The Family of George Evans and Ann Jane Might

"George Evans (Thomas Evans, George Evans, Delacey Evans) was born in 1829 on Lot 9 Concession 2 of Emily Township, Victoria County, Ontario. His parents were Thomas Evans and Jane Bowles, both born in County Cavan, Ireland and married in Ontario around 1820 after both families had emigrated to Canada. He had four sisters and three brothers, they were: Letitia (Mrs.Rea), 1823-1902; Jane (Mrs.Staples), 1833-1872; Mary Ann (Mrs.Storey), 1834-1923; Thomas Jr.(bachelor), 1839-?; William, 1843-1919; James, 1846-1910. (One sister died at an early age.)

In 1851, when George was 22 years old, his father Thomas died leaving 350 acres of farm to his wife and children. George was the executor of the estate, dividing the land up among the family members as evidenced by several "Quit Claims". George's share was the South 1/2, 100 acres, Lot 1, Concession 1, which between 1854 and 1856 he sold to his mother, Jane, for £490. He bought the South 1/2, 100 acres, Lot 17 in the First Concession from an Isabella McCall for £350 at the time that he married.

On May 7, 1856 George and Ann Jane Might of Cavan township were married and lived in a log home on the farm, built about 1830.

A mortgage was taken out on the farm in 1859 which was likely for the building of a stone house in which most of their children would be born. It is probably the first stone house built in Emily township. In 1993, the house is gone. A Mrs. McCall, an 80-year old widow who lives on the farm with her son, mentioned that they had bull-dozed the house, but there were some stones in it that were too large for them to handle (even with modern farm and construction machinery), so they just covered them with earth. Mrs. McCall described the house swaying at the time of Hurricane Hazel and the hydro would not connect to it. She felt that it was ridiculous to have hydro in their barn but oil lamps in the house.

Across from the farm, a mile down the road, Loyal Orange Lodge #41 was located, the charter being granted in 1837. There is very good evidence to indicate that George, his father and brothers all belonged to this lodge. On the other corner there is an Anglican church, on lot 19, concession 1; the congregation started in a log church near-by in 1839. Records show that the old log building was used by both Anglican and Methodist congregations and no doubt would be the church where most of George's family were baptized.

In 1874, George and family moved from Emily township to Derry West, Toronto township, Peel county, farming there for several years, then retiring to Toronto in 1888. George died in Toronto on November 23, 1897 and his wife Ann Jane survived him until October 7, 1915 when she died at her home, 125 John Street North in Fort William. Both she and George were buried in Toronto. Ira Dwight Evans became a fuel dealer at Fort William, a millionaire and one of Fort William's (Thunder Bay) leading citizens. George and Ann Jane's daughter, Jane or Jennie as she was called; married W.D.Hunter and their son Horace Talmadge Hunter became president in 1933 of the Hunter-Maclean publishing empire."

Ann Jane Might was born on September 20, 1837 at Lot 22 in the 5th Conc. of Cavan township, Victoria county. Her parents, Samuel Might Sr. and Martha Morrow were members of some of the first families to immigrate to Cavan township from Ireland. Samuel and Martha were married in 1818 in Ireland. Ann Jane had at least four brothers, Samuel Jr., James, William and John. James became a medical doctor and was coroner in the township from 1862 to 1870. Either John or William had a chair-making factory on the shores of Silver Creek.

Ann Jane was a Methodist and married George Evans on May 7, 1856 raising most of her family on Lot 17, Conc.1 of Emily township. In 1874, the family moved to a farm in Toronto township, Peel county, near Derry West. Here her last child was born, Ira Dwight in 1876. In 1888, the family retired from the farm and moved to the city of Toronto. In 1897, her husband George died and in 1900, she moved to Fort William, 125 John Street North to be near her youngest son Ira. On October 7, 1915 Ann Jane died and was buried with her husband George in Toronto.

*The connection of Nellie McClung to the Evans family is not known at this time, but several possible links exist: her husband was born in Cavan township; her sister's married name was Rea of a family related to the Evans; several of Ann's nephews lived in Winnipeg. Ann sent a book to Dorothea O.Evans in 1910 from Fort William- Sowing Seeds in Danny by Nellie McClung. In this book, two fictitious characters were Mr. and Mrs. Evans. Solving the mystery will now be left to a future family researcher.

DAILY TIMES JOURNAL FORT WILLIAM
Saturday October 8, 1915 OBITUARY MRS. GEORGE EVANS,SENIOR

The death occurred from pneumonia, this morning, Friday October 7, of Mrs. George Evans, senior, at the family residence, 125 north John street, after an illness of only two days. Last Sunday evening she attended St. Andrew's church to hear the address of Mrs. Nellie McClung, who is a connection of the family*, and appeared to be in good health and spirits until Tuesday, when a cold developed into pneumonia. Mrs. Evans was greatly beloved by all who knew her and was always affectionately greeted when she appeared at any gathering. She was seventy-seven years of age, having celebrated a birthday September 20. Mrs. Evans was born at Port Hope, Ontario, and lived in Toronto before coming to Fort William in 1900. Last year she was deeply bereaved in the death of her daughter, Miss Laura Evans, which occurred in July, 1914. Her surviving children are: T. A. Evans, Mrs. W.D. Hunter and C.M. Evans of Toronto and Mrs. R.B. Follis, G.R. Evans, Ira D. Evans, and Miss Minnie Evans, Fort William. A funeral service will be held at the house on Saturday, at 8:30 p.m., and she will be buried in Toronto, her son, G.R. Evans, leaving on Sunday to attend the obsequies there.

(from the Clark-Evans Family History by John Howard Evans Clark)

Children of George Evans and Anne Jane Might

  1.  Harold Evans, b. ca. 1857 in Victoria County, Township of Emily, Ontario, m. Patricia Ann Follis
  2. Thomas Arnold Evans, b. 4 July 1857 in Victoria County, Township of Emily,Ontario, m. Margaret Isabella Jamieson, ca. 1877
  3. Martha Jemime 'Jane' (Jenny) Evans, b. 2 December 1859 in Victoria County, Township of Emily, Ontario, m. William David Hunter, 18 December 1878 in Toronto Township, Peel County, Ontario, d. 15 August 1933 in Toronto Township
  4.  Letitia Ann (Annie) Evans, b. 6 February 1862 in Victoria County, Township of Emily,Ontario, m. R. Baxter Follis, ca. 1882
  5. Mary Isabella Evans, b. 6 February 1862 in Victoria County, Township of Emily,Ontario (Possible twin who died at an early age)
  6. Charles Might Evans, b. 3 April 1863 in Victoria County, Township of Emily,Ontario, m. Elizabeth (Bessie) Mary Boyd, 18 October 1899 in Toronto, Ontario, d. 2  August 1946 in Toronto, Ontario
  7. William James Evans , b. 13 December 1866 in Victoria County, Township of Emily, Ontario, d. 28 May 1882 in Derry West, Toronto North, Ontario (killed in horse accident at 16 years)
  8. Minnie Claressa Evans, b. 11 February 1868 in Victoria County, Township of Emily, Ontario, d. 1924
  9. Laura Emma Evans, b. 18 January 1870 in Victoria County, Township of Emily,Ontario, d. 19 July 1914 in Toronto, Ontario
  10. George Ryerson Evans, b. 17 June 1872 in Victoria County, Township of Emily, Ontario, m. Sarah Ann (Sadie) Tonkin, 3 October 1904 in Fort William, District of Thunder Bay, Ontario, d. 24 November 1940 in Fort William, District of Thunder Bay,Ontario
  11. Ira Dwight Evans, b. 10 February 1876 in Derry West, Toronto North, Ontario, m. Maud Hurdon, m. Jessie Milliken, aft. 1918, d. 14 August 1954 in Fort William, District of Thunder Bay, Ontario

NOTE: Ira Dwight's newspaper obituary mentions that he was the youngest of 13 children. Obviously another two did not survive infancy.

The George Evans Family circa 1897

Back row standing, left to right: Gordon Hunter, Jane (Evans) Hunter, William David Hunter, Margaret Isabella (Jamieson) Evans, Anne Jane (Might) Evans, Thomas Arnold Evans, George Evans.

Second row sitting, left to right: Ira Dwight Evans, Maude (Hurdon) Evans, Letitia Evans, Minnie Claressa Evans, Emma Laura Evans, Elizabeth Mary (Boyd) Evans, Sadie (Tonkin) Evans, George Ryerson Evans.

Front row, far right reclining: Charles Might Evans.

Note: The young boys in the front row are probably Charles Might’s and Thomas Arnold’s sons.

The George Evans Family circa 1910

Far left - George Ryerson Evans

Seated in "Black Widows Weeds" wearing Queen Victoria Hat - Ann Jane Might.

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