Carey-Evans History
The Cary/Evans families can be traced back to Prince Edward County, Virginia, through the census records dating back to the early 1800’s. They lived in towns called Worsham, Buffalo, Hampden, and Farmville. The Cary families were last owned by members of the white Cary families, William Cary and Esther Cary, who were listed as slave-owners. The family was previously owned by a white slave-owner surnamed “Jackson,” who sold them, at which time their names changed. The spelling then was “Cary,” but in later years was changed to “Carey.” Some Cary children, who were born between the years 1853-1865, were listed under those slave-owners, in the Virginia Slave Births Index, Heritage Books, and published in 2007.
There are four (4) known branches of Cary’s that descended from the family of Sancho and Rachel Jackson Cary. They were Anderson, Ralph, Nannie and Mary Agnes. Sancho and Rachel’s names were found on the death certificate for their son, Anderson, who died May 14, 1915.
The earliest 1870 census record found was for Rachel Cary, listing her birth as about 1803 in Virginia, where she lived until her death in 1871. The 1870/80 census documents the Cary family in separate family units, living in houses very close to each other. The 1870 census was the first to list ex-slave families by name. From each of Sancho and Rachel’s children, I will connect at least one of them to their present day families.
Anderson the first son was born about 1824, and was married to Elizabeth, (no record of maiden name). Their living children in 1870/80 were Ella, *Mary, Pattie, Wash, Lee, Willie, Lucy, Mittie, James, and Bettie. Out of the ten children, I have only been able to connect one family and their descendants.
*Mary, born in 1862, married Tom Baker. Among their children was a son named Charles Baker, who was married to Nora White, the daughter of Archie and Maggie White. Their children were Mary, Elizabeth, Rosa, Charles, Lila Mae, Maggie, Betty, Thomas, Phyllis and Jimmy. The families lived most of their lives in Virginia, but some of them migrated to West Virginia, Ohio, and Maryland.
Ralph, the second son was born about 1828-30, and was married to Annie/Amy, (no record of maiden name). Their living children in 1870/1880 were Henry, 1854, Robert, 1856, James Anderson, 1858, Agnes, 1860, Ellen, 1862, Parthenia, 1864, Fannie, 1868, Lelia, 1870, Alex, 1872, *Joseph Sanker, 1876, Wash, 1878. Ralph Cary died Jan. 1890. Amy Carey died in 1915. Most of their children remained in parts of Virginia.
*Joseph Sanker, born in 1876, the 10th child was born eleven years after slavery ended. He was married to Martha Susan Spencer, the daughter of Albert and Amanda Matthew Spencer. Their children were Estelle, Albert, Willie Wallace, Joseph Sanker, Jr., Amanda Edna, Tom Henry, and *Martha Susie. Martha Spencer Cary was a licensed mid-wife. She carried on the mid-wife tradition handed down by her mother, Amanda, and her grandmother, Sisley Spencer. Most of Joseph and Martha Susan’s children migrated to MD.
*Martha Susie was married to Leonard Evans; the son of Sam and Norma Wiley Evans. Their children were Hazel Mae, Josephine Arletha, Bernice Sue, Dorothy Marie, Leonard Irie and Martha Geraldine. They migrated to West VA, in 1934, and made WV their permanent residence.
Nannie, the youngest daughter born about 1830, was married to Samuel Cary. Their living children in 1870/1880 were Bettie born in 1852, *Booker, 1855, Peter, 1857, Ann, 1858, Hannah, 1859, Mary, 1861, Nancy, 1863 and Anderson, 1865, Sallie, 1873. Their children remained in VA, or migrated to MD, DC, and NJ.
*Booker was the second child born. Booker Cary was married to Anna Marie Scott and their children were Samuel J., Bethea, Lulie B., Augustavus, Belle, Mary L, *Nelson J., Lenard, Pearly, Nannie and Sallie. The spellings of these names are taken from the Census records.
*Nelson was married to Florine Evans, the daughter of Sam and Norma Wiley Evans. Their children were Mattie, Irene, Mary, Ada, Alto, Anna, Josephine, Maxine, Nannie-Kate, Emma, James and Samuel.
The final branch of the Cary family is that of Mary “Agnes” Cary, born about 1834, who was married to Charles Womack; their children were Richard, 1854, Martha, 1856, Johann, 1858, Peter, 1860, and *Rachel, 1863. *Rachel had a son named James Richard, who married Malinda Spencer, the sister of Martha Susan Spencer. Their children were James, Anna, Beatrice, Charlie, Gladys and Raymond.
Historical Fact: Ralph and Amy’s son, James Anderson Cary, born in 1858 was one of the early ministers of New Hope Baptist Church, formerly known as Brush Arbor, which was organized, in 1867, two years after slavery ended, when a small group of believers began prayer services in their homes. Nelson Cary’s grandfather, William Scott, gave enough land to establish the first permanent place of worship. In 1885 a tract of land was purchased from the Carey estate of Booker and Ann Carey, and others to build the new building which was completed in 1886. Rev. Peter Carey was the first pastor of Brush Arbor.
The Wiley family became a part of this family through the marriage of Norma Wiley, daughter of Charles and Margaret Wiley, and Sam Evans, son of Jerry and Louisia Evans.
The Evans family was traced to the early 1800’s through the birth of Jerry Evans. Parents for Jerry Evans on his death certificate are Beverly and Mary Anderson. On a 1900 marriage license for Jerry Evans, his parents are listed as Beverly and Polly Evans.
Jerry Evans, who was born about 1835 and died in 1918, and Louisia, who was born about 1844 and died in 1896, were married and living in Buffalo, Prince Edward County VA. Their living children in 1870/80 were Darkus (Dorcas), 1862, Emma, 1865, Francis, 1869, Willie, 1872, George, 1874, Mary, 1876, Thomas, 1880, and *Sam, about 1883.
SamEvans was born about 1883/1884, and was married to Norma Wiley, who was born about 1888. Sam and Norma Evans were the parents of Shirley, born 1905, Otis, born 1907, *Florine, born 1908, *Leonard, born 1911, Thomas, born 1913, Henry, born 1917, and Alto, born 1918, Ethel, born in 1920 and Julia, 1924. (NOTE: *Florine and her family are listed under Booker/Nelson Cary. *Leonard and his family are listed under Ralph/Joseph Cary.)
There are so many other descendants that make up the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th Generations of proud Carey/Evans families. These descendants will be covered in the Family History Book that is almost ready for publication.
Submitted by:
Martha “Geraldine” Evans-Montgomery