John Dillon Evans
John Dillon Evans, a resident of Islington village from 1879 to 1920, was active in Etobicoke municipal politics for many years. He and his wife Isabella built a large brick house they called Elmcrest on the south side of Dundas S., immediately east of the Islington Methodist Church manse. Elmcrest was torn down many years ago, but the former manse building still exists as 4879/4881 Dundas St. W. At his own expense, Evans planted a row of flowering catalpa trees along the south side of Dundas St. from Islington Av. to Canning Av. (now called Cordova Rd.) which adorned the village until chopped down to widen Dundas St.
From the book History of Toronto and County of York by Charles Pelham Mulvany, Graeme Mercer Adam, and Christopher Blackett Robinson, 1885:
John Dillon Evans, J.P. Islington, was born in the Township of Trafalgar, in the County of Halton, on July 19, 1841.
His father John Evans, son of Richard and Isabella Evans (Mrs. Evans maiden name was Anderson), of County Cavan, Ireland, came to Toronto in 1825. The city was then in its infancy, and he used to tell that there were only 5 brick houses then in it. In 1834 he went to New York, and on the 19th of April, 1837, was married by the late Bishop Onderdonck to Elizabeth Dillon, daughter of Christopher and Elizabeth (nee Drummond) Dillon, of Dublin, Ireland. John Evans and wife then settled on Lot 3, Concession 5, New Survey, Trafalgar, where he lived until his death in 1863. During the Rebellion of 1837 he turned out with the militia to do his duty as a loyal citizen in quelling the Rebels.
John Dillon Evans came to Etobicoke in 1872 having purchased lot 5 in the first range of the township. He at once turned his attention to fruit growing, which he has since followed. In 1879 he removed to the Village of Islington where he now resides. He was married on the 30th of January, 1867, by the Rev. Canon Tremayne, to Isabella Beatty, third daughter of the late Joseph Beatty, of Tyrone, Ireland, by whom he has three children.
Mr. Evans was in 1876 appointed a Justice of the Peace. He has taken an active part in promoting the interests of the Etobicoke Agricultural Society, of which he has been a director about ten years and several times President. Mr. Evans was three years a councillor, five years Deputy-Reeve, and is now the Reeve of the Township.
Obituary in Canadian Champion, December 9, 1920:
John Dilon (sic) Evans, for over thirty years a member of York county council and an ex-Warden of the county, died at his home on Dundas Street, Islington, on Sunday after an illness of several months.
The late Mr. Evans was born in Trafalgar, near Omagh, in 1841. In 1872 he moved to Etobicoke township. In 1878 he was elected a township councillor, three years later he entered the county council as Deputy Reeve for Etobicoke, and in 1886 became Reeve of the township, which position he held until [1896, and again for one year in 1906, after which he retired.] In 1890 he was elected Warden. For many years Mr. Evans was chairman of the legislative Committee of the council, and was largely responsible for many amendments to the municipal laws of the Province. He was a past master of Mimico Lodge A. F. and A. M., a P. G. of Islington Lodge, I.O.O.F.
He is survived by his wife and three children: Richard H. Evans of the Customs Department , Ottawa; and Miss Cassie and Miss Lavina Evans, of Islington. Up to the last Mr. Evans retained his interest in his native county. Last October, for the first time in many years, he failed to attend the county fair. He wrote to the Champion, expressing his great regret that he would be unable to come and to call as usual.
Compiled by Hillery Bourne, an EHS member and distant relative of Evans
From the book History of Toronto and County of York by Charles Pelham Mulvany, Graeme Mercer Adam, and Christopher Blackett Robinson, 1885:
John Dillon Evans, J.P. Islington, was born in the Township of Trafalgar, in the County of Halton, on July 19, 1841.
His father John Evans, son of Richard and Isabella Evans (Mrs. Evans maiden name was Anderson), of County Cavan, Ireland, came to Toronto in 1825. The city was then in its infancy, and he used to tell that there were only 5 brick houses then in it. In 1834 he went to New York, and on the 19th of April, 1837, was married by the late Bishop Onderdonck to Elizabeth Dillon, daughter of Christopher and Elizabeth (nee Drummond) Dillon, of Dublin, Ireland. John Evans and wife then settled on Lot 3, Concession 5, New Survey, Trafalgar, where he lived until his death in 1863. During the Rebellion of 1837 he turned out with the militia to do his duty as a loyal citizen in quelling the Rebels.
John Dillon Evans came to Etobicoke in 1872 having purchased lot 5 in the first range of the township. He at once turned his attention to fruit growing, which he has since followed. In 1879 he removed to the Village of Islington where he now resides. He was married on the 30th of January, 1867, by the Rev. Canon Tremayne, to Isabella Beatty, third daughter of the late Joseph Beatty, of Tyrone, Ireland, by whom he has three children.
Mr. Evans was in 1876 appointed a Justice of the Peace. He has taken an active part in promoting the interests of the Etobicoke Agricultural Society, of which he has been a director about ten years and several times President. Mr. Evans was three years a councillor, five years Deputy-Reeve, and is now the Reeve of the Township.
Obituary in Canadian Champion, December 9, 1920:
John Dilon (sic) Evans, for over thirty years a member of York county council and an ex-Warden of the county, died at his home on Dundas Street, Islington, on Sunday after an illness of several months.
The late Mr. Evans was born in Trafalgar, near Omagh, in 1841. In 1872 he moved to Etobicoke township. In 1878 he was elected a township councillor, three years later he entered the county council as Deputy Reeve for Etobicoke, and in 1886 became Reeve of the township, which position he held until [1896, and again for one year in 1906, after which he retired.] In 1890 he was elected Warden. For many years Mr. Evans was chairman of the legislative Committee of the council, and was largely responsible for many amendments to the municipal laws of the Province. He was a past master of Mimico Lodge A. F. and A. M., a P. G. of Islington Lodge, I.O.O.F.
He is survived by his wife and three children: Richard H. Evans of the Customs Department , Ottawa; and Miss Cassie and Miss Lavina Evans, of Islington. Up to the last Mr. Evans retained his interest in his native county. Last October, for the first time in many years, he failed to attend the county fair. He wrote to the Champion, expressing his great regret that he would be unable to come and to call as usual.
Compiled by Hillery Bourne, an EHS member and distant relative of Evans