John Frederick Evans was born in 1890 in Kirksanton in the parish of Millom, Cumberland. He was the son of Arthur Evans (born Shropshire) and his wife Sarah Ann (nee Atkinson) who was born in Millom. He was baptised at Holy Trinity, Millom on 15th July of that year.
In 1891, John Frederick was living with his parents and his older siblings Edward (4) and Edith (3) at Kirksanton Crossing at Millom. Also living with the family was Arthur’s brother, 12 year old George Evans, who was at school. Arthur was a platelayer, employed in laying and maintaining railway track. Later that year, a daughter was born, whom they named Agnes Ann and in 1894 another son, Herbert Atkinson.
Sadly, Arthur Evans died in 1896 at the age of 31 years.
On 22nd June 1899 Sarah Ann Evans married George Evans, her late husband’s brother, in Barrow-in Furness. John Frederick thus became George’s stepson as well as his nephew. George, John Frederick and Herbert Atkinson would all enlist and serve in the Great War.
In 1901 John Frederick was living in a small settlement called School Ellis, near Millom, with his mother, his brother Herbert Atkinson and his sister Agnes Ann. The family now also had George Ernest (2). Sarah Ann was working as a charwoman, whilst her husband George Evans was employed as a cattleman at Whicham Hall, near Bootle, in Cumberland. Later that year another son was born, whom they named Percy Swainson and in 1903 another daughter was born, Sarah Jane.
At some time in the next ten years he moved to Cark-in-Cartmel, also in Cumberland, to a place called Fieldhead, where he was recorded on the 1911 census as a 19-year old horseman on the farm of Henry Wilson. His sister Agnes Ann had also moved away from School Ellis and was working in service in Rawtenstall in Lancashire. His brother Herbert Atkinson had also moved to work on a farm in Rawtenstall.
John Frederick Evans married Mary E. Dutton in early 1914 at Warrington. (After the war they would have a daughter, Eleanor Edith, who was born in February 1921, but she died at two months old and was buried in Daresbury. Another daughter, Marjorie Eileen was born and baptised in 1922).
John Frederick enlisted in the Royal Field Artillery in the Great War and served as a Driver. He had the service number 136614. It is not clear which theatre of war he served in or in which years, but he was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal for his war service. He was recorded as an absent voter in Hatton in the 1918 and 1919 electoral rolls.
(By 1915, George and Sarah Ann Evans had moved to Hatton to live in the New Houses, with the three youngest children. Agnes Ann had also moved to the area to work in service. Sarah Ann was widowed in August 1918 when George was killed in action. She died in November 1933, at the age of 65 years and was buried at Daresbury).
John Frederick’s wife, Mary E., died on 27th July 1928 at the age of 35 years (registered at Warrington).
John Frederick Evans died in 1937 (registered at Northwich). He was 46 years of age.