HUGHES
,
EVAN
(‘
Hughes Fawr
’; d.
1800
),
cleric and author
.
Details of his early life are not available but he is said to have been a native of
Llangeitho, Cards.
He was
curate
of
Llaniestyn
,
Llandegwning
,
Penllech
(
1762-4
), and
Llanfihangel-y-Pennant
(
1772-9
) — all in
Caerns.
His fame as a
preacher
was such that he had to
preach in the churchyards
as all his hearers could not be accommodated inside the churches. He was a
strong supporter of the circulating schools
begun by
Griffith
Jones
,
Llandowror
, and wrote to
Madam
Bevan
in
1773
to bear testimony to their success and to ask that the school at
Llanfihangel-y-Pennant
be continued for a further period. His replies to the queries at a bishop's visitation in
1776
were very satisfactory — he normally had seventy communicants each month at
Llanfihangel
and nearly 200 at Easter. He was on friendly terms
with the
Methodist
Robert
Jones
(
1745
-
1829
),
Rhos-lan
(q.v.)
. In
1779
he left
Llanfihangel
to become
curate
of
Ysbyty Ifan, Denbs.
, and whilst there he often preached in the homes of
Methodists
. Some time about
1783
he became
curate
at
Trawsfynydd
which he left on
23 June 1792
to become
curate
of
Llanuwchllyn
, where he d. about the middle of
May 1800
.
He published
Duwdod Crist
,
1777
, and
Rhai Hymnau Newyddion o Fawl i'r Oen
,
1783
. Other hymns by him are preserved in manuscripts, e.g. in some of the manuscripts of
Dafydd Siôn Siâms
(
David
Jones
,
1743
-
1831
, q.v.)
.
Bibliography:
-
D. E. Jenkins
,
Life of Thomas Charles
, 1908
, i, 384, 404, ii, 403, 405, 409;
-
Cymru
, xii, 251-4;
-
Llais Rhyddid
,
1918
, 133-4;
-
Yr Haul
,
1867
;
-
Welch piety, or, A farther account of the
circulating Welch charity schools … to which are annexed
testimonials relating to the masters and scholars of the
said schools; in a letter to a friend
, 1742-60
,
1773-4
.
Author:
Robert (Bob) Owen, O.B.E., M.A., (1885-1962), Croesor
