EVANS, JOHN ('I. D. Ffraid' or 'Adda Jones'; 1814 - 1875), Calvinistic Methodist minister and author

Born at Llansantffraid Glan Conwy, 23 July 1814. He attended Thomas Lloyd's school at Abergele for a few months in 1824, and in 1830 went for a short time to John Hughes's school at Wrexham. He began work in his uncle's shop at Glan Conwy when he was 11 years of age, where, apart from his term at Wrexham, he remained his whole life. He acquired control of four other concerns - a nail factory, a sawmill, a watermill, and another shop. He married in 1836 and had six children. His wife died in 1850 and he married again in 1853. At the age of 16 he wrote Hanes yr Iddewon (Llanrwst, 1831). He was the editor and part author of Difyrwch Bechgyn Glannau Conwy (Llanrwst, 1835). He produced Geiriadur Saesneg-Cymraeg, which included a glossary of herbs (Llanrwst, 1847), and wrote Pennau Teuluoedd a'r Ysgol Sabothol (Denbigh, 1870). He became celebrated as a translator; his masterpiece was a translation of Paradise Lost (Coll Gwynfa, Wrexham, 1865), but he also translated The Life of Dick Turpin (Bywyd Turpin Leidr, Llanrwst, 1835), and Young's Night Thoughts (unpublished; NLW MS 4757B ). He began to preach in 1840 and was ordained in 1853, but never took charge of a church. He was in constant demand as an eisteddfod adjudicator, and was one of the chief leaders of the temperance movement in North Wales. He was also an agent of the ' Liberation Society.' He was the author of ' Llythyrau Adda Jones,' a series of 483 letters which appeared in Baner ac Amserau Cymru from January 1869 to December 1874. He was presented with a national testimonial in 1869. He died 4 March 1875.

Author

• Wilbert Lloyd Roberts, (1925 - 1996)

Sources

• Y Geninen (Gŵyl Dewi), 1888, 1-11
• essay (manuscript) by O. Gaianydd Williams on John Evans, by courtesy of Miss M. Gaianydd Williams

Further Reading

• Wikipedia Article: John Evans

Images

• John Thomas, John Evans

Additional Links

• VIAF: 120568264
• Wikidata: Q5967953

Published date: 1959

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