William John EVANS (1807–1887)
His wife Mrs Susannah Elizabeth EVANS, née Hollway (1821–1902)
Their three infant children Jane EVANS (1850–1851),
Thomas George EVANS (1852–1854), and Joseph George EVANS (born and died 1862)
St Paul's section: Row 23, Grave E13 [St Paul ref. L15 and L20]
IN LOVING MEMORY OF
JANE EVANS
BORN JUNE 10 1850,
DIED FEB. 28 1851
THOMAS GEORGE EVANS
BORN JAN 27, 1854
DIED JUNE 16, 1854
JOSEPH GEORGE EVANS
BORN JAN. 18 1862
DIED JUNE 29 1862
WILLIAM EVANS
FATHER OF THE ABOVE
BORN JUNE 24, 1807
DIED FEB 2 1887
SUSANNAH ELIZABETH
WIFE OF THE ABOVE
BORN FEB. 10, 1821
DIED FEB 24 1902
THY WILL BE DONE
William John Evans was born in Oxford on 24 June 1807 and baptised at St Aldate's Church on 12 August. He was the son of John Evans, a cordwainer of St Aldate's parish, and Jane Lucas of St Thomas's parish, who were married at St Aldate's Church in Oxford on 26 July 1804.
Susannah Elizabeth Hollway was born in Ickford, Buckinghamshire on 10 February 1821 and privately baptised there. She was the daughter of the carpenter William John Hollway. and Elizabeth Lipscomb, who were married at St Mary's Church, Whitechapel on 27 July 1817. She was received into St Giles's Church, Oxford on 23 April 1821, and her father was described as a schoolmaster; but soon after he took up the trade of a carpenter. By 1827 she was living with her family in Little Clarendon Street, and then moved to various other places including Reading before returning to Oxford in the 1830s.
For more about her family and siblings, see her parents' adjoining grave.
On 2 February 1846 at St Paul's Church, Oxford, William John Evans (a bachelor of 38) married Susannah Elizabeth Hollway (24): both were described as being of Jericho Street. They had the following children:
- William John Evans junior (born at Jericho Street, Oxford in 1846 and baptised at St Paul's Church on 2 February 1847)
- Emma Elizabeth Evans (born at Jericho Street, Oxford in 1849 and baptised at St Paul's Church on 5 August)
- Jane Evans (born at Jericho Street, Oxford on 10 June 1850 and baptised at St Paul's Church on 30 June);
died aged eight months in 1851 - Mary Jane Evans (born in Oxford in 1852, reg. third quarter)
- Thomas George Evans (born in Oxford on 27 January 1854, not registered or baptised);
died aged about five months - Sarah Ann Evans (born in King Street, Oxford in 1856 and registered with the curious name Sarah Ann Accident Evans, and also baptised thus at St Paul's Church on 21 April)
- Joseph George Evans (born at Jericho Street, Oxford on 18 January 1862 and baptised at St Paul's Church on 22 January); died aged five months
William was a cordwainer or bootmaker like his father, and he and his wife settled in Jericho, Oxford. Between 1846 and 1850 they were living at Jericho Street, and between 1851 and 1856 at King Street.
Their third child Jane died when still a baby in early in 1851:
† Jane Evans died at King Street at the age of eight months on 28 February 1851 and was buried at St Sepulchre’s Cemetery on 2 March (burial recorded in the parish register of St Paul's Church).
The verger's book shows that she was the first member of this family buried in this grave in area L20, at a depth of 5 feet..
At the time of the 1851 census William (43), described as a master boot & shoe maker, was living in King Street, Jericho with Susannah (30), and their two surviving children William (4) and Emma (2).
Their daughter Mary was born in 1852, and son Thomas in 1854. The latter only survived about five months:
† Thomas George Evans died at King Street at the age of about five months on 16 June 1854 and was buried at St Sepulchre’s Cemetery on 21 June (burial recorded in the parish register of St Paul's Church).
The Verger's book shows that Thomas was buried at the same depth as his sister (5 feet)
Their daughter Sarah was born at King Street in 1856.
By the time of the 1861 census William (52) and Susannah (40) were living at 3 Jericho Street, where Susannah's widowed mother Elizabeth Holloway (69) was the landlady of a beer house. Their four surviving children were with them: William (14), who was a shoemaker like his father, and their daughters Emma (12), Mary (8), and Sarah (4).
Their youngest son Joseph was born in 1862, but died the same year:
† Joseph George Evans died at Jericho Street at the age of five months on 29 June 1862 and was buried at St Sepulchre’s Cemetery on 3 July (burial recorded in the parish register of St Paul's Church).
The sexton's book shows that Joseph was buried with his two siblings in the area that St Paul's described as L.20.
Then the sexton's book also records the burial in this grave on 18 June 1863 of Susannah's mother Mrs Elizabeth Hollway, who died at Jericho Street at the age of 68 (with the area described as L20 both by the sexton and the parish register). There is no mention of her, however, on the headstone.
At the time of the 1871 census William (64) and Susannah (50) were living at 9 Jericho Street with their daughter Sarah (15), who was a dressmaker. Their only surviving son William junior (24) was a commercial traveller in cloth, lodging in Leeds, and their other daughters Emma (22) and Mary (18) are hard to locate.
Their son William was married later that year:
- On 31 July 1871 at St Thomas's Church, Ardwick, Lancashire, William John Evans junior, now working as a traveller and living in Leeds, married Lucy Ann Lee.
In 1881 William (74) was still working as a bootmaker, and he and Susannah were living at 4 Jericho Street with their daughter Sarah (24).
Their daughter Mary was married in 1883:
- On 3 June 1883 at St Cuthbert's Church, Walton-on-the-Hill, Lancashire, Mary Jane Evans married the widowed ship steward Walker Holmes.
William senior died in 1887:
† William John Evans died at 4 Jericho Street at the age of 80 on 2 February 1887 and was buried at St Sepulchre’s Cemetery on 6 February (burial recorded in the parish register St Paul's Church).
His death notice in Jackson's Oxford Journal emphasized that he was a freeman of the city.
At the time of the 1891 census Susannah, a widow of 70, was staying at Witton, Cheshire, visiting her daughter Mary Jane (38) and Mary Jane's husband Walker Holmes (42), who was a draper.
Susannah's daughter Sarah Anne was married in 1898:
- On 2 July 1898 at the Cathedral & Parish Church in Manchester, Sarah Anne Evans married the warehouseman John Dixon Spackman.
At the time of the 1901 census Susannah (80) was living at 106 Herbert Street, Manchester with her married daughter Sarah (44) and Sarah's husband John Spackman (34), who was a warehouseman.
Susannah died at her daughter Susannah's home in Manchester in 1902:
† Mrs Susannah Elizabeth Evans née Hollway died at 106 Herbert Street, Cheetham, Manchester at the age of 81 on 24 February 1902 and was buried at St Sepulchre’s Cemetery on 28 February (burial recorded in the parish register St Paul's Church).
Surviving children of William and Susannah Evans
- William John Evans (born 1846) was a costume manufacturer in 1891, living in Chorlton-cum-Hardy with his wife Lucy (41) and their children Percy (16), Harry (15), and Herbert (12), plus a 15-year-old servant girl. His wife Lucy Ann died in Prestwich near the end of 1893. Very soon afterward he married his second wife, Sarah Jeannette (surname unknown: she was born in Scotland, and the marriage is likely to have taken place there). At the time of the 1901 census William (54), who was a costume manufacturer, was living at 11 Deyne Avenue, Prestwich with his second wife Sarah (38) and their son Ernest (5); also with them were two of his sons from his first marriage, Henry (24) and Herbert (22), and they employed a cook. In 1911 Henry was described as the manager of a blouse factory, and he and Sarah were living at Lyme Avenue, Macclesfield, with their son Ernest (15), who was still at school.
- Emma Elizabeth Evans (born 1849) is hard to find after the 1861 census.
- Mary Jane Evans, Mrs Holmes (born 1852), who was living in Witton, Cheshire in 1891, lost her husband Walker Holmes near the beginning of 1897. They do not appear to have had any children, and Mary is hard to trace in the later censuses.
- Sarah Ann Evans, Mrs Spackman (born 1856) married late and had no children. At the time of the 1911 census Sarah (44) was living at 18 Edna Street, Crumpshall, Manchester with her husband John (44) and John's unmarried brother Thomas Spackman (49).
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