Person:Catherine Baxter (6)

Parentage of Catherine, wife of Mark Evans

There is considerable speculation of the identity of Mark Evans' wife Catherine. Several sources have her identified as the daughter of Andrew Baxter and Margaret (possibly Stevenson), born abt. 1694. Others have her as Catherine Thomas (no parents indicated), who married Mark Evans in Christ Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1723. Indeed, the following record is found in the marriage records of Christ Church: Pennsylvania Archives, Second Series.

• 1723, June 17, Evans, Mark, and Katherine Thomas.

There is at least circumstantial evidence to support her as the daughter of Andrew Baxter. In Andrew Baxter's will in Augusta County, he names two of Catherine's children, Nathaniel and Andrew as "legatees" (their mother Catherine had supposedly died in 1728 in Pennsylvania). Both are thought to be possible grandsons of Andrew Baxter:

• Page 513.--15th September, 1748. Andrew Baxter's will. Wife, Margaret. 100 acres during her life, then to Andrew Stevenson, adjoining Wm. McClung. Legatee, Nathaniel Evans; legatee, Andrew Evans; legatee, John Pal; legatee, Jacob Anderson. Teste: Wm. McClung, George Stinson, David Moore. Proved. 15th August, 1753. by all witnesses; administrator granted Andrew Stevenson, who qualifies, with sureties Geo. Stevenson. David Moore.

An Earlier Marriage for Catherine?

One possible answer to this would be a prior marriage for Catherine to a Taylor. If Catherine was indeed born in 1694 (as some sources indicate without any specific records), she would have been able to marry sometime between 1711-1720, several years before her marriage to Mark Evans in 1723. More research is necessary to conclusively prove if Catherine was the daughter of Andrew Baxter.