YALE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY

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BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICE

JOHN EVANS,

RKAI) AT A MEETING OF THE

DELAWARE C0C1VT¥ HVSTITCTE OF SCIENCE,

MAY 8, 1862,

Dr. CiEORGE SMITH,
I'RESIDENT OF THE INSTITUTE.

PUBLISHED BY ORDER OF THE rNSTITVTE.

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CHESTER :
PHINTBD BT Y. S. WALTER

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1862.

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BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICE

JOHN EVANS,

READ AT A MEETING OF THE

DELAWARE COIINTT INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE,

MAY 3, 1862,

Dr. GEORGE SMITH,
PRESIDENT OP THE INSTITUTE.

PUBLISHED BY ORDER OF THE INSTITUTE.

CHESTER :
I-BINTBD BT T. S. WALTER.
1862.

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BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICE

JOHN ETAKSj
READ AH A MEETING OF THE DELAWARE COUNTY INSTITUTE
or SCIENCE, MAT 3, 1862, ET DR. GEORQB SMITH,
PRESIDENT OP THB INSTITUTE.

Our fellow-member, John Evans, died at his residence,
in Radnor township, Delaware County, on the fifth day
of April, 1862. He was the son of David and Adah Evans,
and was bom on the 13th of the second month, 1790.
His ancestors for some generations were Friends or Qua
kers. On the side of his father, they were thoroughly
Welsh, while on that of his mother they were pai'tly so.
The records of the Society of Friends, show that on
the 31st of the 10th month, 1746, John Evans, of Radnor,
was married to Sarah, daughter of David Jones, ofthe same
place, ' ' at their meeting house in Radnor. " Of this mar
riage, David Evans, the father of the subject of this notice,
was bom " on the 19th of the 3rd month, called March,
in the year 1755."
Adah, the mother of John Evans, was a daughter of
Joseph Dickinson, and Hannah his wife, who resided in
Plymouth, Montgomery County. Joseph Dickinson was
the son of Joshua and Elizabeth Dickinson, who migrated
from England early in the eighteenth century, and settled
in Witpain township, then Philadelphia,, but now Mont
gomery County. Hannah Dickinson, the maternal grand-

mother of John Evans, was the daughter of John and
Mary Wright ; Mary being the grandchild of John Jerman,
a noted Quaker preacher, and one of the earliest Welsh
settlers of Radnor.
Adah Dickinson, the mother of John Evans, was the
second wife of David Evans, his father. His first marriage
was to Eleanor Harrisson, by whom he had one child,
Mary, who is still living. John Evans was the oldest of
five children, by the second marriage.
Adah Evans died in the year 1800, and David six years
later, when their oldest son, John, had just attained his
sixteenth year. With the death of his father, his school
education ended. Shortly prior to this period, he had the
advantage of one year's tuition at an excellent private
seminary, located on the Lancaster turnpike, and he has
often remarked, that but for the instruction he received at
that school he would have been almost " an ignoramus."
The patrimonial estate consisted of a large farm, which
was traversed by Ithan Creek. Upon this stream a mill
had been erected, either by the father or grandfather of our
deceased fellow-member. This circumstance, probably,
directed his attention to the milling business, as the occu
pation most likely to be useful to him in after life. He,
doubtless, acquired some knowledge of the business at the
home mill, but it was not in his nature to be satisfied with
a partial knowledge of anything ; and the business of this
mill being confined to the neighborhood custom, he repair
ed to the Merchant mUl of Richard Roberts at the Gulf,
then doing a very large business. Here, during a resi
dence of several years, he made himself fully master ofhis
chosen profession.
About the time of the breaking out of the war of 1812,
a firm of New York, by whom a large flour mUl had re
cently been erected near Troy, on the Hudson River, ad
vertised for a competent manager for their establishment.
It was the prevailing opinion then that Pennsylvania mil-

lers were superior to those of New York, and John Evans,
though young, obtained the situation, at a salary, at that
time, regarded as high. Here he remained three years,
much to the satisfaction of his employers.
With the exception of the town of Troy, then a mere
hamlet, the country surrounding the mill was nearly in a
state of nature, and, as is well known, was highly romantic.
Being almost shut out from social intercourse, our young
miller, after having attended closely to his business on
week days, spent much of his time on Sundays, in ram
bling, solitary and alone, over the wild and romantic coun
try that surrounded his miU — in traversing its streams,
and in scaling its precipices. It was in this state of iso
lation from civilized society, that the habits and tastes of
John Evans underwent a change. It was in these solitary
rambles, that he laid the foundation of his character in
after life. Here he became a devoted lover of nature,
acquired the habits of close observation, and fitted himself
for the successful study of the natural sciences.
After his return from Troy, he, in partnership with his
brother David, for some time, carried on the milling busi
ness on the mansion farm. In the year 1819, he married
Ann, the eldest daughter of Benjamin Browne, of Radnor,
by whom he had six chUdren, viz. : Cadwalader, Eliza
beth, Benjamin B., Joseph D., Anne and Thomas B.
About the time of his marriage, he erected a dwelling house
near his mill, in which he ever afterwards resided. About
this period, the partnership with his brother was dissolved,
and having adapted his mill for sawing lumber for the
Philadelphia market, he engaged largely in that business
which he continued to foUow tiU within a year or two of
his death.
Up to about the year 1827 or '28, though industrious in
the acquisition of knowledge, John Evans had not shown
a great preference for any particular branch of science.
About this time he received a visit from his kinsman, Alan

W. Corson, of Plymouth, Montgomery County, who was
on his return home, with his daughter, from Westown
boarding school. The visitors remained over night, and
had with them a copy of Dr. Darlington's Florula Cestrica,
then lately published, and used in Westown School. This
was the first knowledge John Evans had of any work de
scriptive of our local flora. He had then some little prac
tical acquaintance with plants and their culture, but it was
the opportune visit of his relative, Corson, and this early
publication of Dr. Darlington, that first opened the way
for him to enter upon the study of botany systematically.
From this time, until the close of his earthly career, the
study of that science and the cultivation of plants, es
pecially of hardy ones, have been with him a primary
occupation. The tastes of his visiting kinsman were congenial with
his own. They often visited each other, and frequently
made botanical excursions together. What one had ac
quired was freely communicated to the other, till they both
became familiar with aU the plants in the neighborhood,
with, perhaps, theexception of some ofthe most inconspicu
ous. The culture of rare plants around his dweUingcom-
menced and progressed with his study of botany. Annual,
or more frequent visits were at first paid to the old Bar-
tram botanic garden — ^then in the possession of Colonel
Carr — and to other gardens in the vicinity of Philadelphia.
The supply from this source was soon exhausted, when
he turned his attention to Europe, entered into a corres
pondence with Sir WiUiam J. Hooker, Director of the
Gardens of Kew, near London, and by forwarding to that
learned botanist, annually for many years, seeds and speci
mens of American plants, frequently obtained by long
journeys and much labor, he received in return, new and
often very rare plants from various parts of the world,
scarcely obtainable from any other source by purchase.
During part of the period occupied by this correspondence.

Dr. Hooker, the son of Sir William J. Hooker, made a
botanical tour to the Himalaya mountains, in Asia. Seeds
from that almost unexplored region, many of them pro
duced by unnamed plants ; were forwarded to John Evans.
It will be remembered by his botanical visitors at that
time, the great amount of labor and care bestowed by him
in the propagation of plants from these seeds. Beisides
Professor Hooker, he, for a time, had a correspondent in
Germany. He also had a number of correspondents in
different parts of the United States, but most of his rare
American plants were collected by himself during his fre
quent botanical tours. These tours were generally made to
mountainous regions.
The premises of John Evans afibrded no suitable grounds
tor an extensive garden, speciaUy designed for show and
ornament, and yet it is doubtful whether another spot of
the same extent can be found so weU adapted to the culture
and growth of a great variety of plants. There is a place
on these grounds for plants of every habit, and every plant
is found in the best place for its propagation and growth.
On the densely wooded hillside, North of the dweUing,
we find magnificent Rhododendrons, and other mountain
shrubbery and herbaceous plants, natives ofthe Himalayas,
the Rocky Mountains, the Adirondacks, the CatskiUs and
the Alleghanies, growing side by side, and mingling their
gaudy colors and rich perfumes in deep shaded seclusion,
moistened by the spray from the adjacent cascade of the
mill-pond. Below, upon a flat on the opposite side of the
creek, is an arenaceous alluvial deposit. Here we find the
weU known "Sand Gardeii" of the late proprietor, and
clustered within it almost countless species from New Jer
sey, and many strangers from similar soil in more remote
regions. The arid rocky hills are covered with pines, and
other Coniferm, of the rarest species. The damp ravme has
its miniature cane-brake ; the artificial pond, its odoriferous
Nymphaa, and other aquatics. Every border is crowded

8
with its appropriate specimen of rare and curious produc
tions of the vegetable kingdom, brought together from
remote parts of the earth. Every nook and comer has a
fitting tenant, whose right of occupancy no horticulturaUst
would dare to question. In his planting, John Evans ob
served no order but the order of nature. A large propor
tion of the labor required for the care and cultivation of
this vast coUection of plants, was performed by the hands
of their late owner. But time and labor were economized
in every possible way consistent with proper culture. The
aaw-diisi fi'om his mill, was used extensively around the
growing plants to smother out weeds. This soon decayed
into a rich vegetable mould that promoted the growth of
the plant, and soon enabled it to take care of itself.
The extent of the "Evans coUection" is not exactly
known. Though urged, whUe in health, by more than
one ofhis Mends, to make out a complete catalogue of his
plants, our deceased feUow-member postponed the task till
declining health rendered it an impossibility. In the
number of distinct species of trees and shrubbery, this
coUection, may, without doubt, be set down as the largest
in this country, whUe in hebaceous plants it has but very
few equals. To many of the rare trees and shrubs, ap
propriate leaden labels have been appended by their late
owner, but this is not the case with a vast number of the
herbaceous plants.
With John Bartram and Humphrey Marshall, John
Evans completes a trio of self-taught American botanists,
aU bom witMn the limits of old Chester County, and the
first and last within the bounds of the present County of
Delaware. They were men of like tastes, and were alike
in their industrious and fragal habits. They were aU men
of the strictest integrity and highest moral worth, and
especiaUy were they alike as devoted students of the vege
table kingdom. Each reared his own monument in the
large coUection of growing plants, he left behind him.

John Evans Uved in an age when botanical knowledge
was more readUy acquired, and rare specimens of plants
more easUy coUected than in the times of his predecessors.
Hence, the vastly greater extent of his coUection, wtule
it is so highly creditable to him, is no disparagement to
them. But his attention was not like theirs, confined to
plants alone. He had acquired a good knowledge of Miner.
alogy. Geology and Zoology. On the 27th day of Decein-
ber, 1834, John Evans became a member of this Institute,
and it is probable that the study of these sciences com
menced about that period. As a Geologist, his views
were comprehensive and enlarged, but he had Uttle taste
for the speculative details of that science.
Many of the fine specimens that occupy the shelves of our
museum were contributed by him, ahd he has recently
enriched our library by a valuable donation of books. His
usefulness as a member of the Institute, was highly appre
ciated by his feUow-members, and his views on every
subject that came up for consideration, were always Usten
ed to with attention and respect.
John Evans was eminently a thinking man. His opin
ions were fliUy formed on every subject presented to his
mind, and no one who knew him, however different his own
sentiments might be, could, for a moment, entertain a
doubt, but these opinions were honestly entertained.
He was liberal, almost to a fault, in the distribution of
plants among such of his friends, as he beUeved would
properly care for them. AU who held that relation to
him, can be in no want of numerous floral mementoes
around their dweUings, of this profuse liberality.
More than a year past, exposure in his garden, developed
the consuming disease, which ended his days on earth.
His sufferings were not great, a favor for which he ex
pressed his thankfulness. He fuUy understood the nature
of his malady and the certainty of the result. For months
he had predicted, that he would notUve many days beyond

10
the flrst of AprU ; and as the fatal period approached, he
more clearly felt that his prediction would be realized. He
retained his senses unimpaired to the last, and after having
given specific directions for the preservation of his favorite
trees and shrubbery against damage from the horses of
those who might attend his funeral, he firmly met his fate,
and quietly passed from time to eternity.
On the Sunday foUowing his decease, being the 7th of
April, his remains were interred in the family cemetery,
under evergreen trees planted by himself, and surrounded
by choice shrubbery and flowers that had been cultivated
with his own hands. Besides his neighbors who flocked
aroimd his grave, there were those present from a distance,
who had known him long and weU — who were familiar
with his many virtues. They were there to pay a last
homage to his sterling integrity and great moral worth.

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