JONES, EVAN (1836 - 1915), Calvinistic Methodist minister, and publicist

Born 27 October 1836, at Esgair Goch, Pennal, Meironnydd, son of John Jones of Maestirau, Darowen, and his wife, Catherine Jervis, of Llanbryn-mair; his maternal grandmother was a sister to Abraham Wood, a preacher in lady Huntingdon's connexion. His early education was soon over, and in 1849 he was apprenticed to Adam Evans, a Machynlleth printer. He subsequently worked as a printer at Bethesda, Caernarfonshire (1855); at the Herald Cymraeg office, Caernarvon (1856); at Holyhead (1857), where he was in partnership with Lewis Jones (1836 - 1904), one of the founders of the Welsh settlement in Patagonia. From their office was published Y Pwnch Cymraeg, a satirical paper; Evan Jones's connection with it was brief but it was long remembered. In 1859 he set up for himself as printer in Machynlleth, where he began to preach, entering Bala C.M. College in 1863. In 1867 he became pastor of the churches at Corris and Aberllefeni and was ordained in 1869; in 1872 he accepted a call to Dyffryn Ardudwy (succeeding Edward Morgan (1817 - 1871)); and in 1875 he became pastor of the church at Moriah, Caernarvon, where he remained until his retirement in 1906. He died at Caernarvon, 29 September 1915, and was buried at Machynlleth. He married, while he was at Corris, Jane Elizabeth, daughter of Robert Jones, Bala; they had two daughters and a son. His wife predeceased him. He was a leader in his connexion, moderator of the North Wales Methodist Association in 1897, and moderator of the General Assembly in 1898-9. He was practically the founder of the Calvinistic Methodist Bookroom, and was general editor of the connexion's publications for many years. He was president of the National Free Church Council in 1909. As a publicist he was known as a strong advocate of disestablishment; his debate with the then vicar of Corris, canon Evans, first brought him into general notice in this connection, when he was a minister at Corris. As a controversialist, particularly on the platform, he was satirical and ruthless and he was regarded as a dangerous opponent. He was an active journalist all his life. While at Corris he contributed a weekly Welsh article to the Cambrian News; a selection of these was published in two small books, with the general title Ysgrifau Byrion. In 1872 he became editor of Y Goleuad, a position which he retained for four years; in his latter years he wrote a weekly article for that paper. He wrote leaders for the Genedl Gymreig for some years, and in 1882 he established his own paper, Yr Amseroedd, at Caernarvon. He was both owner and editor until, towards the end of 1884, he transferred the paper to another proprietor. From 1900 to 1905 he edited Y Drysorfa. He wrote his reminiscences for Y Genedl in 1912-13. A dominant personality, he was usually thought of as a controversialist and an ecclesiastical statesman, which indeed he was. But he was also a careful and devoted pastor, and in Puleston Jones's opinion he was 'a great preacher, a very great preacher.'

Author

• Edward Morgan Humphreys, (1882 - 1955)

Sources

• Blwyddiadur y Methodistiaid Calfinaidd, 1917
• Y Geninen (Gŵyl Dewi), 1916, 5, 49, April, 117, October, 246, 1917, October, 234
• Y Goleuad, 8 October 1915
• E. Morgan Humphreys, Gwyr Enwog Gynt argraffiadau ac atgofion personol (Aberystwyth 1950)

Images

• NLW: Y Parch. Evan Jones (Caernarfon)

Additional Links

• VIAF: 38897049
• Wikidata: Q20733030

Published date: 1959

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