"Eleanor Evans, born say 1660, was probably an African American since she was a taxable in Surry County, Virginia, in William Hancock's household in 1677, in the household of Robert Caufield in 1678, and in Joseph Rogers' household in 1679 [Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, vol.22, no.3, pp.57, 63, 67]. She may have been the ancestor of....."Anthony Evans first appears in 1668 in Surry County tax list along with a Robert and Abraham through 1677 when Elanor Evans appears as a WHITE WOMAN in the home of William Hancock. There is nothing to suggest in the early records that Anthony, Robert, Abraham or Eleanor were considered anything but white. Richard Evans who came over on the Neptune in 1618 and was listed as living in the community of Basse's Choice may have been the ancestor of this Evans family.
These two sources show Eleanor Evans (Anthony, Robert, etc.) designated as 'white' not African American as Paul Heinegg suggests;
(1)Surry County Virginia Tithables, 1668-1703By Edgar McDonald, Richard Slatten
(2)The list of Surry County Tax Payers or Tithables from 1668 through 1703 is a MS Excel file. Forrest has compiled this long list of 14,581 entries from the Magazine of Virginia Genealogy. It is a large file, bringing together in one place a vast amount of very valuable information about early Surry County tax payers. (When you click on this link you will have to click on Surry County Tax Payers link in the new page. It will open an Excel file where you will find Eleanor Evans listed in the 'white' column. Also the Gibsons, Chavis, Collins, Goodmans, George -no last name - 'the Spanyard', etc.
The Complete Book of Emigrants 1607-1660 by PW Coldham Page 300
1655:2 November. Morrice Evans of Bruton, Som, labourer, bound to Henry Haines of Bristol, mariner, to serve 4 years in Virginia.Morris may have or may not have descended from the above families but we do know that one Morris Evans married to Jane Gibson (the younger) who descended from Jane Gibson 'an Indian woman.' The genealogy of Jane Gibson and her brother George Gibson is yet to be written but what is known these two Gibsons were living in Charles City County in the late 1600s to early 1700s were called 'dark mulattoes' and although the numerous records have identified them as 'Indian' Paul Heinegg classifies them as 'Free African Amerians' - even though the descendants won their freedom by proving they descended from 'an Indian woman.'
6 November. Morris Evans of Frome, Som, yeoman, bound to Mary Toms of Frome, widow, to serve 4 years in Virginia.
Jane had a brother and a son George Gibson and a daughter Jane Gibson who married Morris Evans. Some of the descendants of the Indian woman, Jane Gibson, were free while others had been enslaved. Thomas Gibson (aka Mingo Jackson) also a descendant of Jane Gibson won his freedom as did some of the Evans family.
Many, if not most, of the Charles City County records were destroyed but we do know that George Gibson, his son George, as well as Gibby Gibson were residents of Charles City County in the mid 1600s and into the early 1700s, as was Thomas Gibson who came over on the Second Supply with Christopher Newport and a later Thomas Gibson or two.
Gibby Gibson left a will in Charles City County in 1727 and named wife Frances, daughters; Mary Smith, Hannah Denham, Frances Smith and Tabitha Rollinson, Sons; George, Gibby, and Edward. In the LIGHTFOOT Cemetery at Sandy Point is buried Thomas Gibson, Gibby Gibson and Frances Gibson.
The above 'Gibby' is undoubtedly Gilbert Gibson of Louisa County, Virginia who was in Henrico County as early as 1707 and in 1719 in the area of New Kent that would later become Louisa County.
Thomas and Mary Gibson were in New Kent County as early as 1695 but it is unknown at this time if or how he is related to Gibby Gibson. Thomas Gibson died in New Kent/Hanover County in 1734 and left a will naming his daughters; Eunice Nicks, Mary Brooks, Frances Humphrey and sons Thomas, John, Valentine and 'William Robinson.'
Gideon Gibson born about 1720 is the son of John Gibson and Elizabeth Wilcox of Middlesex County, Virginia and removed to the Pee Dee River area in the mid 1700s. The descendants of this families DNA matches that of Gilbert/Gibby Gibson of Louisa County as well as that of Thomas Gibson of Orange County, North Carolina who moved to East Tennessee.
If you believe you descend from this large Gibson Family you might consider joining the Thomas Gibson yahoo group. I will be adding many files over the next few weeks and hope others will do the same.
Yahoo Group
Thomas Gibson Family
Here are links to the transcripts and the Descendency Chart for Jane Gibson
Chancery Court Records, Lynchburg County, Case 1821-033, Charles Evans etc., vs Lewis B. Allen
Jane Gibson descendancy chart on Chancery Papers
