When I was unable to find John P Evans and Amanda Beebe in the 1860 US Census, I decided to try searching for their two year old son William Eli Evans and found what can only be the brother of John P Evans.
Listed in the 1860 US Census is a Benjamin Evens age 33 born in France. Benjamin is living in East Birmingham, Allegheny County, PA (East Birmingham is now part of Pittsburgh) with Eliza age 27, and two children, Alfred and William ages five and two.
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| East Birmingham 1860 US Census |
HOUSEHOLD | ROLE | GENDER | AGE | BIRTHPLACE |
| Benjamin Evens | M | 33 | France | |
| Eliza Evens | F | 27 | Pennsylvania | |
| Alfred Evens | M | 5 | Pennsylvania | |
| William Evens | M | 2 | Pennsylvania |
Evans is a common surname in 19th century Pennsylvania, but there are very few that were born in France. Benjamin Evans born 1826 and John P Evans born 1831 are both born in France in the same time frame, and they are both found living in East Birmingham Pennsylvania around the same time as well..
East Birmingham is where Amanda Beebe's family lived and where John P Evans and Amanda Beebe were married in 1855 (John P Evans and Amanda Beebe's marriage date and location was recorded in John Evans Civil War pension record page 89).
With a name and an approximate year of birth, I was able to find the 1889 death record for Benjamin Evans in the Registration of Deaths in the City of Pittsburgh. According to the death record, Benjamin Evans was born in France and died of chronic phthisis (tuberculosis) on 26 May 1889, age 57 years 10 months. Benjamin Evans was married at the time of his death, had been employed as a watchman, and was buried at Homewood Cemetery.
The Homewood Cemetery website provides a search of burial records by name. There was only one record for a Benjamin Evans at Homewood Cemetery and he was buried in 1889.
BENJAMIN EVANS
Section: 8
Lot: 123
Grave: 1
Date Of Burial: 1889
I recognized the Section and Lot shown in the Homewood record for Benjamin Evans as I had found the burial location for John P Evans from his Veterans Grave Registration Record and he is buried in the same lot and section as Benjamin Evans. Benjamin Evans also has a Veterans Grave Registration Record from the US military and it also records his burial location as Homewood Cemetery Section 8 Lot 123.
The records at the Homewood Cemetery show that Section 8 Lot 123 graves 2-10 are all related to John P Evans family (John P Evans is buried at Grave 2). Amanda Beebe, son Charles, daughter Estelle and her family are all found in this section of Homewood Cemetery. Benjamin Evans is in Grave 1 Section 8 Lot 123. That Benjamin Evans and John P Evans are buried next to each other is confirmation that Benjamin Evans was closely related to John P Evans and must be his brother because of how close they are in age.
I was also able to find Benjamin Evans at findagrave. The findagrave entry, which also states the burial location as Section 8 Lot 123 Grave 1 has a photograph of the gravestone which provides the date of birth and death for Benjamin Evans.
The date of death on the gravestone, May 26, 1889, is the same date referenced in the death record and in the Veterans Grave Registration Record for Benjamin Evans.
The year of birth on the gravestone (1826) matches the birth date from the Veterans Grave Registration Record for Benjamin Evans and is close to the estimated year of birth for Benjamin Evans determined from the 1860 US Census which would be 1827. However, the death record and the 1880 US Census both note the year of birth for Benjamin Evans as closer to 1830-1831. Benjamin Evans himself is the person likely to have informed the US Army of his birth date, so the date of birth recorded on the Veterans Grave Registration Record should be considered the best source.
Note that Benjamin Evans served in the 147th PA Volunteers Company A.
John P Evans burial record is also found a findagrave and the location of his grave is listed as Section 8 Lot 123 Grave 2. Note John Evans military information is also included on his gravestone
There is a record for a Benjamin Evans, born in France, in the 1880 US Census. Benjamin Evans is listed as age 50 and is living in Pittsburgh. The 1880 Census states family relationships and records Maudia Evans as the wife of Benjamin Evans and Harry B Evans as his son. It is unclear who Girasira Greenhouse is, but she is probably too young to be a servant.
HOUSEHOLD | ROLE | GENDER | AGE | BIRTHPLACE |
| Benjames Evans | Self | M | 50 | France |
| Maudia C Evans | Wife | F | 40 | Pennsylvania, United States |
| Harry B Evans | Son | M | 13 | Pennsylvania, United States |
| Girasira Greenhouse | Other | F | 10 | England |
In the 1880 Census the birthplace of the parents is recorded.
Benjamin Evans was born in France and his parents were both born in England (The entry for John P Evans (1880 Census) also records England as the place of birth of both parents).
Maudia is most likely a second wife with Eliza Evans from the 1860 US Census probably the first wife of Benjamin Evans.
Note: John P Evans and Benjamin Evans have named their sons William and Harry and they appear to be the same ages as each other, with both Williams born c1857 and both sons named Harry born c1867. This is probably explained by the brothers naming their children after family members, but it's possible that the William recorded in the 1860 Census living with Benjamin Evans is actually the son of John P Evans.
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Additional research
Possible 1870 Census record for Benjamin Evans in Pittsburgh. Wrong place of birth, but age is correct as is the age for son Harry, but with a wife named Caroline. It is possible that Caroline (1870) and Maudia (1880) are the same person as both born 1840 in Pennsylvania and Maudia has middle initial C. Where are children from 1860 Census, Alfred and William? They would be 15 and 12 in 1870.
HOUSEHOLD | ROLE | GENDER | AGE | BIRTHPLACE |
| Benjamin Evans | M | 44 | England | |
| Caroline Evans | F | 30 | Ireland | |
| Harry Evans | M | 2 | Pennsylvania |
William Henry Evans possible son of Benjamin Evans, second marriage in Ohio, born in PA in 1857, father Benjamin Evans and mother Elizabeth Green
| Name | William H. Evans | |||
| Event Type | Marriage | |||
| Event Date | 30 Sep 1902 | |||
| Event Place | Lawrence, Ohio, United States | |||
| Age | 45 | |||
| Birth Year (Estimated) | 1857 | |||
| Birthplace | Pa. | |||
| Father's Name | Benjamin Evans | |||
| Mother's Name | Elizabeth Greene | |||
Pin down Alfred Evans and William from the 1860 Census
Look for Harry B Evans and Maudia from the 1880 Census.
French births named Evans include Estelle and the record has someone named Thomas. Mary Thomas age 71 is living with John P Evans and Amanda Beebe in 1870.
French deaths include a John Evans, died 14 September 1831. He was age 33 born in 1797. The family history is that John P Evans moved from France shortly after his birth on 6 June 1831, perhaps to Scotland. This John Evans could be the father and might explain why the family left France.
Mary Thomas in Allegheny County 1860 Census, born 1797 in England which matches the Mary Thomas, born in England, living with John P Evans and Amanda Beebe in 1870. This could be John Evans mother (he states his parents were born in England in census records) with a second husband named Thomas and his family.
Sarah Ann Evans Bedell is buried in Homewood Cemetery. Elizabeth Bedell is the mother of John P Evans wife Amanda Beebe. Possible niece of John Evans.
Sarah Ann Evans Bedell, husband Mathew Griffin Bedell
Sarah Ann Evans Bedell
| Birth: | Aug. 29, 1851 |
| Death: | May 2, 1931 |
 According to her Pennsylvania Death Certificate #48436, Sarah passed away from cystitis. Her father is listed as Enick Evans and her mother as Sara Ashford. | |
| Burial: Homewood Cemetery Pittsburgh Allegheny County Pennsylvania, USA | |
Emigration
UK Immigrants database
Ship Helen McGaw arrival 11 August 1848 (possibly through Matanzas, Cuba)
Enoch Evans no age (appears in index cards, doesn't show in Ancestry)
Thomas Evans no age accompanied by family
John Evans no age
John Evans no age
Richard Thomas no age
+ about 10 other Evans on the Helen McGaw
no Benjamin Evans, Margaret, Joseph, Eben, Mary found in index cards on the Helen McGaw
All Benjamin Evans entering Philadelphia, he may have come later, there is a Benjamin Evans still in Scotland in 1851 Census.
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