M. before 1820 in Canada
Wife: Rebecca Pepperell
D. 6 Jan 1862 in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
Job Bevan was sent to Canada as a member of the military, and after his service, he decided to remain there. Job's entire heritage came from southwest England. He was born to Job Bevan and Jane Keats in about 1793. The family was from the village of North Bradley in Wiltshire County, and Job was baptized there on June 12, 1796. There were at least two other children in the family, and Job's father worked as a weaver.
Job joined the 9th Battalion of the Royal Artillery on February 20, 1814 as a gunner, and was shipped to Prince Edward Island, Canada in 1817. This was during a time just after the War of 1812 when peace came to North America. Military units like the one in which Job served were stationed in Canada to defend against any potential aggression from the United States.
In Canada, Job married a woman who had come from England as a girl, Rebecca Pepperell. After a short time of living in Halifax, Nova Scotia, they settled in Charlottetown, where her family lived. They had eight children born between 1820 and 1845, one of whom died as an infant. Job became a carpenter, and in St. Paul's Anglican Church, he performed the duties of beadle (one who keeps order) and collector. Over many years of service, he achieved some prominence in the community.
Charlottetown during the mid-19th century, with St. Paul's Church at left.
Job wasn't the only member of his family to migrate across the Atlantic. His sister Elizabeth and her family joined the Mormon church and moved to the U.S., eventually settling in Utah. One of Elizabeth's sons knew Joseph Smith and guarded his body after he was murdered. Job's nephew also knew Brigham Young, and he lived in Idaho as a polygamist.
Job lived out his years in Charlottetown. He died January 6, 1862, and in his will, he named the church, his wife, and six of his children as beneficiaries. His obituary said that he left behind many friends. It also said, "For some time his bodily health seemed to fail, but his end was peace." Job was buried in the Elm Avenue Cemetery (also called the Old Protestant Burying Ground) in Charlottetown. It was said that his gravestone was destroyed by vandals. His wife Rebecca passed away in 1868.
Children:
1. Maria Bevan – B. 5 Oct 1820, Halifax, Nova Scotia; D. 14 Dec 1888, Boston, Massachusetts; M. (1) John Baird, 15 Jan 1838, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island; (2) Charles W. Hughes (1819-?), 15 Jun 1842, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
2. William Bevan – B. 26 Mar 1823, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island; D. 26 Feb 1880, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island; M. Hannah Vessey (1825-1904), 16 Jan 1846
3. James Job Bevan – B. 1827, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island; D. 17 Oct 1859, Trenton, New Jersey; M. Sophia Elizabeth Wiseman, 11 Nov 1858, Trenton, New Jersey
4. Sarah Ann Bevan – B. 3 Oct 1830, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island; D. 26 Nov 1924, Seattle, Washington; M. Daniel McKinnon (1833-1895), 20 Oct 1854
5. Job Bevan – B. 18 Mar 1834, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island; M. Abigail Treneman (~1837-?), 5 Aug 1858
6. Rebecca Bevan – B. 9 May 1837, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island; D. 12 Apr 1868, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island; M. Charles Rodd (1839-1905), 26 May 1864
7. John Bevan – B. 18 Apr 1841, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island; D. 17 Sep 1842, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
8. Charles Frederick Bevan – B. 17 Jan 1845, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island; D. 3 Jun 1926, Victoria, British Columbia; M. (1) Mary Gill (1847-bef 1877), 12 Nov 1868; (2) Mary Helen Moody (1843-1900); (3) Hattie Ann Smith (1857-1929), 23 Nov 1908, Victoria, British Columbia
Sources:
Records of St. Paul’s Anglican Church, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
Records of Prince Edward Island Heritage Foundation
Obituary of Job Bevan, January 1862
The Descendants of Job James Bevan and Rebecca Pepperell [web page]
Find-a-grave listing for Alfred Alder
Find-a-grave listing for Elizabeth Bevan
