EVANS, EVAN (1804 - 1886), Independent minister and author

Born 8 March 1804 at Gelli-llyndu, Llanddewi-brefi, Cardiganshire, the son of David Evans who emigrated to America in 1833. In 1824 he went to Monmouthshire and kept a school at Pontypool, Goytre, and Nant-y-glo. His parents had been members of Daniel Rowland's congregation at Llangeitho and he began to preach with the Calvinistic Methodists in 1825. About 1830 he became a total abstainer and met with persecution on account of his principles. He joined the Independents in 1847 at Beaufort, Brecknock, and was a minister at Llangiwg, Glamorganshire, 1852-3, Risca and Machen, Monmouthshire, 1855-7, and Risca alone, 1857-60. He was a popular preacher. In 1869 he emigrated to America, whither a daughter and other relatives had already gone, and settled at Oak-hill, Ohio. He travelled a great deal there and preached to all denominations. In 1881 he moved to Curtis, Arkansas. The first Welsh church in that state was founded there shortly afterwards, and he continued in charge of it until his death on 29 October 1886 at the age of 83. Beriah Gwynfe Evans was one of his sons.

Evan Evans was the author of several books and translations, namely Y Cyfammod Gweithred-oedd, 1833, 1842; Ffordd Duw yn y Cyssegr a'r Môr, 1842, 1852; Athrawiaeth a Dyledswydd, two volumes of sermons, 1865, 1866; he translated a work by John Owen, Tystiolaeth Ostyngedig i Ddaioni a Thoster Duw, 1843. He also translated A compendious view of Natural and Revealed Religion and A brief concordance to the Holy Scriptures, both by John Brown, Haddington, 1845, 1847; The Tryall of a Christian's Growth, Thomas Goodwin, 1847; The Rise and Fall of Papacy, Robert Fleming the younger, 1849; Social Religion exemplify'd, Matthias Maurice 1862; he also published a translation by W. Williams, Talgarth, of The privie Key of Heaven, Thomas Brooks, 1845. He edited a periodical, Cyfaill Plentyn, which commenced in 1835 and contributed 'Atgofion Pedwar Ugain Mlynedd' to Cyfaill yr Aelwyd (vi and vii).

[ Evans was a prominent participator in the discussions in the Welsh press on the problems of Welsh emigration to North and South America and to Australia.]

Author

• Nansi Ceridwen Jones

Sources

• H. Blackwell, NLW MSS 9257A: A Dictionary of Welsh Biography (123-4)
• Bye-Gones, relating to Wales and the Border Counties, 1886, 189
• Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
• T. R. Roberts, Eminent Welshmen: a short biographical dictionary of Welshmen... from the earliest times to the present (1908)
• Notable Welshmen (1700–1900) (1908)
• Cyfaill yr aelwyd cylchgrawn misol at wasanaeth oriau hamddenol y Cymry, yn cynnwys chwedleuaeth, cerddoriaeth, barddoniaeth, gwyddoniaeth, a llenyddiaeth bur, adeiladol, a dyddanus, vii, 147-51

Further Reading

• Wikipedia Article: Evan Evans

Additional Links

• VIAF: 7042291
• Wikidata: Q5415380

Published date: 1959

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