Individual Details
Thomas Evans
(4 Sep 1818 - 16 Nov 1857)
BIOGRAPHY: Thomas Evans, Sr., (son of Edward Evans, born about 1769 of Cardiff, Glamorgan, Wales, and Hannah Morgan, age 67 at 1851 census of Rumney, Monmouth, Wales) was born 4 September 1818 at Cardiff, Glamorgan, Wales. He married 9 March 1854 at the Welsh Baptist Chapel, Newport, Monmouth, Wales, to Mary Norris, who was born 12 April, 1832 at Cardiff, Glamorgan, Wales.
Thomas Evans, Sr., together with his family, joined the L.D.S. church in Wales, about 120 years ago (1856). They sailed from Liverpool, England, on 19 April 1856 for America, crossing the Atlantic Ocean in thirty-five days on the sailing ship, "Samuel Curling". They arrived at Boston, Mass., on 23 May, 1856. Elder Dan Jones was in charge during the crossing.
The Evans family traveled overland in cattle cars from Boston to Mason City, Iowa, a distance of 1300 miles, where they joined a hand-cart company bound for Utah under the leadership of Captain Edward Brunker.
Thomas Evans, Sr., his mother, Hannah Evans, a widow age 74; his wife Mary Norris Evans, (his third wife, as the two previous helpmates had died); and five small children from the first two marriages, namely; Thomas Jr., age 10, Emma, age 8; Hyrum, age 6; Elizabeth, age 4. All walked and either pushed or pulled the hand-cart 1500 miles from Mason City, Iowa, to Salt Lake City, where they arrived dusty, tired and weary, 7 October 1856. Because of Hannah Evans' age and weakness, great-grandfather didn't think she could stand the walk so he asked the captain if she could ride, but he said there wouldn't be room, but if she gave out they could pick her up. So Hannah Evans started out, but it wasn't long until she tired and could not keep up and they lost track of her. They looked and watched every night and every day and they would enquire around camps to see if they could find her. After a long, hard and weary treck by hand-cart they arrived in Salt Lake City on 7th October, 1856 with the Edward Brunker hand-cart company, and to their happy and thankful surprise there was great-grandmother, Hannah Evans. She had met someone with a load of logs and they gave her a ride into Salt Lake and she had arrived there three days earlier.
On the ship coming across the ocean little Joseph, one year old, got the measles and was very sick, and they prayed that if he couldn't get better, if he would just be spared until they landed so they wouldn't have to bury him in the ocean. They had landed only a few days when he died and was buried at the side of the trail in an unmarked grave upon the plains.
What a change has taken place in transportation during the past 100 years between Liverpool, England, and Salt Lake City. Where it required 170 days to complete the journey by the Evans family, traveling under strain and hardship, the same distance is traveled today between sunrise and sunset, with ease and comfort.
Mary Norris Evans was an unusual wife and mother. She watched over and cared for those children while crossing the ocean and prairies as if they were her own flesh and blood.
The Thomas Evans family moved to Kaysville where they spent the winter in a dugout. Food was very scarce but they managed to survive the winter. On 28 March 1856, Mary Ann Evans was born.
The long, difficult hand-cart journey across 1500 miles of prairies and mountains weakened Thomas Evans and he died from a heart attack while in the mountains after a load of logs to build them a cabin, one year after reaching Kaysville. He was one of the first persons to be buried in the Kaysville-Layton Cemetary, which was established in 1857.
Following the death of Thomas Evans, Mary Norris Evans later married James Forbes. To this union two sons and three daughters were born; Henry Forbes; Mrs. James Nalder; William Forbes; Mrs Catherine Nalder and Mrs. Margarett Allen.
Thomas Evans, Sr., together with his family, joined the L.D.S. church in Wales, about 120 years ago (1856). They sailed from Liverpool, England, on 19 April 1856 for America, crossing the Atlantic Ocean in thirty-five days on the sailing ship, "Samuel Curling". They arrived at Boston, Mass., on 23 May, 1856. Elder Dan Jones was in charge during the crossing.
The Evans family traveled overland in cattle cars from Boston to Mason City, Iowa, a distance of 1300 miles, where they joined a hand-cart company bound for Utah under the leadership of Captain Edward Brunker.
Thomas Evans, Sr., his mother, Hannah Evans, a widow age 74; his wife Mary Norris Evans, (his third wife, as the two previous helpmates had died); and five small children from the first two marriages, namely; Thomas Jr., age 10, Emma, age 8; Hyrum, age 6; Elizabeth, age 4. All walked and either pushed or pulled the hand-cart 1500 miles from Mason City, Iowa, to Salt Lake City, where they arrived dusty, tired and weary, 7 October 1856. Because of Hannah Evans' age and weakness, great-grandfather didn't think she could stand the walk so he asked the captain if she could ride, but he said there wouldn't be room, but if she gave out they could pick her up. So Hannah Evans started out, but it wasn't long until she tired and could not keep up and they lost track of her. They looked and watched every night and every day and they would enquire around camps to see if they could find her. After a long, hard and weary treck by hand-cart they arrived in Salt Lake City on 7th October, 1856 with the Edward Brunker hand-cart company, and to their happy and thankful surprise there was great-grandmother, Hannah Evans. She had met someone with a load of logs and they gave her a ride into Salt Lake and she had arrived there three days earlier.
On the ship coming across the ocean little Joseph, one year old, got the measles and was very sick, and they prayed that if he couldn't get better, if he would just be spared until they landed so they wouldn't have to bury him in the ocean. They had landed only a few days when he died and was buried at the side of the trail in an unmarked grave upon the plains.
What a change has taken place in transportation during the past 100 years between Liverpool, England, and Salt Lake City. Where it required 170 days to complete the journey by the Evans family, traveling under strain and hardship, the same distance is traveled today between sunrise and sunset, with ease and comfort.
Mary Norris Evans was an unusual wife and mother. She watched over and cared for those children while crossing the ocean and prairies as if they were her own flesh and blood.
The Thomas Evans family moved to Kaysville where they spent the winter in a dugout. Food was very scarce but they managed to survive the winter. On 28 March 1856, Mary Ann Evans was born.
The long, difficult hand-cart journey across 1500 miles of prairies and mountains weakened Thomas Evans and he died from a heart attack while in the mountains after a load of logs to build them a cabin, one year after reaching Kaysville. He was one of the first persons to be buried in the Kaysville-Layton Cemetary, which was established in 1857.
Following the death of Thomas Evans, Mary Norris Evans later married James Forbes. To this union two sons and three daughters were born; Henry Forbes; Mrs. James Nalder; William Forbes; Mrs Catherine Nalder and Mrs. Margarett Allen.
Events
| Birth | 4 Sep 1818 | Cardiff, Glamorgan, Wales | |||
| Christen | 21 Mar 1819 | Ebenzer Chapel, Cardiff, Glamorgan, Wales | |||
| Marriage | 5 SEP 1843/4 | Saint John's Cardi, Wales - Jane Morgan | |||
| Marriage | 4 Feb 1846 | Cardiff, Glamorgan, Wales - Ann John | |||
| Marriage | 9 Mar 1854 | Welsh Baptis Cha, Newport Mon-Wale - Mary Norris | |||
| Death | 16 Nov 1857 | ||||
| Burial | Aft 16 Nov 1857 | ||||
| Ancestral File Number | 176V-XJ |
Families
| Spouse | Ann John (1818 - 1853) |
| Child | Thomas Evans Jr. (1846 - 1916) |
| Child | Emma Evans (1848 - 1926) |
| Child | Hyrum Evans (1851 - 1923) |
| Child | Lewis Evans (1853 - ) |
| Spouse | Jane Morgan (1817 - 1844) |
| Child | Margaret Hannah Evans ( - 1845) |
| Spouse | Mary Norris (1832 - 1913) |
| Child | Elizabeth Evans (1853 - 1900) |
| Child | Joseph Evans (1855 - 1856) |
| Child | Mary Ann Evans (1857 - 1928) |
| Father | Edward Evans (1768 - 1832) |
| Mother | Hannah Morgan (1785 - 1870) |
| Sibling | Mary Evans (1805 - 1809) |
| Sibling | Mary Evans (1809 - 1815) |
| Sibling | Mary Evans (1815 - ) |
| Sibling | John Evans (1823 - ) |