Francis Wesley Evans
McMillan, Jim
From: Thomas,Patty [mailto:tho...@oclc.org]
Sent: Tuesday, January 11, 2011 1:28 PM
To: McMillan, Jim
Subject: RE: Francis W. Evans
Thank you for your help. I will create the authority record then change the Bib record headings.
Patty Thomas
From: McMillan, Jim [mailto:jmcm...@illinois.edu]
Sent: Tuesday, January 11, 2011 1:38 PM
To: Thomas,Patty
Subject: RE: Francis W. Evans
Patty,
It is highly ironic that Francis Wesley Evans, a Methodist minister from Iowa, actively opposed the Spiritualism that the Shaker Elder F.W. Evans wrote about and promoted in New York state.
Here are some references to the Iowa FWE:
DOB and DOD are documented here:
Annals of Iowa, 1909, Volume 9, Issue 1, 3d series, pages 79-80, in the section entitled Notable Deaths, where it states:
“Francis Wesley Evans was born in Pittsburg, Pa., March 17, 1829; he died at his home, 1319 E. Ninth street, Des Moines, Iowa, September 3, 1908. He was brought to Lee county, Iowa, in 1839.
He was appointed to the ministry by the Annual Conference of the Methodist Episcopal church in 1851 and continued in church pastorates throughout Iowa for nearly 40 years. He was a member of the first Methodist Conference in Iowa and when that was divided, was appointed to the Iowa Conference. Among his charges were the churches at Burlington, Washington, Mt. Pleasant, Albia, Ottumwa, Oskaloosa and Knoxville. He was one of the oldest members of the Methodist Conference when he retired from the ministry in 1890, removing permanently to Des Moines to become a lecturer for the Odd Fellows Lodge, which he served as Grand Chaplain. He also lectured on Masonry and on temperance subjects. He served as Chaplain of the 35th Iowa for two years during the civil war. He was a forceful and eloquent speaker.”
Here’s another biographical sketch of Francis Wesley Evans, from Haines, Aaron W., The Makers of Iowa Methodism, pages 103f.:
“In the year 1845, at the close of a temperance lecture by John Harris at a little country schoolhouse on the Birmingham Circuit, a boy was brought forward, and with a table as a platform gave a recitation which was so appropriate and so well done, that the old English preacher never got through telling of it. That boy was Frank W. Evans, and seven years later he was admitted into the Iowa Conference as a traveling preacher.
He was born in Pittsburg, Pa., in 1829, and when but a boy of ten his father moved to Iowa, and located in Fort Madison, where he lived for five years, working at the trade of a shoemaker. In 1845 he moved to a farm in Van Buren County, where the boy grew to manhood amid such surroundings as were afforded in a new country. At an early age he gave his heart to God, and his service to the Church. And most efficient service it was. For forty years he occupied a prominent place in the effective ranks of the Methodist hosts of Iowa, and after retir
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ing was able to do valiant service in the pulpit and on the platform and rostrum. Though small in stature, he was large in many other ways. To natural oratorical powers he added superior polemical skill, and in driving away "erroneous and strange doctrines" there has not arisen among the preachers of the West a greater than Francis W. Evans. For many years he was recognized as the champion debater. One of his early combats in the polemical field is recalled by the old settlers of Davis County. It was with the editor of Manford's Magazine, in that day recognized as the leading exponent of the tenets of the Universalists of the West. The debate was held in Drakeville, and lasted for several days. Before it was over, Mr. Manford was forced to acknowledge that he had underrated his antagonist, having thought of him only as a boy, and therefore had not fully prepared himself. However that may have been, the advocates of universal salvation in that community were as the Midianites after the victory of Gideon, "they lifted up their heads no more."
There was only one time that he was almost inclined to admit that he had met with a defeat. He had met in debate a very prominent Adventist on the Sabbath question, and according to the verdict of many who had heard him had held his own; but he was not satisfied. He went home, bought all the literature he could find on
the subject written from the standpoint of the opposition—there was none published on his own side—studied the Bible and history more thoroughly, and from these, coupled with original illustration, he formulated an argument which met every point in the controversy. He then sent a challenge to the leader of the Saturday-Sabbath people, Elder D. M. Canwright. It was accepted, and they met at Lexington, Iowa, in the summer of 1871. It was a time of great interest in all that section of the country, and at the close of the discussion, which continued about a week, the unanimous verdict was, that the little giant had won the day. His opponent afterward renounced the opinions he that day advocated.
Evans has met during his ministry able representatives of all the "isms" extant, and taken great delight in exposing their fallacies. With all this he has been a successful pastor and presiding elder. His early efforts in the temperance cause were followed up in after years, and he was an able advocate of every good cause. He has represented his Conference in the General Conference, and was recognized by his associates as an able Western man. He has published a work on "Spiritualism," which is an authority on that subject. He is spending his days of retirement in the city of Des Moines.”
Francis Wesley Evans is also the author of this item (and its various reprinted editions and online editions, if applicable):
Evans, F. W. Spiritualism on Trial: Containing the Arguments of Rev. F.W. Evans in the Debate on Spiritualism between Him and Mr. A.J. Fishback, Held in Osceola, Iowa, Commencing Nov. 18 and Closing Nov. 28, 1874. Cincinnati: Printed by Hitchcock & Walden, 1875. = OCLC 2824302
For documentation for this title, but not the above edition, see The Christian Monitor, Volume 16, 1877, page 384 where an advertisement for the book states:
“Spiritualism on Trial
By Rev. F. W. Evans. We have recently come in possession of the Plates and right to publish this truly valuable work. Mr. Evans is one of the best debaters in the West, if not in the whole country, and is the terror of all forms of infidelity. Every preacher, every teacher, everybody that wants to keep posted on the subject should have this, the latest and most thorough refutation of modern Spiritualism. Price…$1.50”
The item below, as I mentioned in my earlier note, also by the Iowa FEW:
Evans, Francis W., and R. G. Eccles. Discussion on Bible Spiritualism, In the Methodist Episcopal Church of Eddyville, Iowa, on the Afternoons and Evenings of July 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 and 26, 1873. Between Rev. F.W. Evans and R.G. Eccles. Recapitulation. Question: "Does the Bible Sustain Modern Spiritualism?". Kansas City: Pub. by E.G. Eccles, 1873. = OCLC 37546230
If you need additional information, please let me know. I am conducting research on John Steele Sweeney, a Disciples of Christ minister who debated Francis Wesley Evans, which is why I came across the discrepancy in the authority record.
Kind regards,
Jim
From: Thomas,Patty [mailto:tho...@oclc.org]
Sent: Tuesday, January 11, 2011 11:35 AM
To: McMillan, Jim
Subject: Francis W. Evans
HI Jim,
This is a reply to the request you sent to Quality Control (pasted below)
I am glad you offered to send further documentation on Francis W. Evans, because I could not find the proof needed to change the author. OCLC is not a holding library but I was able to view the title page and complete item for records 656885872 and 2824302 in Google Books but could only find his name as F. W. Evans. In addition to fixing the Bib records I would like to create an authority record for Francis W. Evans, so if you have proof of his birth or death dates that would also be helpful.
comment = This comment concerns the identity of Evans, F. W. (1808 - 1893) and Evans, Francis W. There are some items in WorldCat that are incorrectly attributed to F. W. Evans that should be attributed to Francis W. Evans. The latter Evans was a Methodist minister in Iowa and the co-author of OCLC: 37546230. He is also the author of another anti-spiritualism title with several OCLC records, one of which is 2824302. I shall be happy to provide further documentation on Francis W. Evans. Thank you!
Thank you
Patty Thomas
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