Henry Congreve Evans (10 December 1860 – 9 January 1899), generally known as "Harry Evans" or "Harry Congreve Evans", was a journalist, editor and newspaper proprietor of South Australia.
Biography
The Rev. Ephraim Evans (1825 – 6 April 1863), a Baptist minister born in
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...
, married Mary Ann Wilton (1830–1858), and emigrated to South Australia around 1854. He was sent to the Reedy Creek (now
Palmer
Palmer may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Palmer (pilgrim), a medieval European pilgrim to the Holy Land
* Palmer (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters
* Palmer (surname), including a list of people and ...
) copper mine, where he ministered and taught at the local school, then in 1856 to Nuriootpa, where his workload forced him to abandon teaching. They had a son and a daughter before she died, in 1858. On 16 February 1860 he married Matilda Jane Congreve (7 August 1827 – 22 October 1886), who wrote under the pseudonym Maud(e) Jean(ne) Franc. They had two sons: Henry "Harry" Congreve Evans, born at Nuriootpa, and William James "Will" Evans (1862–1904). He died at South Rhine on Easter Monday 1863 aged 38 years.
:Before her marriage Matilda and her sister Emily, who were descended from the family of
William Congreve
William Congreve (24 January 1670 – 19 January 1729) was an English playwright and poet of the Restoration period. He is known for his clever, satirical dialogue and influence on the comedy of manners style of that period. He was also a min ...
, ran a school at Mount Barker, and it was there that the first of her literary work was done. After the death of her husband she opened a boarding school for girls at Angaston to maintain the four children, This reference confuses histories of brothers William and Henry. but in late 1868, with help from
George Fife Angas
George Fife Angas (1 May 1789 – 15 May 1879) was an English businessman and banker who, while residing in England, played a significant part in the formation and establishment of the Province of South Australia. He established the South Aus ...
she sent the two eldest to their father's step-mother in London, where they were neither wanted nor well looked-after. As soon as he was old enough, Ebenezer started working for J. B. Maple & Co., but ill-health prompted his return to Australia in 1878, accompanied by his sister; they opened a store at Tarcowie. Matilda Evans moved to Adelaide with her two sons Harry and Will, who received further tuition at
John Whinham
North Adelaide Grammar School, later Whinham College was a private school operated in North Adelaide, South Australia by John Whinham (3 August 1803 – 13 March 1886) and his family.
History
John Whinham
The founder of the school was born at Sh ...
's North Adelaide Grammar School.
:Her brother, Henry John "Harry" Congreve (31 March 1829 – 10 July 1918) emigrated to South Australia in 1849, lived for some time in
Port Lincoln
Port Lincoln is a town on the Lower Eyre Peninsula in the Australian state of South Australia. It is situated on the shore of Boston Bay, which opens eastward into Spencer Gulf. It is the largest city in the West Coast region, and is located a ...
and
Inglewood, Victoria
Inglewood is a township in Victoria, Australia, located on the Calder Highway in the Shire of Loddon.
History
Inglewood was an important gold mining centre during the Victorian Gold Rush of the 1850s and 1860s.
Gold was first discovered in 185 ...
. In 1880 he joined the
Gawler
Gawler is the oldest country town on the Australian mainland in the state of South Australia. It was named after the second Governor (British Vice-Regal representative) of the colony of South Australia, George Gawler. It is about north of the ...
''Standard'', then in 1885 the ''
Bunyip
The bunyip is a creature from the aboriginal mythology of southeastern Australia, said to lurk in swamps, billabongs, creeks, riverbeds, and waterholes.
Name
The origin of the word ''bunyip'' has been traced to the Wemba-Wemba or Wergaia ...
'' when those two papers merged, resigning in 1890. He was a prolific writer, often as "H.J.C.", for other journals such as the ''
Adelaide Observer
''The Observer'', previously ''The Adelaide Observer'', was a Saturday newspaper published in Adelaide, South Australia from July 1843 to February 1931. Virtually every issue of the newspaper (under both titles) has been digitised and is availabl ...
''.Barbara Wall 'Congreve, Henry John (Harry) (1829–1918)' ''Australian Dictionary of Biography'', National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, published first in hardcopy 2005, accessed online 14 January 2015
After leaving school, Evans found employment with Fanning & Co., then at the age of 16 joined '' The Advertiser'', where he was noted for his
stenographic
Shorthand is an abbreviated symbolic writing method that increases speed and brevity of writing as compared to longhand, a more common method of writing a language. The process of writing in shorthand is called stenography, from the Greek ''ste ...
skills and the speed and clarity of his
longhand
{{Short pages monitor
*Henry "Harry" Congreve Evans (10 December 1860 – 9 January 1899) subject of this article
*William James "Will" Evans (17 June 1862 – 22 September 1904) was born in Angas Park, educated at Angaston and North Adelaide; was theatre and music critic for ''The Advertiser'', and also conducted the "From Day to Day" column in ''The Express'', and the "From Week to Week" column in '' The Chronicle''. He was author of ''Rhymes without Reason''.
Neither of the two younger sons married; they lived with their mother until she died, then boarded on
South Terrace, Adelaide
South Terrace is one of the four terraces which bound the city centre of Adelaide, the capital of South Australia.
It is the southern edge of the city centre, and is bounded by the Adelaide parklands to the south, including Veale Gardens and A ...
with J. Le M. F. Roberts (1843–1910), his daughter Edith, and his wife Lizzie Marian Roberts, née Gleeson ( –1911), the latter being described as "nurse, mentor, and friend, ... truly a second mother". Edith Roberts was an accomplished dancer who took part in ''Immomeena'' and other of Harry Evans's stage works.
Children of Henry Congreve (1793–1852)
With his first wife Lucy, née Hoppe (1798–1823):
*George Thomas Congreve (1821 – 14 March 1898) medical man who grew quite wealthy; never left England. Wrote books ''New Era in Medical Science'' on consumption (tuberculosis), and ''The Nursery Gem'' on early childhood.
With Elizabeth Ann Congreve née Jacob (she died 1852 at sea; he died 18 December 1852):
*Matilda Jane Congreve (27 August 1827 – 22 October 1886) married Rev. Ephraim Evans (1825–1863) on 16 February 1860; their children were:
:*Henry "Harry" Congreve Evans (10 December 1860 – 9 January 1899), subject of this article
:*William James "Will" Evans (17 June 1862 – 22 September 1904), some biographical details above
*Henry John "Harry" Congreve (31 March 1829 – 10 July 1918) arrived South Australia on the ''Trafalgar'' 17 January 1849, married Jane Marshall Kirkwood on 14 December 1865, lived at "Stretton", Walkerville Road (now Stephen Terrace, Walkerville), which became a second home to his siblings.
*Emily Congreve (1830 – 28 September 1896) arrived 1852; wrote (as "Little Jacob") ''Colonial Pen Scratchings''
*William Congreve (1832 – 20 July 1907) arrived South Australia 17 January 1849 with brother Henry; taught in SA and Victoria, retired to Bridgewater, died at "Stretton", Walkerville Road, St. Peters.
*Frederick Jacob Congreve (1837 – 16 September 1906) arrived with father 1852
*James Congreve (1839 – 10 July 1934) lived in Sydney, died in Brisbane.