Papermaker

John Evans started working in the Dickinson paper mills, owned by his uncle John Dickinson, at the age of 17. Eventually he became a central figure in the British paper making industry. He took out a number of patents, including one for the production of envelopes, ornate paper and paper napkins. He also introduced esparto grass as a raw material for paper making. He was very involved in organising the trade and was a founding member of the Papermakers Association.

Numismatist

Evans was the first person to devise a systematic classification of British Iron Age coinage, based on a descriptive corpus of all types then known. He organised the material by geographical region rather than tribal attribution.

His contributions to the study of later British coinage was no less significant. He set out a simplified classification of English Short Cross coinage in 1865, consisting of a simplified sequence of five classes.

Evans was a highly respected numismatist. He joined the Numismatic Society when it had existed for only about ten years. In 1899 the Society celebrated the 50th year of his membership and the 25th year of his presidency, and in 1904, due to his efforts, it obtained its Royal Charter. He remained president until his death in 1908.

Archaeologist

Evans was one of the small group of British scholars involved with the development of the field and profession of archaeology in Britain in the nineteenth century. Through the meticulous observation and recording of information gained from his extensive collection, he published the first comprehensive and systematic volumes on British prehistoric artefacts. His interests extended from the earliest stone tool using societies to the post-medieval period. He published widely on every aspect of these interests.

Geologist

Evans's interest in geology (and particularly hydrogeology) led him to help to play an important role in bridging the disciplinary boundaries between archaeology and the natural sciences. He was one of the few, together with Sir Joseph Prestwich (1812-1896) and Jean Albert Gaudry (1827-1908), who laid the foundations of palaeolithic science. He also played an important role in the creation of the anthropology of the Pleistocene epoch.

Further References / Links:

Apsley Mill Paper Trail has details of Evans's paper manufacturing interests.