERY Of THE STATE. A YOUNGER BROTHER OF MR. (VANS, MR. JOSEPH fVANS~ A PROSPEROUS MERCHANT Of NEW ~ORK CITY, IS ALSO PROMINENT IN THE MASONIC fHATER~ITY, HAVING BEEN SEVERAL TIMES GR_A.ND ## HIS GRAVE WAS NOT DISCOVERED BY THIS COMPILER: SEVEN PAGES HAD BEEN CUT FROM THE LISTS Of BURIALS WHEN THE EX-UNION SOLDIE'.~ RETURNED IT TO ST. JOHNS. Too, HIS BODY MAY HAVE BEEN INTERRED IN THE PART OF THE CEMETERY GROUNDS SOLO TO THE ADJACENT CATHOLIC CHURCH. ~ 7" , ~ MASTER Of THE STATE Of NEW YORK. ANOTHER BROTHER, "ON. THOMAS DAVIS £VAHS OF ElAIRflELD, lowA, HAS H£LD THE POSITION Of GRANO MASTER OF THE ORDER Of Oao 6ELLOWS Of THAT STATE. ' A SISTER IS THE WIFE OF OUR ESTIMABLE CITIZEN, MR. JOHN H. TYLER Of THE FIRM Of JOHN TYLER & COMPANY, FORMERLY MITCHELL & TYLER, LONG ANO FAVORABLY KNOWN AS THE PRINCIPAL JEWELRY ANO PLATE ESTABLISHMENT OF RIC~MONO. WE SHALL WELCOME RESPONSE IN THE 5TROUDE JOURNAL, "NOTES ANO QUERRIES." . /s./ R.A. BROCK. NOTE: TH~S ROBERT ALONZO BROCK WAS THE NOTED VIRGINIA HISTORIAN. AMONG HIS WORKS WAS THE PRODUCTION, AS A MEMBER Of THE VIRGINIA HISTORICAL SOCIETY, OF THE VIRGINIA HISTORICAL MAGAZINE· HE WAS PROBABLY A BROTHER Of THE OR. CHARLES W.P. rROCK WHO MO. (LIZABETH TYLER, DAUGHTER Of THE ABOVE JOHN H. AND £LIZABETH SLATER (£VANB) TYLER. MRS. GERTRUDE BERGER STATED THAT HER GRANDFATHER, JAMES 0. (VANS, WASA COUSIN Of SOME DEGREE Of GEORG (LIOTT (MARV ANN (VANS). IF SO, PERHAPS THE FOLLOWING, TAKEN FROM HER BIOGRAPHY, INDICATES THE RELATIONSHIP@ "MARV ANN [VANS WAS A DESCENDANT Of AN ANCIENT FAMILY Of WELCH KNIGHTS Of NORTHOP, ONE Of WHOM WAS A THOMAS £VANS AP NORTHOP OF THE COUNTY Of FLINT, ARGENT, KNIGHT. (£VAN AP (VAN: KING Of KINGS, M. McC.). BY THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY THE (VAftSES HAS LEFT FLINTSHIRE DUE TO THE REVOLUTION UNDER CROMWELL, WHEN THE FORTUNES OF THE FAMILY DECLINED SERIOUSLY. ONE Of THESE DESCENDANTS OF THE WELCH KNIGHT Of NORTHOP APPEARS AS A HUMBLE RESIDENT OF NORBURY, A Jo JOSEPH (VANS, TRAVELLER, ~.CCOROING TO THE PARISH RECORD. ONE HUNDRED YEARS LATER DESCENDED GEORGE fVANS, A FREE-HOLDE~ Of DERBY, AN HONEST, RESPECTABLE TRADESMAN. HE HAO A SMALL ESTATE WHICH HAS ~ESCENDED (1905) TO HIS GRANDSON, GEORGE £VANS WAS A CARPENTER ANO BUILDER, SOME Of WHOSE ¥ANSIONS, CASTLES AND BUILDINGS SURVIVE TODAY. As A BUILDER FOR THE WHOLE LOCALITY, HE ALSO TAUGHT HIS SONS THE TRADE. HE HAO fl~E SONS AND THREE DAUGHTERS BY HIS WIFE, MARV, AND DIED JANUARY 21, 1830, AGED EIGHTY-NINE YEARS. MARY DIED APRIL 14, 1803, AGED SIXTY FIVE YEARS. As TO THE LOCALITY: ASBOURNE WAS A MARKET TOWN, WHILE UTTOXETER, DERBY, CHEADLE AND LEEK WERE NEARBY IN DERBY ANO STAFFORD COUNTIES; WORCESTER AND WARWICK COUNTIES SEPARATE THEM FROM GLOUCESTER ~OUNTY ON THE SOUTH. GEORGE'5 HOME LAY JUST ACROSS THE WEAVER HILLS AT WATERHOUSE IN JHE PARISH -Of WATERFALL. IN THE RO~EL "ADAM BEDE h GEORGE WAS T~E CHARACTER IHAIS tiEOE, ANO MARV, I\ ISBETH." GE~RGE HAO'A DASH OF lLTIC BLOOD IN HIS VEINS. SAMUEL GREEN, HIS SON IN LAW, DIED FEBRUARY 28, 1806, AGED FORTY YEARS. LT. COLONEL £VANS, A MEMBER OF THE ROSTON FAMILY, IS DESCENDED FROM A BROTHER or GEORGE EvANs. W:LL:~M, sccc~~ soN oF GEORGE AttP MARY, L!V£~ !~ C~STLE DoM~!NGTO~ AT £LLASTONE. THOMAS. - ROBERT, FATHER Of GEORG tLIOT, WAS ADAM BEDE IN HER NOVEL. HE WAS BORN IN 1773 ANO DIED IN 18--. HE WAS A SURVEYOT, ~ARY ANN, HERSELF, WAS BORN -T GRIFF, NEAR MUNEATON 1 NOVEMBE~ 22, 18191 MO. GEORGE LEWES~ FROM WHOM SHE TOOK THE FIRST NAME Of HER PEN NAME. AS THEY WERE MARRIED IN GERMANY, THE MARRIAGE WAS NOT CONSIDERED LEGA' IN ENGLAND, SO SHE MARRIED J.W. CROSS IN 1880, SOME YEARS LATER. Bur HER FIRST HUSBAND WROTE HER BIOGRAPHY. RODERT 1 5 SCHOOLMASTER WAS BARTLE MASSEY, WHO ALSO TAUGHT HIS CHILDREN IN THEii YOUTH. MAN~ Of THIS GENERATION BECAME WEALTHY MANUFACTURERS ANO BUILDERS. SAMUEL, THE 5TH SON, WAS BORN ROSTON COMMON, ;777. HE WAS THE SETH BEDE Of THE NOVEL, ANO MARRIED THE FAMOUS WOMAN PREACHER, £LIZABETH TOMLINSON (DINAH MORRIS), WHO WAS BORN IN NEWBOLD, LEICESTERSHIRE, 1776, PARISH OJ WORTHINGTON; DAU. Of THOMAS TOMLINSON. SHE DIED NOVEMBER 9, 1849, AGED 74 YEARS.