PRITCHARD, EVAN (Ieuan Lleyn; 1769 - 1832), poet
Pseudonym: Ieuan Lleyn
Date of birth: 1769
Date of death: 1832
Spouse: Mary Pritchard (née Roberts)
Parent: Mary Thomas (née Charles)
Parent: Richard Thomas
Gender: Male
Occupation: poet
Area of activity: Eisteddfod; Poetry
Author: Thomas Parry
His name sometimes occurs as Evan Richards, and his bardic name as Ieuan ap Rhisiart, Ifan Lleyn, and Bardd Bryncroes. He was the son of Richard Thomas, a stonemason, and Mary Charles, daughter of Siarl Marc, Tŷ-mawr, Bryncroes, one of the early Methodist preachers in Llŷn. Mary Charles was well known as a writer of verse. On his parents emigrating to America about 1795, Pritchard made his home with his grandfather at Tŷ-mawr, and after his grandfather's death in May 1795 he continued to live at the same place with his uncle Lewis Charles. About this time he kept school at Llanddeiniolen.
In 1800 he went to England as a customs officer, returning to Wales about 1812. He married, in 1816, Mary Roberts of Hen-dy, Bryncroes, and had two sons and a daughter. After returning to Llŷn he was a schoolmaster in Bryncroes and adjoining parishes till his death on 14 August 1832.
He was a frequent competitor at eisteddfodau, e.g. at Denbigh in 1792 on ' Cyflafan y Beirdd,' at Bala in 1793 on ' Tymhorau'r Flwyddyn,' and at Denbigh in 1828 on ' Gwledd Belsassar.' On 16 October 1799 he and Dafydd Ddu Eryri and Gutyn Peris were ordained bards of the province of Gwynedd by Iolo Morganwg. The first number of a periodical printed and published at Caernarvon and entitled Greal neu Eurgrawn appeared in January 1800, and judging by the poem by Dafydd Ddu Eryri printed at the beginning and the preface signed by Ieuan Lleyn, it would appear that these two were the editors, though this is not specifically stated. Only this one number was published, the reason for this probably being that Ieuan left for England about this time. A collection of his poetry under the title Caniadau Ieuan Lleyn , edited by Myrddin Fardd, was published at Pwllheli in 1878. Some of his hymns are well known today. (See J. Thickens, Emynau a'u Hawduriaid, 75.)
Author
- Sir Thomas Parry, (1904 - 1985)
- W. O. Evans, 'Beirdd a Llenorion Lleyn' in Cyfansoddiadau Buddugol Eisteddfod Gadeiriol Sarn Meillteyrn, Awst 1883 (Sarn 1884), 104-13
- J. Jones ('Myrddin Fardd'), Enwogion Sir Gaernarfon (1922)
- J. Jones ('Myrddin Fardd'), 'Adgof uwch Anghof.' Llythyrau lluaws o Brif Enwogion Cymru (1883), 19-20
- Additional Manuscript in the British Museum 15030 (150)
- Thomas Parry, Caernarvonshire Historical Society Transactions, XXVI, 52-71
Sources
Published date: 1959
Article Copyright: http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/
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