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reception and ascribes his success in the election wholly to his wife's efforts in his absence. Some papers relating to Evans’ business activities in
Newfoundland are deposited in the Archives and Special Collections, Queen Elizabeth II Library, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada. This collection consists of a copy of a deposition given by Francis Henry Evans, in his capacity as receiver and manager of the Southern Division of the Newfoundland Railway, to agents of the Supreme Court of Newfoundland at London on 17 & 18 July 1896, in a case by Evans against the Government of Newfoundland for breach of contract. In addition to the 15 pages of testimony there are copies of a number of pieces of correspondence relevant to the case and a copy of a petition from Evans to the Newfoundland Governor seeking restitution.
172:, then a colony of Great Britain. It was probably Evans' knowledge of railway construction that led to his involvement in Newfoundland affairs. In 1881, a syndicate known as the Newfoundland Railway Company, under the direction of A. L. Blackman of New York, obtained government support to build a railway from St. John's to Hall's Bay at the western end of Notre Dame Bay. Melville, Evans and Company arranged much of the financing needed before work could begin. When the Newfoundland Railway Company declared bankruptcy in 1884, Melville, Evans and Company were appointed receivers of the company on behalf of the bondholders, and also as operators of the railway, which they did for 12 years, until the government purchased the railway in 1896. A document dated 1892 lists Evans as Receiver and Manager of the Southern Division of the Newfoundland Railway.
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description of a 'run' on his bank, Jay, Cooke, McCulloch & Co., the reasons for which are not clear, but by 1879 two of his partners had left the firm, one of whom, Puleston, he sued ostensibly for having embezzled £10,000 for speculative investment. Not until 1882 can he record that 'I consider myself well repaid for all the work and annoyance the suit imposed on me.'
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In 1888, while he was in
America, the Southampton by-election (at which he was standing) was held, and he gives his own exciting version of the hectic travelling to get back as soon as possible, and his attempts on arrival to discover the result from the ship's pilots. He also recounts his tumultuous
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Further involvement in
Newfoundland affairs, perhaps because of his knowledge of Newfoundland and his experience with the railway deal, resulted in Evans' appointment to a commission representing the interests of the Newfoundland government in their fisheries dispute with France in the late 1880s and
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While in the United States, Evans got involved in business, finding he had a flair for banking in particular. He went on to found the firm
Melville, Evans & Company conducting banking transactions between business interests in Britain and America. He later diversified into shipping and in 1880 he
277:
committee to look into the undermanning of
British ships and the proper penalties for those sending such ships to sea. He later sat on another Board of Trade enquiry into the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea. In 1896, Evans was made a vice-president of the City of London
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Public
Library. The journal is written in an informal lively style, mainly detailing his widespread travels at home and abroad, family problems and illnesses, and his own accounts of events affecting his political and business career. For example, the entry for 19 September 1873 has a dramatic
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A journal kept by Sir
Francis Evans for over thirty years and containing extracts from another book (now missing) in which he kept family and business records and the signatures of those present at his Christmas dinner, is deposited in the Local Studies and Archives section of the
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Evans was not in the country during the election campaign. He was on a ship returning to
England from Newfoundland. He arrived to find himself an MP, the campaign having been conducted in his absence and his interests having been represented by his wife.
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joined the board of Union
Steamship Company rising to become chairman and managing director. In 1900, the company merged with the Castle Line to form the
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early 1890s. It is claimed that Evans' work on this commission contributed greatly towards his knighthood in 1893, prior to being made a
110:, never in fact held that position, having lost the nomination by three votes in January 1839. They had three sons and two daughters.
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Evans was a sometime director of the Thames and Mersey Marine
Insurance Company and of the International Sleeping Car Company.
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in 1902. Thereafter Evans always took a special interest in Newfoundland affairs when they were discussed in Parliament.
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650:"Journal of Sir Francis Henry Evans, 1ST Bart., K.C.M.G., M.P. of 'Tubbendens', Orpington. (1840–1907)"
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Liberal Association. Among the other men similarly appointed at the same time was future party leader
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and his wife Mary, née Nicholson. His sister Emily Evans was married to industrialist and politician
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and seems to have been drawn into politics through that acquaintanceship. He was first returned to
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It was first intended that Evans should become a civil engineer. He was therefore articled to Sir
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system. Under Brunlees' direction, Evans worked on the construction of a railway in
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Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "M" (part 1)
160:& Co, managers of the Union-Castle Line, and remained a partner until he died.
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43:(29 August 1840 – 22 January 1907) was a British civil engineer, businessman and
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list published on 26 June 1902 for the (subsequently postponed) coronation of
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at a by-election in May 1888 as one of the two members of parliament (MP) for
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with whom he worked on a number of projects including the construction of the
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and travelled extensively, including taking part in scouting expeditions in
480:(2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 189.
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394:, Vol II (3d Edition), p. 511, H. & E. Phinney, Cooperstown (1844)
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Knights Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George
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The History of Political Parties in the State of New-York
269:(KCMG) in 1893. Later that year he was appointed to the
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231:. However, the election of Southampton's other MP, the
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Evans was said to be a friend of the Prime Minister
591:. No. 36804. London. 26 June 1902. p. 5.
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907:Liberal Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies
887:Baronets in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom
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680:contributions in Parliament by Sir Francis Evans
478:British parliamentary election results 1885–1918
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241:He was defeated again by Chamberlayne at the
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314:in Kent where he had a home, Tubbendens.
265:Evans was made a Knight Commander of the
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251:Maidstone by-election on 1 March 1901
550:The Times, 18 November 1893, p. 107.
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73:J. E. B. Seely, 1st Baron Mottistone
35:Sir Francis Henry Evans, 1st Baronet
937:19th-century British businesspeople
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897:British businesspeople in shipping
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639:The Times, 28 January 1907, p. 8.
630:The Times, 26 January 1907, p. 7.
267:Order of St Michael and St George
245:, but a vacancy soon occurred in
22:"Union Steamship". Caricature by
834:Baronetage of the United Kingdom
689:Parliament of the United Kingdom
541:The Times, 10 August 1893, p. 7.
447:The Times, 10 March 1899, p. 10.
369:The Times, 24 January 1907, p. 6
273:. In 1894 he was appointed to a
243:general election in October 1900
129:London and North Western Railway
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423:"Memorial University Libraries"
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108:New York State Attorney General
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456:The Times, 16 March 1899, p. 6
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96:Manchester New College, London
69:Sir Charles Seely, 1st Baronet
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611:. 25 July 1902. p. 4738.
559:The Times, 12 May 1894, p. 9.
381:The Times, 27 June 1893, p. 3
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156:and Evans joined the firm of
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63:the son of William Evans of
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587:"The Coronation Honours".
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788:Tankerville Chamberlayne
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730:Tankerville Chamberlayne
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261:Honours and appointments
236:Tankerville Chamberlayne
184:Other business interests
902:British civil engineers
860:Murland de Grasse Evans
652:. The National Archives
288:1902 Coronation Honours
253:, but lost the seat in
78:He was educated at the
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698:John Edmund Commerell
221:1895 general election
215:He was re-elected in
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826:Viscount Castlereagh
390:Hammond, Jabez D. –
147:Banking and shipping
88:Rhineland-Palatinate
51:Family and education
792:Sir John Simeon, Bt
780:Sir John Simeon, Bt
757:Sir John Simeon, Bt
739:Sir John Simeon, Bt
429:on 29 December 2005
608:The London Gazette
528:The London Gazette
55:Evans was born at
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858:Succeeded by
823:Succeeded by
785:Succeeded by
736:Succeeded by
154:Union-Castle Line
119:Civil engineering
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927:UK MPs 1900–1906
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917:UK MPs 1892–1895
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106:as sometime
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882:1907 deaths
877:1840 births
802:John Barker
765:Southampton
710:Southampton
678:1803–2005:
656:15 February
603:"No. 27457"
523:"No. 26409"
407:Who was Who
280:H H Asquith
206:Southampton
28:Vanity Fair
871:Categories
855:1902–1907
732:from 1892
433:21 January
336:References
227:candidate
202:Parliament
82:School in
65:Manchester
61:Lancashire
59:Grange in
810:Maidstone
589:The Times
476:(1989) .
312:Orpington
284:baronetcy
247:Maidstone
137:Civil War
104:The Times
57:Crumpsall
192:Politics
80:Moravian
30:in 1896.
847:Baronet
727:to 1892
675:Hansard
325:Bromley
296:Baronet
286:in the
223:to the
178:baronet
86:in the
84:Neuwied
777:With:
722:With:
484:
318:Papers
133:Brazil
114:Career
302:Death
141:Texas
92:Rhine
819:1906
815:1901
774:1900
770:1896
719:1895
715:1888
658:2016
482:ISBN
435:2010
255:1906
217:1892
40:KCMG
24:Spy
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