T Evans
possibly Thomas Evans Sr. (1720 - 1802)
Wilmington, MA.
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Carpenter and housewright. Detailed list of planes in his inventory.
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T Evans plane photos courtesy of Mike Humphrey.
A possible candidate has been found for the four planes marked T Evans; Thomas Evans Sr. (born 5-30-1720 in Andover - died 1802 in Wilmington, MA. Thomas m Ruth Ballard in Andover in 1744. He married a second time to Rebecca. Thomas Jr. was a housewright born in 1751, but he is too late for the planes. Thomas Sr's parents have not yet been identified.
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A large contingent of early Evans came from Salisbury, MA but their trades do not fit for S Evans; a feltmaker, a husbandman, a currier, gent's, and a mariner. Two early T Evans were found in Dorchester, MA but they were cordwainers. One Evans started in early Dover NH but ended up in Salisbury, MA. He was a yeoman.
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Thomas Evans 1745 deed.
Thomas Evans 1802 inventory.
The T Evans planes appear early with similar features to I Walton and I Gould of nearby Reading, MA. (I Walton was born in 1710 and I Gould in 1730. The two towns abut each other.)
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Complex molder 10 1/8", birch
Complex molder 10 3/16", birch
Hollow, shortened at the heel, birch
Crown molder, 11 15/16", birch
I Walton / In Reading 10 1/8" round with his earliest chamfer style on the reverse. The shoulder height and shape is nearly identical to the two complex Evans molders. The Walton molding plane wedge profile is similar but proportionately smaller than the Evans.
I Gould modified crown (IG mark), 12", birch. The Evans and Gould totes are very close and the chamfer stops match. The Gould's cross section of the wedge is composed of two angles, like most other 18th C American examples. The T Evans crown wedge has a single cross sectional angle such that the wedge develops a pronounced thickness near the front of the tote.
The Walton / In Reading crown has nearly identical construction details on the escapement as does the T Evans crown. The only real difference is that the Walton's cheek widths are narrower than the T Evans which has thicker /heavier cheeks. However, the I Gould crown cheek thickness's match the T Evan's cheek thickness's.
