My Genealogy Hound

MONTGOMERY EVANS. THIS FAMILY OF EVANS, which (according to a genealogical chart compiled by I. I. H. Harris, of St. John’s College, Cambridge, and now in the British Museum) is descended from Elystan Glodrydd through his second son Idnerth, was originally settled in Carmarthenshire.

JOHN EVANS, gentleman, a lineal descendant, having performed valuable military service during the reign of Queen Elizabeth, in aiding to suppress the Irish rebellion, obtained from the Crown a grant of land and emigrated from Carmarthenshire in Wales to Limerick, Ireland, where he was living in and before 1628. He married Ellen De Verdon and dying January 1, 1632, left issue two sons and three daughters.

GEORGE,the elder son, represented Limerick in parliament for many years and died in 1707 at a very advanced age, having passed a most eventful life.

JOHN, the younger son, who was a colonel in the English army, married and had issue three sons, Simon, the oldest, buried at Fanningstown, County Limerick, Ireland; William; and John, the youngest, buried at Ballygrenane in the same county.

WILLIAM, with his wife Ann came to America with the Welsh emigration that sailed in the year 1698, which Proud mentions in a foot note, vol. I, page 222, and Jenkins in his Historical Collections of Gwynedd speaks of as follows: “The main company of emigrants sailed from Liverpool on the 18th of April, 1698. Their ship was the Robert and Elizabeth, its master Ralph Williams, its owner Robert Haydock of Liverpool. They touched at Dublin before proceeding and it was not until the 1st of May that they finally spread the ship’s sails for the new world. Forty-five passengers died of dysentery. It was not until the 17th of July that they reached port in Philadelphia.

Having settled temporarily at Gwynedd in the then province of Pennsylvania while prospecting for land, he subsequently purchased two tracts, aggregating seven hundred acres, in Manatawny, afterwards Limerick township, and there settled permanently. Here William’s death soon after occurred and his wife, surviving him but a few years, died in 1720. Her will recorded in Philadelphia, June 18th of that year, devises the estate to her five children, namely: William, Owen, George, Elizabeth and David.

OF THESE, OWEN, born in 1699, was for many years justice of the peace and at one time a mem ber of the colonial assembly. He was also a member of the vestry of St. James’ Protestant Episcopal church of Evansburg from 1738 until the time of his death. Bean, in his History of Montgomery County, page 917, says: “Owen Evans was an early settler. He was appointed a justice of the peace in 1732 and continued to hold that office until his death. He appears to have been a prominent man and died in 1754, aged fifty-five years.”

On August 14, 1721, in Christ church, Philadelphia, he married Mary, the daughter of William and Mary Davis, and had by her eight children, one of whom,

DAVID, born January 22, 1730, inherited from his father the homestead and lived thereon until the time of his death, which occurred October 23, 1800. On October 27, 1762, in St. Michael’s and Zion’s church, Philadelphia, he married Anna, the great-granddaughter of John and Frances Brooke, and left issue: Sarah, who married James Garrett and moved to Maryland; Mary, who married Amos Evans of Limerick; Matthew and William, who died young, and

OWEN, born October 27, 1767, who on March 20, 1792, married Rachel, the great-great-granddaughter of John and Frances Brooke. The issue of this marriage was eight children, of whom the youngest was

THOMAS BROOKE born in Limerick, April 21, 1809, who, after receiving the customary education that was then accorded to youth of his station in life, became a teacher. He subsequently learned the trade of tanning and afterwards established himself in the tanning business. Mr. Evans was prominent in local affairs, was a justice of the peace from 1841 to 1861 and clerk of the county commissioners and for the board of poor directors for many years. He was active and influential in the community until his death, which occurred December 13, 1863. On November 9, 1834, he married Mary Ann, the daughter of Daniel and Mary (Kendall) Schwenk, and there were born unto them eight children, of whom the eldest, Robert Brooke, was for many years a justice of the peace in Limerick; Benjamin F. Montgomery 1st, and Zella died young; Mary Elizabeth married to B. Frank Saylor and residing in St. Louis; Charlotte, deceased; Emma, married to Garrett E. Brownback, of Linfield, and Montgomery, 2d, the subject of this sketch.

MONTGOMERY EVANS 2D, one of the leading attorneys of the Norristown bar, was born in Limerick, November 18, 1853. He was educated in the public schools of his native township and in select schools in Phoenixville, Spring City and Norristown, was graduated from Lafayette College in 1875, as valedictorian of his class, and was a member of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity and of the Phi Beta Kappa society. For two years he was principal of the public schools of Montrose in Susquehanna county. He afterwards studied law with the late Benjamin E. Chain and on November 30, 1878, was admitted to the bar.

For a number of years Mr. Evans was a partner of Louis M. Childs, the firm being Childs & Evans. Subsequently this partnership was dissolved and he associated himself with Messrs. Holland and Dettra, which firm under the style of Evans, Holland & Detra, is recognized as among the leading attorneys of the state.

Mr. Evans is president of the Norristown Trust Company, of the Norristown Insurance & Water Company, and of the Bridgeport Water Company, and with Colonel James Boyd is counsel in this county for the Reading Railroad Company. Since 1885 he has been treasurer of the Law Library. He is a director of the Norristown Gas Company, the Gas Company of Montgomery county, Norristown Steam Heat Company and Western North Carolina Land Company; also secretary and treasurer of the last-named corporation.

His career of more than a quarter of a century has been marked by continued advancement; as a lawyer he stands high. To natural ability are added the results of careful study and observation, and fidelity to his clients’ interests, coupled with sound judgment and conservative advice has gained him that confidence which has classed him among the trustworthy and reliable attorneys in this state.

Mr. Evans is a Democrat in politics but has never sought or held office. He is an elder of the Central Presbyterian church and superintendent of its Sunday-school and is also a member of the board of trustees. He is treasurer of the Trustees of the Presbytery of Philadelphia North.

On November 30, 1886, he married Cara G., daughter of Rev. James Grier Ralston, D. D., who was the owner of Oakland Female Seminary. Three children have been born of this union- Dorothy, Roger (deceased), and Montgomery.