Thomas Evans (1723 - abt. 1787)

Born 1723 in Virginia

Descendants

Died about 1787 at about age 64 in Mecklenburg, Virginia, United States

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Biography

Thomas Evans is a part of US Black heritage.

Thomas Evans, born say 1723, was head of a household in Lunenburg County, taxable on his own tithe and Solomon Harris in 1748, taxable on his own tithe in 1749 and 1750, taxable on his own tithe and John Evans/ Epps in 1751 and 1752, and taxable on his own tithe in 1764 [Bell, Sunlight on the Southside, 68-9, 109, 166, 193, 250].

He was called "Thomas Evans (Negro)" on 14 May 1764 when he was sued in Lunenburg County court by Sterling Thornton and Company who attached his effects for a debt of £5 [Orders 1764-5, 39]. His personal effects were ordered released to Matthew Marable for a debt of £18 by the same court [Orders 1764-5, 39]. Morris Evans brought a suit against him in Mecklenburg County, Virginia court, but it was dismissed on 11 September 1769 when Morris failed to appear.

On 10 May 1773 Thomas acknowledged in Mecklenburg County court that he owed a debt of £63 to John Potter & Company [Orders 1768-71, 254; 1773-9, 2]. He mortgaged 13 cattle, 15 hogs, 2 horses, 2,000 weight of tobacco, and his household goods to Matthew Marable for about £50 in Mecklenburg County on 12 February 1773 [DB 4:156]. Randolph Locklear sued him in Mecklenburg County court on 14 March 1774 for a debt of £2 due by note of hand [Orders 1773-9, 185].

He sold by Mecklenburg County deed (signing) 2 horses, a colt, 9 cattle, 18 hogs, 6 sheep, 20 geese, 3 featherbeds, and other household items to James Anderson for £50 on 15 May 1777, and purchased 50 acres of land on Little Bluestone Creek adjoining Charles Royster's line in Mecklenburg County from James Anderson for 6,000 pounds of tobacco on 11 March 1781 [DB 5:72; 6:123].

On 9 April 1782 the Mecklenburg County, Virginia court allowed his claim for providing 225 pounds of beef for the use of the Continental Army [Orders 1779-84, 134].

He was head of a Mecklenburg County household of 7 persons in 1782 [VA:34] and called Thomas Evans, Sr., when he was taxable in Mecklenburg County on 2 horses from 1782 to 1787: exempt from personal tax in 1783 and taxable on slave Phebe in 1786 [PPTL, 1782-1805, frames 12, 25, 69, 99, 152].

On 10 May 1784 the Mecklenburg County court exempted him from paying taxes due to his old age and infirmity and on 8 October 1787 the court exempted his sixty-year-old slave [Orders 1784-7, 2; 1787-92, 109].

His 22 May 1787 Mecklenburg County will, recorded 14 July 1788, listed his wife (unnamed), son Thomas Evans, daughter Mary Carsey, and grandchildren: Evans Chaves (son of James and Jane Chaves), John Chavous, and Nancy Brannom. John Chavus (signing) and Ann Gregory were witnesses. James Anderson of North Carolina was executor [WB 2:250].

A Mecklenburg County suit for debt brought by Scottish merchants James & Robert Donald & Co. on 12 October 1796 and continued until 17 May 1798 named his heirs: Thomas Evans, Jacob Chavous and his wife Elizabeth, James Chavous and his wife Jane, Thomas Brandom and his wife Peggy, and William Caisey (Kersey) and his wife Polly [Orders 1795-8, 160, 470]. His children were:

1. Elizabeth, born say 1745, married Jacob Chavis.
2. Thomas, born say 1750, called Thomas Evans, Jr., on 6 March 1787 when he purchased 50 acres in the upper district of Mecklenburg County on Little Bluestone Creek adjoining Charles Royster's line from Joshua Ivey of Prince George County. On 12 February 1789 he purchased 2 horses, a colt, 9 cattle, 18 hogs, 6 sheep, 20 geese, 3 featherbeds, and other household items for £50 from James Anderson of Chatham County, North Carolina, the executor of his father's estate, who had purchased the items from Thomas Evans, Sr., in 1777 [DB 7:144; 470]. He was taxable in Mecklenburg County on his land from 1787 to 1812 [Land Tax List 1782-1811A, 1811B-1824A, A lists] and taxable on his person from 1782 to 1798 and from 1803 to 1820: taxable on a slave named Harrison in 1785, taxable on a slave named Dick in 1789, taxable on D. Evans in 1792, taxable on slave Gloster in 1797, head of a household of a "Free Negro" man and woman over the age of 16 in 1813 [PPTL, 1782-1805, frames 2,, 99, 213, 319, 442, 541, 712, 972, 1082; 1806-28, frames 7, 109, 211, 307, 576, 668, 685] and head of a Mecklenburg County household of 10 "free colored" in 1820 [VA:144a].
3. Margaret "Peggy", born about 1753, married Thomas Brandom on 3 January 1771. She gave her maiden name as Walden in her application for a survivor's pension in 1840, so perhaps Walden was her mother's maiden name [NARA, W.4643, M804, roll 323, frame 507 of 1136; http://fold3.com/image/13730023]. Their daughter Nancy Brannom was born in 1771.
4. Jane, born say 1755, married James Chavis.
5. Mary Carsey (Kersey), married William Cazy (Kersey), 23 December 1786 Mecklenburg County bond, Kinchen Chavous surety.

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Sources

1. ↑ FREE AFRICAN AMERICANS IN COLONIAL VIRGINIA, NORTH CAROLINA, AND SOUTH CAROLINA by Paul Heinegg https://freeafricanamericans.com/Virginia-NC.htm