Parrot Evans

Submitted: October 26, 2004

Written and Submitted by Marie Evans Davis-McQueen

Family legend tells us that Parrot Evans was a big man about 6'5" tall, and that he weighed at least 300 pounds. It was said that his saddle was specially made. He was representative from Itawamba County, Mississippi, elected 1858. He was born 1802 in Anson County, North Carolina and died April 25, 1860 in Itawamba County, Mississippi. He is buried in New Salem Methodist Church Cemetery.

The name of the father of Parrot Evans is not known. The mother of Parrot Evans was Rebecca. We know little about her early life. We do know that she had the son, Parrot Evans, and a daughter, Elizabeth Ann Evans, who married Leonard Hartsell of old Montgomery, now Stanly County, North Carolina in 1818. Leonard Hartsell was the son of John and Rosana Horlacher Hartsell. These families evidently lived close to each other - the Hartsell family in old Montgomery County and the Evans family in Anson County - the part that is now Union County, North Carolina. It is known that after the death of the father of Parrot and Elizabeth Ann Evans, Rebecca married a Burnett. His given name is not known. The Burnett man probably died before the move to Itawamba County, Mississippi. Rebecca died before November 16, 1842 when Parrot Evans relinquished rights of himself and heirs as one of the heirs of the late Rebecca Burnett of Itawamba County, Mississippi. (Book 5, p. 10, 11)

The Parrot Evans family and the Leonard Hartsell family lived near each other in Itawamba County, Mississippi. The Hartsell family lived on what is now White Springs Road. . The Parrot Evans home was on present Highway 25. The New Salem community is about twelve miles south of Fulton, Mississippi, and about twelve miles north of Smithville, Mississippi. These towns are east of Tupelo, Mississippi on the east side of the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway.

Parrot Evans married Susannah Kiser. She was the daughter of George Alexander Kiser, Jr. and Debbie Weatherford who were married August 11, 1803 in Cabarrus County, North Carolina. George Alexander Kiser, Jr. was born April 1, 1779 in Mecklenburg (later Cabarrus) North Carolina and died before October 1822. He was the son of George Alexander Kiser, Sr. and Mary Dove. Susannah died in 1872. The ganders got in the stable with a horse and were fighting the horse. In an effort to separate them, Susannah got too hot and had a stroke. She is buried New Salem Methodist Church Cemetery, Itawamba County, Mississippi.

The children of Parrot and Susannah Kiser Evans were:

  1. Jane M. Evans was born about 1830 in Anson County, North Carolina and died before 1874 in Itawamba County, Mississippi. She married Isaac Wise Booker.
  2. John T. C. Evans was born May 6, 1832 in Anson County, North Carolina and died November 25, 1893 in Itawamba County, Mississippi. He married Susan Catherine Booker.
  3. Parrot Alexander Evans was born November 13, 1835 in Anson County, North Carolina and died March 13, 1837 in Anson County.
  4. Susan E. (Em) Evans was born about 1836 in Anson County, North Carolina and died before 1865. She married Russell Owen Beene.
  5. Mary Alvretta (Polly) Evans was born about 1837 in Anson County, North Carolina and died before 1874 probably Itawamba County, Mississippi. She married A. E. Clifton.
  6. Thomas P. Evans was born about 1840 in Itawamba County, Mississippi and died about 1865 in Itawamba County, Mississippi.
  7. George H. Evans was born about 1842 in Itawamba County, Mississippi and died about 1865 in Itawamba County, Mississippi
  8. Zilpha Adaline (Ad) Evans was born about 1845 in Itawamba County, Mississippi. She married William P. Beene.
  9. Frances Isabella (Is) Evans was born about 1847 n Itawamba County, Mississippi and died August 14, 1915 in Itawamba County, Mississippi. She did not marry.
  10. William Henry Evans was born September 28, 1851 in Itawamba County, Mississippi and died July 3, 1921. He married Julia Ann Duncan.

It is known that Parrot and Susannah Evans and their family - Elizabeth Ann Evans and her husband, Leonard Hartsell, and their family - and the mother, Rebecca Burnett, migrated to Itawamba County, Mississippi about 1837. At this time there was a world-wide depression and yet we find these people were migrating to Itawamba County, Mississippi and buying land there. We do know that there are records of land transactions for Parrot Evans in North Carolina in the mid 1820's to mid 1830's.

Parrot and Susannah Evans were among the first families, to start New Salem community in Itawamba County, Mississippi. They bought 139 acres of land from Nathaniel and Malinda Farran in Itawamba County, Mississippi on September 12, 1840. They bought 160 acres in Itawamba County Mississippi on October 9, 1846 from James S. Bourland. They bought a section (640 acres) in Itawamba County, Mississippi on August 15, 1850 from Thomas and Mary Hoxey. On September 7, 1850, they deeded seven acres of land for the New Salem United Methodist Church. Several of their children were expert musicians, especially with the fiddle or violin, and were in great demand for parties.

Parrot Evans left no will. At the time of his death he had 22 slaves - young and old, real estate in Itawamba County, a small stock of horses, cattle, hogs, farming utensils, wagons and a carriage. Some debts were due him and open accounts with notes. His estate was worth about $25,000.

The families listed below were taken from the 1840 Itawamba County Census. It is possible that they shared a kinship and probably made the trip to Itawamba County Mississippi with the Parrot Evans family:

Green Collins - William Collins - Lewis Collins, - Isaac Collins - Owen Williams - William McWilliams - Andrew McWilliams - Priscilla Williams - Joseph Williams - A. O. Williams - J. B. Williams - John Williams - J. B. Williams. - Isaac Williams - Jesse Williams- Jesse McWilliam - George Barnett (lived in Bourland Vicinity) - Israil Barnett (sp?)- Joseph Barnett and George Barnett. There was one other "Evans" on the 1840 census a "Joseph Evans."

The name, Parrot, is suggestive of some sort of connection to the Parrot family. However, the name probably entered the family in a different way. There was a Parrot Williams living in Anson County, North Carolina and our Parrot Evans owned land adjoining numerous Williams families. It seems possible that the mother of our Parrot could have been a relative of the Williams family, rather than the Parrot family.

Lura Laney Evans signed an affidavit September 3, 1954 in Union County, North Carolina which she stated

"...I am seventy eight years of age, having been born January 30, 1876 and I was the daughter of Augustus Alexander Laney and Mary Elizabeth Pistole. Mary Elizabeth Pistole was the daughter of Charles Pistole and Margaret Williams Pistole.. Margaret Williams Pistole was the daughter of William Williams and Lydia Bivens Williams. William Williams was the son of the Rev. Joseph Williams, Jr. and Martha Parrott Williams. The Rev. Joseph Williams, Jr. was the son of Joseph Williams, Sr. and Mary Newborn. All of my knowledge of the Families of Williams, Newborns and Parrotts come from my mother and uncle and aunt. They having lived in the home of their grandfather, William Williams. All had large families. These families came to Anson County, now Union, from Sampson County but talked of kin coming from Edgecombe and Bertie Counties. I was married to Robert E. Evans whose mother (Ann Lucy - his father was Albert Evans 1811-1886 who was son of William Evans) talked of a Parrot Evans who was kin to the Williams family but I do not know the connection."

Source: Margie W. Baucom, Wingate, North Carolina

We know that Parrot's home prior to moving to Mississippi, was Anson County, North Carolina - he actually lived in the part that became Union County. Many of the records of Anson County were destroyed by fire in 1868. The deed books and the will books do survive, however, will books appear to be incomplete and no wills of the Evans family survive. Most all other court records including estate papers and court minutes are lost. Parrot did inherit land, but some mystery remains regarding the manner in which the land came to him.

The land where Parrot lived was on Rays Fork of Richardson Creek, now in eastern Union County, North Carolina which was created in 1842. In the Union County deed books Parrot is mentioned once in a power of attorney:

"Union County deeds 1:37 - State of North Carolina - Union County - Know all men by these presents that I Parrot Evans of the State of Mississippi and Itawamba County do hereby....appoint N. B. Jenkins of ....County of Union...to...sell two certain tracts of land situated in said county, the one on the Buck Branch known as the John Watson land, containing twenty-four acres of land, the other on Leans Creek (originally the Michal Milton land)...the 29th day of August 1843. Witness: M. Austen."

The sale of these tracts of land, either under the name Evans or Jenkins have not been identified nor does this land appear to have been earlier owned by any members of the Evans family. The land probably could have been an inheritance of the wife of Parrot Evans.

In Anson County Parrot Evans owned a tract of 500 acres which he sold in 1839. The deed is transcribed with the date "1829" but this seems clearly to be a mistake for 1839. The deed was recorded in 1840. It would seem that he inherited part of this land.

(Anson County deeds, 10:163): This indenture made this 21st day of October 1829 (sic, should be 1839) between Parrot Evans of Anson County..and Enoch Sikes of the County...aforesaid..issued 20 Feb. 1829 . The tract north of this of approximately 120 acres is referred to in the grant to Parrot and also his later sale as the "Gillen tract." This land was presumably purchased by Parrot Evans, although a recorded deed was not located. The land north of this tract later owned by Calvin Edwards was originally a grant to Lemuel Williams of 19 September 1826, which mentions Parrot Evans' line, and showed that Parrot already owned this land by 1826.

The remaining 300 acres of the land owned by Parrot Evans turn out to include all the lands earlier owned by John Evans, Sr. No record of the division survives, but it would appear that this land had been split in two sections of 150 acres, with Parrot Evans inheriting the eastern part, while the remaining part went to Leonard Hartsell, who had married Elizabeth Evans, sister to Parrot Evans. Whatever the exact mechanisms of descent, Parrot soon proceeded to gain title to the whole of this area. In 1829 Leonard Hartsell of Montgomery County, North Carolina sold for $125 to Parrot Evans of Anson County, North Carolina the tract on the south west side of Pee Dee on Rays Fork. This tract turns out to follow exactly the same bounds as a tract sold by Jethrow Weaver to John Evans on 22 July 1785. Parrot Evans purchased on 7 October 1837 from Russel Rogers for fifty acres for $62.50 This land was formerly owned by John Evans. Witnesses were Elam C. Williams and Jesse (x) Collins.

John also obtained two land grants. - grant #5155 entered by John Evans, Sr. on 21 July 1794 and issued 10 July 1797. Chain carriers for the survey, 8 April 1795 were John Evans, Jr. and James Yarbrough. Grant #5170 which was entered by John Evans, Sr. 1 July 1795 and issued 10 July 1797. This was surveyed on 8 April 1796 with Joshuah Yarbrough and Joshuah Evans as chain carriers. This completed the land acquisitions of John Evans, Sr.

In January of 1802 John Evans, Sr. of Anson County, North Carolina sold land to Zacheus Collens. Witnesses were Wiss A. Caraway and Barbara (X) Evans. It appears clear that Parrot Evans and Elizabeth Evans, wife of Leonard Hartsell, inherited the land earlier owned by John Evans, Sr. The exact means by which they inherited the land remains unclear. It appears likely that they may have been grandchildren of John Evans, Sr. He does not appear in deeds after 1802. The lands of the family are also not shown on the surviving 1815 land tax of Anson County (at this time they may have been held by the remarried mother of Parrot and Elizabeth, (Rebecca Burnet) however no Burnett deeds are found for land on Rays Fork. A will was not found for John Evans in Anson and the estates are, of course, lost.

On the census records we note that there were two men named John Evans listed in Anson County in 1790. In 1800 we find two John Evans, Jacob Evans and Charles Evans. By 1810 all of these were gone and the census lists in Anson only Michael, Morris and Thomas Evans - all free black families. The 1820 census lists in Anson two white Evans households, Enoch J. Evans and William Evans. Neither appear to be connected to our group.

Now John Evans, Sr. would appear to have had a large number of children, probably including John, Jr. and Jacob. It thus would not appear that his lands could have descended by an intestate procedure, which would have resulted in a division among all the heirs. Instead, it would seem likely that the father of Parrot Evans was a son of John Evans, Sr. and that this unidentified man married after 1800 and died before 1810. At the death of this man the land apparently descended to Parrot and Elizabeth Evans. We might then suppose that John Evans, Sr. deeded this land to Parrot's father, via a deed which is not recorded.

We find that the wife of this John Evans, Sr. was Ann Culpepper. Parrot Evans named a son, John T. C. Evans. Davey Hudson Moore, a granddaughter of this John T. C. Evans, was adamant that the name was John Thomas Culpepper Evans and John Ebenezer Evans, Sr. grandson of John T. C. Evans, was equally certain that the name was John Timothy Cornelius Evans. His signature was John T. C. Evans. Ann Culpepper was the daughter of Benjamin Culpepper, who was born Norfolk County, Virginia about 1710 and died Edge County, North Carolina 1772. Benjamin Culpepper married Elizabeth Harrell in 1740. Perhaps the sister of Parrot Evans was named for this Elizabeth Harrell Culpepper. John Evans, Sr. was a Revolutionary War soldier. According to the approval (National No. 382603 of an application for membership in the Daughters of The American Revolution, Washington, D.C. State - North Carolina - City - Louisburg - Chapter Name - Major Green Hill) Ann Culpepper Evans was born about 1745 and she was living in 1810. They were married ca. 1765. John Evans, Sr. was born Orange County (now Culpepper County) Virginia and was formally of Anson County, North Carolina. He died 1806 Nash County, North Carolina. The children of this John Evans are listed: Abraham, Sherwood, Isaac, George, Amos, John, Ann and Rhoda. John Evans, Sr. did not mention Parrot nor Elizabeth Ann Evans in his will. The ones mentioned in his will were: Ann Evans - wife, Isaac Evans - son, Sherod - son, George - son, Abraham - son, Tempy Winstead - granddaughter, Ann - daughter, Caleb Davis - grandson, Elizabeth Warren Evans - granddaughter and Dolly Evans (no relation given). There are no known cemetery records in Anson or Union Counties re this Evans family. At this time, this compiler has not been successful in proving the name of the father of Parrot Evans.

Sources:

Jonathan B. Butcher David Price National No. 382603 - Application For Membership Daughters Of The American Revolution, Washington, D. C. - State - North Carolina - City - Louisburg - Chapter Name - Major Green Hill

Will of John Evans, Sr.

SOME DESCENDANTS OF PARROT EVANS OF ANSON COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA AND ITAWAMBA COUNTY MISSISSIPPI 1802 - 1994, Marie Evans Davis, P. O. 375, Bon Secour, Alabama 36511