EVANS
,
DANIEL
(
Daniel Ddu o Geredigion
;
1792
-
1846
),
cleric and poet
;
b. at
Maesmynach
, a farm in the parish of
Llanfihangel Ystrad, Cards.
He was educated at
Lampeter grammar school
under
Eliezer
Williams
(q.v.)
, and later went to
Jesus College
,
Oxford
, where he graduated
B.A.
1814
,
M.A.
1817
, and
B.D.
1824
. In
1817
he was made a
Fellow
of his college. After leaving
Oxford
he was, for a time,
chaplain
at the
Royal Military Asylum
,
Northampton
. He resigned owing to ill health, returned home to his parents, and never took up another appointment as long as he lived. He published:
Awdlau: gan … Daniel Evans, bardd i Anrhydeddus Gym-deithas y Gwyneddigion, Llundain
,
1810
(no. 9 in ‘
Cyhoeddiadau Cymdeithas y Gwyneddigion
’);
Gwlad fy Ngenedigaeth and Attebiad ‘Ioan Tegid
,’
1819?
(a poem trying to persuade
‘
Tegid
’
not to leave
Wales
for the
East Indies
);
Awdl Marwnad Eliezer Williams
,
1820
;
Englynion er cofiant Ifor Hael, Arglwydd Maesaleg
,
1822
;
Golwg ar Gyflwr yr Iddewon, Cerdd
,
1826
;
Ar ddylanwadau yr Yspryd Glan: ymadrodd ar y pwnc … wedi ei gyfieithu a'i dalfyrru gan … Daniel Evans
,
1826
;
Palesteina: neu, Hanes yr Iddewon a Gwlad Canaan
,
1841
;
Galar-Cerdd ar farwolaeth William Bruce Knight, Deon Llandaf
,
1845
; ‘
Cerdd Arwraidd ar y Gauaf
,’ which won for him the
silver medal and prize
presented by
Thomas
Beynon
(
1744
-
1833
) (q.v.)
,
president
of the
Carmarthen Society of Cymreigyddion
, in his book
Cerddi Arwraidd, ar yr Hydref a'r Gauaf; hefyd Awdlau ar y Daran
,
1792-1846
.
Daniel Ddu
published his works in collected form under the title
Gwinllan y Bardd
,
1831
, 2nd ed.
1872
, 3rd ed.
1907
. This book contains poems in the classical and modern forms, hymns, and some
English
and
Latin
verse.
Daniel Ddu
was the
poet
of the eisteddfod and of the ‘
Cambrian Societies
.’ In the
Dyfed provincial eisteddfod
,
1823
, he
won the prize
for his ‘
Awdl ar Sefydliad Coleg Dewi Sant
’ and the
silver medal
for his ‘
Awdl ar Fuddugoliaethau diweddar y Groegiaid ar y Tyrciaid
.’ He belonged to three circles of poets: the school of
Dafydd Ddu Eryri
(q.v.)
, that of
Gwallter Mechain
(q.v.)
, and that of
archdeacon
Thomas
Beynon
. He was also friendly with
David
Davis
(q.v.)
,
Castell Hywel
, and with the other
poets
of
Cards.
, and he carried on the tradition of
Edward
Richard
and
Ieuan Brydydd Hir
. He d.
by his own hand
,
28 March 1846
, and was buried in
Pencarreg
churchyard.
Bibliography:
-
Preface to the 3rd ed. of
Gwinllan y bardd sef prydyddwaith ar amrywiol
destunau a gwahanol fesurau
‘’ , 3rd ed., 1907
;
-
Y Llenor
, v,
1926
, 48.
Author:
David Gwenallt Jones, M.A., (1899-1968), Aberystwyth
