Morris Evans Jr. (abt. 1710 - bef. 1754)

Born about 1710 in York, Virginia [uncertain]

Ancestors

Descendants

Died before 1754 before about age 44 in Virginia [uncertain]

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Biography

Morris Evans Jr. is a part of US Black heritage.

This MORRIS EVANS was probably the one confused with another MORRIS EVANS in some of the later records concerning his age. When a MORRIS EVANS died in Wake County, North Carolina in 1834, there was a news story that incorrectly listed him as being over 100 years old, but this was probably due to the fact that records of a person by that name existed in Virginia who had been assumed to be the one in Wake County.

Morris Evans, born say 1710, received furniture and three head of cattle by his father Morris Evans's 18 February 1739/40 York County will which was proved 17 March 1739/40. He and Rebecca Hulet also received a boat and cart for their use as long as they "live and agree together." He and Rebecca were executors [Wills & Inventories, 18:414, 427, 558-9].

Morris was in Charles City County in July 1747 when William Gray's suit against him was dismissed at the plaintiff's cost, in May 1748 when Jane Evans (his mother) sued him but did not prosecute, and in June 1749 when John Pleasants sued him for 37 shillings due on account [Orders 1737-51, 447, 475, 495].

On 1 June 1750 Edward Eppes sued Morris for a debt of £3 in Chesterfield County [Orders 1749-54, 53]. He was taxable in Field Jefferson's list for Lunenburg County in 1751, adjacent to Edward Epps and Solomon Harris [Bell, Sunlight on the Southside, 169].

He was called the father of Richard Evans in a deed by which William Poole gave Richard 50 acres on Flat Creek "for love and affection" on 31 March 1753 [DB 3:227].

Morris died before 3 December 1754 when his widow Amey Wright was named as his executrix. At the same court she obtained a peace bond against her husband John Wright, claiming that she feared he was going to kill her. William Poole presented the inventory of Morris's estate on 2 June 1756. Richard was called the son of Amy Wright when he was bound out by the Lunenburg County court to Richard Rodgers on 12 February 1767. Amy appears to have been a white woman, possibly the daughter of William Poole [Orders 1754-5, 244; 1766-9, 25a; WB 1:155, 219; DB 3:227]. Morris was the father of

1. Gilbert, born say 1730.
2. Arthur, born say 1745, bound to his guardian Major Evans of Granville County, North Carolina. He was over 16 years old when he was taxable in Major's Granville County household in 1764, a taxable in James Doyal's Bladen County, North Carolina household in 1768 ("Mulatoes") [Byrd, Bladen County Tax Lists, I:6] and head of a Richland District, South Carolina household of 7 "other free" in 1810 [SC:171a]. He owned land near Big Crane and Little Crane Creeks in Richland District in 1814 [South Carolina Archives series S213192, 43:552].
3. Richard, born say 1748.

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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

Acknowledgements