John Evans

Who was John Evans?

John Evans was a miner and political figure in British Columbia. He represented Cariboo in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia from 1875 to 1879.

He was born in Machynlleth, Wales and was educated there. He worked in Manchester as a young man, later moving to Tremadog in Wales with his family. He came to British Columbia in 1863 with a group of Welsh miners. The venture was unsuccessful but Evans remained, continuing to prospect for gold and also working as a mining and land surveyor. He ran unsuccessfully for a seat on the Legislative Council for the Colony of British Columbia in 1863 and 1865 and for a seat in the provincial assembly in 1871 before being elected in 1875. Evans was married three times: twice in Wales, first to Martha Evans in 1840 and then to Ann Thomas in 1842, and later to Catherine Jones in 1877 in Victoria. He died in office in Stanley at the age of 63.