Cadwallader Evans

  General Notes:

The Friends' meeting was strong in numbers, from the time when all the settlers joined in it, but it was, besides, strong in the character of its membership. The attendance, frequently, of Ellis Pugh and Rowland Ellis, from Plymouth, and the ministry of those who belonged to Gwynedd particular meeting, made the gathering here one of religious life and vigor. "From the first establishment of Gwynedd meeting, " says John Comly in his "Friends' Miscellany", "we notice many Friends remarkable for great integrity and uprightness, and of deep religious experience."
At first, Robert and Cadwallader Evans were the only preachers. The former perhaps was not so strong a man, intellectually, as the latter, and from the fact that Cadwallader was the reader in the early Sabbath gatherings, we infer the superiority of his education. But both were men of weight, and both deeply respected in the community. Samuel Smith, in his "History of Pennsylvania", speaks of "Robert and Cadwallader Evans, two brothers, who stood faithful not only in word and doctrine, but their exemplary lives and conversations, and their services among their neighbors, rendered their memories precious to many, though they could neither read nor write in any but the Welsh tongue.
The sermons of both brothers were doubtless delivered in Welsh; this is indicated by Rowland Ellis's statement in Philadelphia Monthly Meeting, quoted in the preceding chapter. In the manuscript collection of memorials, made by John Smith, of Burlington, there is one of Gwynedd Monthly Meeting concerning Robert Evans. Mentioning his birth in Wales, his emigration, and settlement in Gwynedd it says: "Some time before he left his native country he forsook the national worship, and went to Friends' meetings, and soon after his arrival he entered into close fellowship and union with Friends. He was a very diligent frequenter of our meetings. **** He had a gift in the ministry which was well received, as it was chiefly remarks on his own experience in religion ****."
Robert died in the 1st month (March), 1738, and Thomas Chalkley, in his Journal, says: "I was at the burial of Robert Evan, of North Wales. He was upward of four score years of age, and one of the first settlers there; --a man who lived and died in the love of God and his neighbors, of whom I believe it might be truly said, as our Saviour said of Nathaniel, 'Behold an Israelite indeed in whom there is no guile.' He was a minister of Christ, full of divine and religious matter."
The printed volume of Memorials published in 1787 by the Yearly Meeting of Philadelphia (frequently referred to in this volume) contains twelve memorials from Gwynedd Monthly Meeting, three of them referring to Friends --Ellis Pugh, Rowland Ellis, and William Trotter -- who belonged to Plymouth particular meeting. The other nine were of Gwynedd, -- Cadwallader Evans, Evan Evans, Alice Griffith, Ann Roberts, John Evans, Jane Jones, Ellen Evans, Mary Evans, and William Foulke. In the John Smith manuscript collection there are several more memorials, -- of Robert Evans, just quoted, Owen Evans, Rowland Roberts, Margaret Jones, John Humphrey, and others.
In relation to Cadwallader Evans, the memorial in the printed volume says: "He was a diligent and seasonable attender of our religious meetings. On First-days particularly he was ready an hour before the time appointed, and then read several chapters in the Bible or some religious book; as the time approached he would frequently observe the time of day, and by means of such watchful care he was seated in meetings on of the first, and scarcely ever after the time appointed. **** He received a gift in the ministry, in the exercise whereof he was generally led to speak of his own experience in religion and the Christian warfare; and his testimony, though short, was instructive, lively, and manifestly attended with divine sweetness. Notwithstanding it was always acceptable, he was very cautious of appearing, lest any, as he often said, should be drawn from a right concern of mind, to place their dependence on words." The memorial further speaks of his usefulness "in many services of the church, especially that weighty one of visiting Friends in their families, " and says his endeavors "in that skillful and tender office of healing discord in private families were remarkably successful. In such services he spent much of the latter part of his life, riding about from one house to another; and where no cause of reprehension appeared, he interspersed his discourse on common affairs with useful hints, solid remarks, and lessons of instruction; but where admonition or comfort was necessary, the propriety of his advice, and the uprightness of his life, added weight to his labors and seldom failed of good effects. **** It was his practice, in winter evenings especially, to read the holy scriptures in his family, and was particularly careful that neither child nor servant should be from home at unseasonable hours, being highly sensible how slippery the paths of youth are, and how numerous the snares which attend them."
It is evident, however, that both Robert and Cadwallader were not frequent or extended in their communications. They were exhorters rather than preachers. The memorial in relation to Ann Roberts (wife of Rowland), says "her first coming among us [1705-10] was seasonable, for we having few ministers, the field before her was extensive, in which she labored fervently."
A little later, other ministers appeared. Prominent among these were two of the second generation --Evan Evans, son of Thomas, and John Evans, son of Cadwallader. From the memorial of the latter, from which I shall presently quote more at length, it seems he must have appeared as a minister about 1712-13, and a passage in the Journal of Jane Hoskens, who from 1712 to 1716, was a teacher in Friends' families at Plymouth, gives us the impression of a religious awakening during that period. She says: "About this time, the Lord was graciously pleased to renew his merciful invitation unto the Friends and inhabitants of North Wales and Plymouth. Many of the youth were reached. **** Several were called to the work of the ministry. **** Among the many others favored was our dear and well-beloved brother, John Evans, who was blessed with an excellent gift in the ministry. ****."
Concerning John Evans, the memorial says he was "a man of good natural understanding, and favored early in life to see the necessity of a diligent attention to the voice of Divine wisdom. In the twenty-third year of his age [he was born in 1689] he appeared in the ministry. **** He had a clear, engaging manner of delivery, was deep in heavenly mysteries, and plain in declaring them; being well acquainted with the holy scriptures, he was made skillful in opening the doctrines therein contained, and was often led to draw lively and instructive similitudes from the visible creation. He was often drawn to attend general meetings, funerals, and other public occasions, particularly the adjacent meetings after their first establishment. **** He was a zealous promoter of visiting Friends in their families. He was many times engaged therein, and his labors were awakening and useful; often employ'd in visiting the sick, the widow, and the fatherless and others in affliction; on these occasions he was seldom large in expression, but his silent sympathy and secret breathing for their relief was more consolatory than many words; a considerable part of his time was spent in assisting widows, and the guardianship of orphans, which, though laborious to him, was of much advantage to them."
John Evans died in September, 1756, his ministry having covered fifty-four years. He was undoubtedly one of the strongest and most influential characters of his time. His cousin Evan probably began to preach a little later than he, but the two for many years were closely associated. Amongst the minutes from the monthly meeting records there are indications of this, and in the memorial of Evan it is said of the two men that "their friendship was pure, fervent, and lasting as their lives, and their separation a wound to the latter [John Evans], the remembrance of which he never wholly survived. They traveled together through many of these colonies in the service of the ministry."

  Research Notes:

He was one of the orignial settlers of Gwynedd twp. He owned 609 acres with boundaries today approximately from Swedesford Rd. to Evans Rd. and Sumneytown Pike to the Montgomery twp. line.

Cadwalader Evans _ bm son of Evan ap Evan, of Fron G n. of Gwynedd one of the four brothers who settled at Gwynedd in 1698. For their genealogy in the direct male line, see Owen Family, another page. Cadwalader Evans, who died at Gwynedd, where he lived, near his brothers, Robert and Owen Evans, married in Wales, Ellen, daughter of John Morris, of Bryn Gwyn [White Hill], in Denbigbshire. Of the ancestry of her father, John Morris, we know but little, but from an old MS. pedigree of the Owen and Evan families, in the handwriting of Cadwalader Evans, third, we ascertain that her mother was Eleanor, daughter of Ellis ap William, of Cai Fadog. Her descent was as follows : Cadwgan, Lord of Nannau had Madog, who had Einion, of Ciltalgarth (Azure, a bow and arrow, point downward, argent), who had Madog Hyddgam, of Ciltalgarth (Kiltalgarth), who Cadwgan, who had Madog, of Ciltalgarth, who had Ievan, surnamed "y Cott" who had Ievan Fychan, of Ciltalgarth, who had Madog, who had David, who had Thomas ap David, who had Hugh ap Thomas, of Ciltalgarth, who had William ap Hugh, of Ciltalgarth, who had Ellis Williams, of Cai Fadog, who had two daughter s : Eleanor, who married John Morris, of Bryn Gwyn, and had Ellen, who married Cadwalader Evan ; and Gwen, who married Hugh ap Cadwalader, and had Eleanor, who became the wife of Edward Foulke of Gwynedd.

Cadwallader married Ellin Morris, daughter of John Morris and Eleanor ellis ap William. (Ellin Morris was born about 1668 in Bryn Mawr, Denbighshire, Wales and died in 1729 in Gwynedd mm, Montgomery, Pennsylvania.)