Thomas Evans was born September 4, 1818, at Cardiff, Glamorganshire, Wales. Thomas was the son of Edward and Hannah Morgan Evans. Nothing is known of his early life. On September 5, 1843 he married Jane Morgan, also of Cardiff. One year later they were blessed with a baby daughter. On Christmas Day 1844, Jane died, and on November 11, 1845, the baby also passed away. On February 4, 1846, Thomas married Ann John. To this union were born four children. Ann died September 18, 1853. On March 9, 1854, Thomas married Mary Norris, who became a good mother to his children in addition to having two children with Thomas.

The Evans family joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1856, and immediately made preparations to join the Saints in Zion. They sailed from Liverpool, England, to Boston where they docked. Shortly after arrival, their young son Joseph passed away. The family rode a cattle car to Mason City, Iowa. Here they procured handcarts and joined the Edward Bunker Handcart Company. This was the third of the handcart companies, the one that made the fastest time across the plains. They had their share of hardships, especially in lack of food. The company reached Salt Lake City on October 7, 1856.

Shortly after arrival, Thomas took his family to Kaysville, in what became Davis County, where they spent the winter in a dugout. Food was scarce, but they survived. On March 28, 1857, a daughter was born to Thomas and Mary. In November of that year, Thomas and a young boy went to the mountains to cut logs for a house. Thomas suffered a heart attack and died. He was buried in what would become the Kaysville Cemetery.