nathaniel “nathan” evans
1845-1918
Life Story
Biography of Nathaniel “Nathan” Evans (c. 1845 – January 25, 1918)
Nathaniel “Nathan” Evans was born around 1845 in Newton County, Mississippi, into one of the largest enslaved family groups on the Evans plantation. He was the son of Ben Evans (1805–1870) and Kizziah Evans (1818–?), both of whom were enslaved by the Evans family and likely worshiped at the white Mt. Moriah Presbyterian Church, where enslaver Catherine Evans was a member. Nathan grew up in the final years of slavery and entered adulthood amid the profound changes of emancipation and Reconstruction.
Family Life
Following emancipation, Nathan became part of the growing freedmen’s settlement around Mt. Moriah Road, where African American families began purchasing land, establishing homes, and founding their own church. He married Charlotte Evans (1853–Bef. 1893), and together they raised a large family:
- Ella Evans (1871–?)
- Mary Evans (1873–?)
- Trulove Evans (1875–?)
- Jerry Evans (1876–?)
- Freeman Evans (1878–?)
- Seany Evans (1882–?)
- Peter Evans (1887–?)
- Manuel Evans (1890–?)
Like many freedpeople, Nathan built stability not through wealth but through the strength of family networks and the ability to maintain a living through farming. By the time of the 1900 census, Nathan reported that he was widowed but continued to support his children through agricultural work.
land ownership – crop lien system
On November 18, 1890, Nathan Evans purchased land from Emily Julia McCormick (1849–1919) for $200. The property was described as the Northeast Quarter of the Southeast Quarter, Section 18, Township 5, Range 11 East.
Just ten days later, on November 28, 1890, Nathan and his wife Charlotte Evans executed a deed of trust with W. B. Richardson, using this same tract as collateral. The agreement secured $132, along with an additional $28 advanced for supplies and merchandise for the 1891 crop year. The collateral also included one yellow sorrel mare mule named Rhody, reflecting the typical crop-lien system under which Black farmers operated during this period.
Nathan and Charlotte renewed this arrangement on February 25, 1892, executing another deed of trust with Richardson for $250, with an additional $50 advanced for supplies and merchandise, again secured by the same land.
On March 16, 1893, Nathan alone signed a new deed of trust with Richardson for $306, plus a $30 advance for supplies and merchandise, still using the same property as collateral. Charlotte was not listed on this contract, which may indicate that she had died prior to this date.
Nathan continued this pattern on May 5, 1894, signing yet another deed of trust with Richardson for $343, along with a $100 advance for supplies and merchandise, again secured by the same land.
While Nathan was repeatedly encumbering his land through crop liens, his siblings were also engaged in land transactions. On January 20, 1892, Nathan, Gus, Delany Evans Mosley, and Sena Evans sold eight acres of land to their brother-in-law—who had married their sister Emma Evans—for $50.
Nathan appears again in the land records on November 10, 1902, when a series of deeds were executed among the siblings. On that day, Sena Evans, Emma Evans McAdory, and Emma’s husband Spencer McAdory conveyed eight acres of land east of their property to Nathan for the nominal sum of one dollar. That same day, Nathan, Sena, and Spencer McAdory conveyed eight acres west of the property to Emma Evans McAdory for one dollar. A third deed executed that day transferred an additional eight acres north of the property to Emma.
Taken together, these coordinated transactions suggest that the Evans siblings collectively controlled approximately 24 acres and deliberately divided the land among themselves by 1902, formalizing family ownership boundaries that had likely existed informally for years.
Occupation
Nathan spent his life working as a farmer, cultivating the same earth that had once been worked by enslaved labor. Land was the anchor of the freed community, and farming was the primary means of survival and independence for African American families in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Church and Community Leadership
A 2000 newspaper article records “Mr. Nathaniel Evans” as one of the ruling elders of Pilgrim Grove Presbyterian Church, serving during the long pastorate of Rev. C. B. Scott of Heidelberg. His position as an elder places him among the foundational leaders of the early Black Presbyterian congregation that emerged on the acre of land donated by his sister, Sena Evans.
As an elder, Nathan would have helped guide worship, assist the pastor, oversee membership and church discipline, and represent the church in matters of Presbytery. His role demonstrates that he was respected within the community and trusted with spiritual and administrative responsibilities.
Court Record Appearance: “State vs. Frank Lindsey and Nath Evans”
Nathan also appears in an early 20th-century newspaper court docket listing:
“State vs. Frank Lindsey and Nath Evans: Nol pros.”
“Nol pros” (short for nolle prosequi) means the case was dismissed by the state, typically due to insufficient evidence, lack of witness cooperation, or the determination that prosecution was not warranted.
This brief appearance does not indicate guilt or wrongdoing; instead, it reflects the normal legal encounters many rural men experienced—often involving disputes, accusations, or misunderstandings common in agricultural communities.
Death
Nathaniel Evans passed away on January 25, 1918. His death certificate lists the cause of death as:
- Arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries)
- Nephritis (kidney inflammation)
These conditions were common among older adults in the early 1900s, especially those who performed strenuous physical labor their entire lives.
Nathan was laid to rest in the Evans Cemetery, where numerous members of his extended family are interred.
Legacy
Nathaniel Evans belonged to the first generation of Black citizens to build independent lives out of the ashes of slavery. Through farming, family leadership, and his role as an elder at Pilgrim Grove, he contributed to the formation of a strong community rooted in faith and perseverance.
As the brother of:
- Gus Evans (1847–1926) — respected farmer
- Sena Evans (1848–1914) — donor of the church land
Nathan played an essential part in the early development of the Mt. Moriah–Pilgrim Grove community.
His life embodies the journey of a people who moved from bondage to freedom—and who used that freedom to build a lasting spiritual home for future generations.
Resting Place
Photos/Albums
Sources
- 1850 Federal Slave Schedule
- 1860 Federal Slave Schedule
- 1870 Federal Census
- 1880 Federal Census
- 1900 Federal Census
- 1910 Federal Census
- U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current
- Mississippi, U.S., Index to Deaths, 1912-1943
- The Newton Record, First Term of Court in Year and a Half, Thu, Aug 14, 1919 ·Page 1
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