EVANS, DANIEL (Daniel Ddu o Geredigion; 1792 - 1846), cleric and poet

Born at Maesmynach, a farm in the parish of Llanfihangel Ystrad, Cardiganshire. He was educated at Lampeter grammar school under Eliezer Williams, and later went to Jesus College, Oxford, where he graduated B.A. 1814, M.A. 1817, and B.D. 1824. In 1817 he was made a Fellow of his college. After leaving Oxford he was, for a time, chaplain at the Royal Military Asylum, Northampton. He resigned owing to ill health, returned home to his parents, and never took up another appointment as long as he lived. He published: Awdlau: gan … Daniel Evans, bardd i Anrhydeddus Gym-deithas y Gwyneddigion, Llundain, 1810 (no. 9 in ' Cyhoeddiadau Cymdeithas y Gwyneddigion'); Gwlad fy Ngenedigaeth and Attebiad 'Ioan Tegid,' 1819? (a poem trying to persuade ' Tegid ' not to leave Wales for the East Indies); Awdl Marwnad Eliezer Williams, 1820; Englynion er cofiant Ifor Hael, Arglwydd Maesaleg, 1822; Golwg ar Gyflwr yr Iddewon, Cerdd, 1826; Ar ddylanwadau yr Yspryd Glan: ymadrodd ar y pwnc … wedi ei gyfieithu a'i dalfyrru gan … Daniel Evans, 1826; Palesteina: neu, Hanes yr Iddewon a Gwlad Canaan, 1841; Galar-Cerdd ar farwolaeth William Bruce Knight, Deon Llandaf, 1845; ' Cerdd Arwraidd ar y Gauaf,' which won for him the silver medal and prize presented by Thomas Beynon (1744 - 1833), president of the Carmarthen Society of Cymreigyddion, in his book Cerddi Arwraidd, ar yr Hydref a'r Gauaf; hefyd Awdlau ar y Daran, 1792-1846. Daniel Ddu published his works in collected form under the title Gwinllan y Bardd, 1831, 2nd ed. 1872, 3rd ed. 1907. This book contains poems in the classical and modern forms, hymns, and some English and Latin verse.

Daniel Ddu was the poet of the eisteddfod and of the ' Cambrian Societies.' In the Dyfed provincial eisteddfod, 1823, he won the prize for his ' Awdl ar Sefydliad Coleg Dewi Sant ' and the silver medal for his ' Awdl ar Fuddugoliaethau diweddar y Groegiaid ar y Tyrciaid.' He belonged to three circles of poets: the school of Dafydd Ddu Eryri, that of Gwallter Mechain, and that of archdeacon Thomas Beynon. He was also friendly with David Davis, Castell Hywel, and with the other poets of Cardiganshire, and he carried on the tradition of Edward Richard and Ieuan Brydydd Hir. He died by his own hand, 28 March 1846, and was buried in Pencarreg churchyard.

Author

• David Gwenallt Jones, (1899 - 1968)

Sources

• Preface to the 3rd edition of Gwinllan y bardd sef prydyddwaith ar amrywiol destunau a gwahanol fesurau (1907)
• Y Llenor: cylchgrawn chwarterol dan nawdd cymdeithasau Cymraeg y colegau cenedlaethol, v, 1926, 48

Further Reading

• Wikipedia Article: Daniel Evans

Works

• William Thomas, Yr awen lawen; sef, Casgliad o ganiadau dewisol (Caerfyrddin 1851), pp.28-30, 33-34

Additional Links

• VIAF: 281758137
• Wikidata: Q5217090

Published date: 1959

Article Copyright: http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/