EVANS, EVAN (1773 - 1827), Baptist minister

Born 3 June 1773 at Bryn-y-gwdyn, Llanarmon, Caernarfonshire, was baptized by John Williams (1768 - 1825) in April 1795, and removed to Rhos-llannerch-rugog c. 1797. He tended at first towards Sandemanianism, but soon decided to plough his own furrow, attaching himself to neither of the two factions which at the time divided North Wales Baptists. In 1802, while working near Llanfyllin, he founded a Baptist cause in that town; in the same year, he began preaching at Cefn-mawr (Ruabon), and also at Northop (the first Baptist cause in Flintshire); and in 1805 (in which year he was ordained minister at Cefn-mawr) he visited Liverpool and there founded a Welsh cause whose adherents still ranked as members at Cefn-mawr down to 1810. In 1815 he revived the Baptist cause at Rhos-llannerch-rugog. During a visit to London (1817) to collect funds for his chapel, he decided to become a milk-vendor in London; in 1819 he was released by the church at Cefn-mawr and founded a Welsh Baptist church in London. It is interesting to note that he joined the London Cymreigyddion Society, and indeed was the speaker at their commemoration of John Jones (1766 - 1821) of Glan-y-gors - his address was printed in Seren Gomer, 1821, 214. There were troubles in his congregation, for some members wished to invite Daniel Davies (1797 - 1876) to be their pastor; but the majority remained faithful to Evans, who in 1822 built a chapel at Moorfields. He died 2 February 1827 and was buried in Bunhill Fields.

Author

• Emeritus Professor Robert Thomas Jenkins, (1881 - 1969)

Sources

• Hanes y Bedyddwyr yn Nghymru, iii, 340, iv, 39, 44, 220, 405

Additional Links

• Wikidata: Q20733022

Published date: 1959

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