REES, EVAN (Dyfed; 1850 - 1923), Calvinistic Methodist minister, poet, and archdruid of Wales
Pseudonym: Dyfed
Date of birth: 1850
Date of death: 1923
Parent: Eunice Rees
Parent: James Rees
Gender: Male
Occupation: Calvinistic Methodist minister, poet, and archdruid of Wales
Area of activity: Eisteddfod; Poetry; Religion
Author: James Ednyfed Rhys
Born 1 January 1850 at Puncheston, Pembrokeshire; son of James and Eunice Rees. He removed with his parents to Aberdare when but a child and was employed when 8 years of age at Blaen-gwawr colliery. He removed to Cardiff when 23 years of age, and entered the ministry at Scion C.M. church (afterwards Pembroke Terrace), Cardiff. He succeeded as a poet early in life, and was successful in provincial and national eisteddfodau, e.g. Merthyr Tydfil national eisteddfod, 1881, for an awdl on 'Cariad'; Liverpool, 1884, for an awdl on Gwilym Hiraethog; Brecon, 1889, for an awdl on 'Y Beibl Cymraeg'; Merthyr Tydfil, 1901, for an awdl on 'Y Diwygiwr'; and the international eisteddfod at Chicago, 1893, for an awdl on 'Iesu o Nazareth'. He was appointed adjudicator at the national eisteddfod every year during the last forty years of his life, and was archdruid of 'Gorsedd y Beirdd' (the bardic gorsedd) for twenty-one years. Conspicuous as a preacher, he was regularly summoned to the main religious festivals whilst in his prime. He travelled extensively in Europe, South Africa, parts of Asia, and North America, and became renowned as a lecturer, traversing the country to give addresses on 'Beirdd a Barddoniaeth' ('Poets and Poetry'), 'Islwyn', 'Ann Griffiths', 'Pantycelyn', 'Dros Gyfanfor a Chyfanfyd' ('Over the Ocean and the Whole World'), 'Gwlad y Pyramidiau' ('The Land of the Pyramids'), 'Gwlad Canaan' ('The Land of Canaan'), 'Gwlad y Dyn Du' ('The Black Man's Land'). He was editor of Y Drysorfa, 1918-23. He published Caniadau Dyfedfab, Gwaith Barddonol Dyfed, Gwlad yr Addewid a Iesu o Nazareth, Oriau gydag Islwyn. He died 19 March 1923. Jonathan Rees was his brother.
Authors
- Reverend James Ednyfed Rhys, (1876 - 1960)
- Revised by the editorial team, 2024
- Y Goleuad, March 1923
- Y Drysorfa, April 1923
- personal knowledge
Sources
- Wikipedia Article: Evan Rees
Further Reading
Published date: 1959
Article Copyright: http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/
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