Biography

04/01/1813 - 02/09/1872

Henry Sebastian Evans (Whig4) Chester and Delaware Counties 1852-1854 (R5) Chester, Delaware and Montgomery Counties 1871 (R5) Chester and Delaware Counties 1872

Early Life: 

Henry Sebastian Evans, born April 1, 1813, April Fool's Day, Doylestown, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, son of Septimus and Catherine Haupt Evans; common school education; printers apprentice, Village Record West Chester, 1826; purchased The Village Record, 1834; purchased, Waynesburg Record, Chester County, 1834, married, Jane Darlington, 1841, children, Catherine Lacey Evans, Henrietta Sebastian Evans Borden, Septimus Lacey Evans; elected, Whig, Pennsylvania State House of Representatives, 1846-1849; elected, Whig, Pennsylvania State Senate, 1852-1854; chief burgess of West Chester 1861; elected, Republican, Pennsylvania State Senate, 1871-1872; died, February 9, 1872 (aged 58), while in office of Senate, West Chester, Chester County, Pennsylvania; interment, Oaklands Cemetery, West Goshen Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania. 

Early Career:

Printer’s apprentice with future Pennsylvania State Senator, Edward C. Darlington, of Lancaster as a young boy; The Village Record newspaper, West Chester, Pennsylvania, under the guidance of then owner and editor Honorable Charles Miner, 1826, purchased The Village Record, from his boss and mentor, 1834. Purchased, Waynesburg Record, Chester County, 1834. 

Pennsylvania Politics:

Elected, Whig, Pennsylvania State House of Representatives, 1846-1849. 

Elected, Whig, Pennsylvania State Senate, 4th district, Chester and Delaware Counties, 1852-1854. 

Won his party's nomination for Governor of Pennsylvania in 1854. For reasons unknown he withdrew from the campaign. It has been reported that the Philadelphia delegation stood solidly behind him when he withdrew from the race. A possible explanation for his withdraw could have been his brother's illness. His brother Columbus, then only 30 years old, who was also a newspaperman, and politician passed away in West Chester.

Elected, Republican, Pennsylvania State Senate 7th district, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery Counties, 1871, Republican, Pennsylvania State Senate 7th district, Chester and Delaware Counties, 1872; committee assignments, Agriculture, Banks, Federal Relations, Pensions and Gratuities, Public Printing, Retrenchment and Reform.

Pennsylvania House of Representatives Biography:

Official Website - PA House Archives Official Website (state.pa.us) 

Legacy:

Wife, Jane Darlington, sister, Edward C. Darlington Pennsylvania State Senate 7th district, Lebanon and Lancaster Counties, 1852-1854. 

Edward C. Darlington  - Pennsylvania Senate Library (pasen.gov) 

Inscription: Life Long Editor and Proprietor of the Chester County VILLAGE RECORD

Cited:

Cox, Harold. Senate Members "E" (wilkes.edu). Wilkes University Election Statistics Project. Wilkes University.

Smull’s Legislative Handbook, (1872) Smull, J.A., (Editor) Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, pages 501, 503, 506-508.

John Smith Futhey and Gilbert Cope, History of Chester County, Pa., volume II, (Philadelphia: Lewis H. Everts, 1881)

Henry Sebastian Evans (1813-1872) - Find a Grave Memorial