EVANS
,
WILLIAM
(
Cawr Cynon
;
1808
-
1860
);
colliery official and poet
,
b. in a small thatched cottage near
Ynys-gau iron bridge
,
Merthyr Tydfil
, son of
Richard Morgan Dafydd
Evan
,
miner
and
country ‘doctor.’
He became a
miner
,
but devoted his spare time to studying the
cynganeddion
, and at an early age, won a prize for five
englynion
. He was a
frequent competitor at the local eisteddfodau
writing
cywyddau
and
englynion
; he won a prize for an essay on the history of
Caerleon-on-Usk
at
Abergavenny eisteddfod
,
23 Nov. 1836
. A poem written on the birth of a son to
Sir
John
and
lady
Charlotte
Guest
(q.v.)
won him the admiration of
lady
Charlotte
, and a post as
foreman
in the
Dowlais works
. He lived for a time at
Hirwaun
, and it was while there that he adopted the bardic title of
Cawr Cynon
. He returned to
Dowlais
, and later became the ‘
mine agent
’ at the
Plymouth works
for
Anthony
Hill
(see the article on that family). He d.
15 Nov. 1860
, and was buried in
Cefn Coed
cemetery.
Bibliography:
-
C. Wilkins
,
The history of Merthyr Tydfil
,
1867
,
1867
;
-
Merthyr Star
and
Cardiff and Merthyr Guardian
,
Nov. 1860
;
-
Y Greal sef Cylchgrawn Misol at wasanaeth y
Bedyddwyr
,
1860
, 285;
-
Tarian y Gweithiwr
, Aberdâr
, 18 and
25 Dec. 1924
;
-
Seren Gomer
,
April and Dec. 1837
.
Author:
Watkin William Price, M.A., (1873-1967), Aberdare
