James Harington Evans

In 1782 he was appointed rector of South Reston, Lincolnshire and from 1783 he was sharing duties with his brother, Rev John Evans, as the curates for the Wiltshire parishes of Teffont Evias, Fovant, Hindon and Pertwood.

He lost his first wife Sarah Evans in 1804, and remarried the same year to Mary Ann Cooper, daughter of a linen draper.

He died in 1825 and is buried with his first wife in the north transept of Salisbury Cathedral, commemorated by a white tablet on the east wall.

It was deemed appropriate for him to be removed from the school and placed with his uncle, Rev Isaac Hodgson, who was a clever and intuitive tutor.

In 1799 young Evans visited Oxford with his father and it was here that the fourteen year old gained a scholarship at Wadham College.

His youth initially singled him out for some attention from the older boys, but he eventually fitted in, and for a period enjoyed the social side of university life.

When she finally died in February 1804 he became traumatised, suffered chest pains, lost weight and was sent to the Isle of Wight to recuperate.

To combat this he prepared his sermons in advance, reading these from the pulpit, and admitted that in his early days he carried a “vial of wine” in his pocket to help with his nerves.

Her mother once visited an "evening conventicle" held at Rev Evans' vicarage:[5] She found men, women and children, sprawling on the floor of the drawing room, under the piano, up the stairs, and under the stairs, all grovelling head downwards and in loud tones calling on the Lord Jesus to come and save themThe situation in the parish came to a head in 1815 when his rector gave Evans six month notice to quit.

In 1815 he became the minister for the parish of Winterbourne Stoke, Wiltshire, under the patronage of his brother, Alexander Baring, who was the Member of Parliament for Taunton.

Within a few months Rev Baring seceded from the Church of England, moving to Walford House, Taunton where he purchased the Octagon Chapel in Middle Street, and ministered as Trinitarian or Particular Baptist.

Before they seceded, Snow and his curate Bevan had been ministers in the parishes of Micheldever, East Stratton, Popham and Northington, under the patronage of wealthy banker, Henry Drummond (1786–1860) of The Grange, and Sir Thomas Baring.

[9] Snow had been the minister at Winterbourne Stoke preceding Rev Baring's brief tenure, and he was on affable terms with James Harington Evans, who officiated at his wedding.

Evans then spent several months preaching in the surrounding area before moving with his family to London at the end of 1816.

[11] His views on the Trinity had been formed after he read the works of Dr Isaac Watts and this humiliating experience made him less trusting of others.

[12] Evans continued to take an interest in the ministry at the Milford Baptist church, raising funds, visiting the area and corresponding.

Drummond was a philanthropist, wrote numerous books, supported missionary work, became a member of parliament at the age of twenty-five, and helped found the Catholic Apostolic Church.

The church later relocated to Regent Square, about half a mile from the John Street Chapel, where he occasionally preached in the early days.

Many of those involved with the Irvingism cult were known to Evans, and some were his oldest most faithful friends, but he now considered them to be heretics and their friendship lost to him, including his patron, Henry Drummond.

[14] Evans remained friends with Harriet (Baring) Wall and occasionally stayed with her in her Lymington home, just a few miles from Milford.

With mentoring from Evans, he became involved with the ministry of the John Street Chapel, giving sermons and helping with the poor in the surrounding area.

In 1848, he with others tried to intercede in a dispute between two leading figures in the Brethren movement, John Nelson Darby and Benjamin Wills Newton.

Requiring assistance he appointed Baptist minister, Rev Charles Arundel Morice Shepherd (1806-1855), who he knew from his visits to the Barnstable area of Devon.

He was pastor of the Baptist chapels in the local parishes of Eastacombe, Hiscott and Lovacott, built by Chapman’s cousin, Thomas Pugsley.

Noel had recently seceded from the Established Church and Evans was of a mind to offer him the chapel on the surrender of his own life interest.

Baptist Wriothesley Noel, M.A., (1799–1873) was the son of Baroness Barham and Sir Gerard Noel-Noel, Bart; one of his brothers was Earl of Gainsborough.

For twenty-one years he was the minister of St John’s Chapel, Bedford-row, London, resigning in 1848 when he seceded from the Established Church.

Noel swore an oath as prescribed by 52 Geo Vol III, before preaching his first sermon at Mr Binney’s, Congregational Weigh House Chapel, where he received the Lord’s Supper.

Evans was in correspondence with Henry Drummond’s solicitor about him parting with the lease on his John Street Chapel, and it was his wish that Noel should take this on with congregational approval.

[19] On this same day Evans was driving a hired phaeton with his wife and a friend in Scotland, where he had been staying since July of that year.