*Notes as of 5/1/2024:

James Evans was born in Kentucky. He was a farmer. James and Sarah Garrett Evans had some amazing connections to well known families living in Indiana. Although we don't find a biography for them in any of the history books, this doesn't mean that they shouldn't have been included. James Evans' military record and Sarah Garrett Evans connection to the Red Brick Church where her parents married in North Carolina and the United Methodist Church (a.k.a. Albright) in Indiana, as well as what appears to be their very close friendship with Randolph Alexander and his wife Malinda Boon Alexander (daughter of Ratliff Boon and Delilah Anderson Boon), alone should qualify them for their place in the history books.

James Evans and his young family were on the 1820 census in Warrick, Indiana. There was a Charles Evans living on the 1820 census in Warrick, Indiana, as well. This Charles Evans was possibly born about 1776 and he had six people in his household. He may have possibly been his Uncle. Also, there is a Richard Evans born 1798. Richard may be related to James Evans. Richard moves to Oregon and makes Jacob Thompson executor of his will (husband of Rhoda Evans Thompson). Rhoda and Jacob also move to Oregon. Rhoda was a daughter to James and Sarah Garrett Evans. Also, Richard Evans is connected to James and Sarah Evans through the marriage of their daughter Sarah Evans to David Luther Martin. David Martin's sister Virginia Ellen Martin marries a son of Richard Evans; David H. Evans.

James Evans was a Kentucky soldier on command at Vincennes on Dec. 23, 1812 (Captain William Sugg's Company, 6th Regiment, Kentucky Militia, Commanded by Col. Phillip Barbour). He was first enlisted in this regiment on Sept. 1, 1812. There are two James Evans' listed in this regiment. One was a James Evans Jr., who may have been this James Evans born 1793. What makes this regiment so interesting is the name of Absalom Vann. His son Joseph Rolfson Vann sells land to James Evans in 1830 in Warrick, Indiana. So, there is a good chance that this is the correct military record for James Evans. There are other names on this military record of 1812 of men who also lived near James Evans.

On August 18, 1818, James married Sarah "Sallie" Garrett in Warrick, Indiana. The William Evans who has been attributed to them as their son born on the same day of their marriage was likely a son to John Evans b. 1798 and died 1875 in Pike, Indiana. The Evans family in this Bethel cemetery are probably all related. The 1820 census in Warrick shows one male under 10 and one female under 10. The 1830 census shows a male of 15-19 and another older male of about 50 in the household. The older son to James and Sarah would have instead been 11 years old. Either the census taker made a mistake on his age or there was someone else in the household and the oldest son has died. Was ? Uncle Charles Evans and his son possibly born in Kentucky or Indiana on this 1830 census? This 1830 census shows James Evans as 29, when he was actually about 37 years old. The age range for Sarah appears to be correct. There is one daughter that is still unknown as of this writing; born about 1826 who was on the 1830 and 1840 census.

Land Records / Deeds:

1830: 40 acres purchased from Joseph Rolfson Vann; son of Absalom Vann who served as private with James Evans in the same company in 1812. Sarah is called "Sallie" on this Deed.

1835: Purchased 40 acres of land in Warrick, Indiana.

23 Apr 1836 : Purchases 40 acres from Isaac Williams (father of Henry Williams who would later take care of Sarah Garrett Evans in 1870).

16 Jul 1836: Purchases 20 acres from Matthew Norwood. (Matthew Norwood appears to have married Elizabeth Alexander, a possible sister to Randolph Alexander (some debate as to whether Randolph was an only child, but census records indicate that he likely had brothers and sisters), whose father John Alexander was a Revolutionary War soldier from North Carolina and also appears to have fought in the same 6th regiment in 1812 as James Evans. John Alexander was in South Carolina for about 15 years where Randolph Alexander was born and also lived in Tennessee from about 1803 to 1810).

20 Mar 1837: Purchases 80 acres in Warrick.

1 Mar 1849: James and Sarah sell land to both Samuel Wilder and William Alexander. (Samuel Wilder's daughter Nancy Jane Wilder marries William Alexander who was a son of Randolph and Malinda Boon Alexander). One of the witnesses to this Deed was Randolph Alexander who married Malinda Boon; daughter of the well known Ratliff Boon and his wife Delilah Anderson - daughter of one of the earliest settlers in Warrick - Bailey Anderson. Ratliff Boon was former Governor of Indiana in the early 1820's. James and Sarah are possibly getting ready to move to Wapello, Iowa. Later, they would decide not to stay. Also, Randolph Alexander and Malinda Boon Alexander can be found on the 1865 United Methodist Church membership list with Sarah Garrett Evans after James Evans dies. Randolph and Malinda are buried in this cemetery as well.

**Another interesting connection to the Boon family would be through William Ashby Ross who married Jane B. Evans in 1838. William Ross' mother Catharine Ashby Ross had a half sister - Garner Ashby who married Thomas Morton. After Thomas Morton's mother died, his father Robert Morton married Mehetable Luce. She likely raised Thomas. Mehetable Luce was older sister to David Luce who had a son named William Luce who married Minerva Boon; sister to Malinda Boon who married Randolph Alexander.

**Yet another interesting connection to the Evans family both in Ohio County, KY and Spencer, Indiana is the marriage of Rebecca McNeely to a John Evans. Rebecca was the daughter of Mary Polly Ashby McNeely and Ezekiel McNeely. Mary Polly Ashby was the youngest sister to Catharine Ashby Ross; mother to William A. Ross who married Jane B. Evans. This John Evans says that he was born in Kentucky, but he marries Rebecca in Spencer, Indiana. Perhaps he was a son of Charles Evans? More research needed. The McNeely family has connections to Warrick, Indiana.

According to biographical data in Wapello, Iowa on James and Sarah Evans' son-in-law William Taylor Thompson, who married their daughter Polly Ann Evans, James and Sarah Garrett Evans travelled with family to Iowa by 1850 to 1852 and then returned to Indiana by or before 1860. James and Sarah were only in Iowa a short time before returning. There is an 1852 census record for James Evans and some of his family in Richland, Wapello, Iowa (probably including his wife Sarah, his daughter's Elizabeth (b. 1837), Vashti, and son Isaac). Although, there is a chance that the daughter included on this 1852 census could have been Caroline instead, or even the unknown daughter born about 1826.

Three of James and Sarah Evans' children married into the same Thompson family (parents were John B. Thompson and Sarah Iglehart); Polly Ann, Rhoda, and Henry. Because of this very close connection to the Thompson and Iglehart families, it is possible that James Evans may have been born in Ohio, or Nelson Co., KY or nearby where John Thompson was possibly born. Also, the Iglehart's are connected to the Ashby and Ross families in Ohio, KY. Also, Nancy Evans, James and Sarah Evan's daughter, first married Daniel Van Winkle. A daughter of John B. and Sarah Iglehart Thompson also marries an Alexander Van Winkle; Martha Jane Thompson.

Some of James and Sarah's children move to Wapello County, Iowa by 1850. The Elizabeth born in 1825 who marries Milton Harger now does not appear to be their daughter. At the time being, it isn't known what happened to Elizabeth Evans born 1837 after the 1850-1852 census in Wapello, Iowa where she was living with her sister Jane B. Evans Ross, William Ross, and their family and then in 1852 with her parents possibly in Highland, Richland, Wapello, Iowa. She would have been about 7 years old on the trip to Wapello, Iowa and likely travelled with her sister Vashti and her older sister Jane B. Evans Ross in 1844 when their was a huge migration to Wapello, Iowa. On the 1850 census, she was 13 years old and if she was living with her parents on the 1852 census, she was about 15. It is a possibility that she may have married and stayed in Iowa. Further research needed. Her sister Vashti returns to Boone, Warrick, Indiana by 1860; probably with her parents. There has also been some confusion over the 1860 census for James and Sarah in Boone, Warrick, Indiana. Their daughter Vashti was living with them after returning from Wapello, Iowa, and their son Isaac Evans who died a year after this census was taken, in the Civil War. The census shows that he is a male, but on ancestry he registers as Isadore, which isn't correct. James Evan's son-in-law William Ross, who married his daughter Jane B. Evans, had an older sister named Margaret Ross who married James Arnold. Margaret and James Arnold were living next to James and Sarah Evans on the 1860 census. After James Evans dies, Margaret and James Arnold move to Pike, Indiana. Rev. James Arnold's father James Arnold Sr. and Uncle Joseph Arnold can be found on the 1820 census in Warrick. Joseph Arnold was one of the first to settle in Anderson, Warrick, Indiana. Joseph Arnold, JP, presided over the marriage of James Evans and Sarah Garrett in 1818.

Also, another interesting connection to an Evans would be through the marriage of Vashti Evans to William Alvan Wells in 1865 in Warrick. William Alvan Wells' grandmother was Phoebe Evans (Wells). Phoebe was born abt 1791 (possibly in Washington Township, KY). This township is where she was married. Her father may have possibly been a James Evans as a tax list can be found for 1800 in Washington Township for him.

After the 1860 census in Boone, Warrick, Indiana, James dies. His wife Sarah has been found on an 1870 census in Ohio, Boone, Indiana living with Henry E. Williams, Caroline Schraeder Williams and their family. Sarah passes away after the 1870 census in Boone. All of James and Sarah Garrett Evans' children were probably born in Warrick, Indiana.

Confirmed children to James and Sarah Garrett Evans are: Jane, Polly Ann, Rhoda, Henry, Sarah, Nancy, Vashti, probably Caroline (b. 1835 and living with sister Rhoda in 1850), Elizabeth (not Isadore Elizabeth) b. 1837, and Isaac.