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Jane Evans
b.15 Jan 1723/24
d.4 Jul 1745
Facts and Events
| Name |
Jane Evans |
| Gender |
Female |
| Birth? |
15 Jan 1723/24 |
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| Death? |
4 Jul 1745 |
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References
- d. July 04, 1745, the first victim of the epidemic. which may have started either at her husband's or at her father's inn. Her sister Elizabeth was the next victim. Jane had married William Jones, son of John Jones (b. Penmaen, Merioneth, Wales). She appears to have been unusually young when she married William Jones as she is mentioned, apparently, in her mother in law's will written in 1739. She had no known children. William Jones appears to have married secondly Sarah Foulke.
- Transcribed by James Quinn and Matthew Quinn
The burial records were written as they happened and appear to be for Gwynedd Preparative Meeting only. It is apparent that many of the deaths among friends are not accounted for in this record, perhaps because they are buired on their farms and perhaps because the burial book was not faithfully attended to. This transcription was made from microfilm stored at the Friends Historical Center at Swarthmore College. As can be seen about 2 or 3 people were buried per year in a normal year. In 1745, a fatal epidemic visited Gwynedd that killed many of the children. Although, a yellow fever epidemic was known to occur throughout colonial America in 1745, the pattern of deaths (mainly children) and the rapidity of its spread (all the deaths occurred in 2 months) suggest diphtheria. Waterborne diseases would be less likely as archeological remains suggest settlers at Gwynedd used wells and spring houses for their water. The epidemic seems to have had a profound effect on Gwynedd. From 1725-1745 Gwynedd was called the School for Prophets, but not afterwards. Many fewer births are found in the Gwynedd records in the years following 1745. The epidemic seems to have started at the home of Thomas Evans who described himself as an innkeeper and his wife Elizabeth Evans. Their house is likely the one still standing in Lower Gwynedd on Sumneytown Pike near the intersection of Evans Rd. From there it spread to the Rees Harry family (located west on what is now Prospect Ave. near Old Church Rd. in Upper Gwynedd) and then northwards to the John Davies home located at about Prospect and Hancock now. Within a month it had spread throughout the Gwynedd Prepatory Meeting area hitting families in Towamencin (Joseph Lucken), Montgomery (John Jones) and New Britain, Bucks (John Forman) and Whitpain as well as throughout Upper and Lower Gwynedd. A diptheria epidemic broke out in Philadelphia in 1746 perhaps a continuance of the one that hit Gwynedd the year before. Diphtheria had also hit New York and New England in 1744, the year before it hit Gwynedd (Genealogical Encyclopedia of Colonial America, by Christina K. Schaefer p 21, on-line through Google Books).
see: http://www.gwyneddfriends.org/burial_records.htm
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