Though I don’t intend this blog to be just about my relatives, a lot of it will be simply because that’s where my learning has come from.  So to give readers a bit of insight into the areas they are also likely to run into problems, I’m going to do a series about my Brick Walls.  [For beginners, “brick wall” is a term used in genealogy for a person you haven’t been able to go beyond in working back on a line.]   David Evans, Dr. is my fifth great grandfather (5ggrandfather for short).  He was born about 1734 and died in 1814 in Pickaway County, Ohio.  He’s mentioned in several history books having to do with Washington County, Pennsylvania.  In at least one he’s said to have been born in Wales, but other information indicates he was born in New Jersey or eastern Pennsylvania.

Unfortunately, Evans is a very common surname and David an equally common given name, making it almost impossible to find out whose child he was by a process of elimination.   So far I’ve followed a couple of tacks  in minimizing the consequences of not knowing who his parents are.  First I’ve tried to post information about him wherever it would seem likely to attract the attention of Evans researchers who might be able to make a link between him and earlier Evanses.  Second, I decided to cut off the point where I look for descendents for my trees to my 5ggrandparents.  I still will look for earlier ancestors, but will only move forward in time on them for their children (the siblings of my ancestor), because they might provide hints on ways to work back.

Here’s a bit of what I know about David Evans, Sr.  His wife was Mary Vandevender and their children were Abraham, Bosmuth,  Joseph, Caleb, Rebecca, Nathan, John, Lidia, Mary, David, Sarah, George Washington.  In the 1790 census for Washington County, Pennsylvania, David’s given name appears to be Daniel, but in 1800 and all the histories, he’s David.  Also in the 1790 census he’s shown with two slaves.  In the registration of slaves in Pennsylvania of 1782 we have this entry:

David Evans of Amwell Township – F??n a female negroe Slave aged 11 ys. – Peter a male negroe Slave aged 8 ys.

David’s wife Mary is supposed to have died in a house fire in 1800 or 1802 and shortly after that David and his son David, Jr. moved to Pickaway County, Ohio where David Sr. died.  David’s sons mostly moved to Ohio except for Abraham, who presumably inherited the family farm and died there in 1815.

Needless to say, I’d appreciate any hints anyone might come up with as to who David’s parents were.