Catherine Evans
ODNB: 1407
Born in Cransley, Northamptonshire. He was prepared for the ministry from an early age and matriculated from Trinity College in 1634, graduating BA in 1638 and MA in 1641. He was a schoolmaster in Banbury until the outbreak of civil war, when he became a preacher at St James Garlickhythe. In 1646, he moved to Mortlake in Surrey. He was a parliamentarian and preached before the House of Commons, although despite being a congregationalist he did not reject the parochial structure of the English church. He returned to preach in London at St Leonard Eastcheap during the republic, and earned Cromwell's favour, becoming assistant to the London Commission and a commissioner for the approbation of ministers. After the restoration, he became a nonconformist and gathered a congregation where he was living in Soper Lane, Broad Street. In 1672 he accepted the indulgence and became a congregationalist preacher at St James's, Duke Place and was elected to administer to the congregation of the Miles Lane meeting-house in Cannon Street. Following the 1688 revolution he tried to promote unity between nonconformists, and published a work "Flores Intellectuales" giving advice to young ministers as well as a work of practical divinity, Natural Theology. He died on 25 Mach 1698. He had been married to Elizabeth Cotton, nee Sheafe, and they had at least one daughter who survived them, also named Elizabeth.