EVANS
,
JOHN
(
1858
-
1963
);
minister (Congl.) and professor at the Memorial College, Brecon
;
b.
12 May 1858
at
Erwan Fach
,
Llangrannog, Cards.
, son of
David
and
Eleanor
Evans
. He had very little formal education in childhood though he did for a while attend the school held by
‘
Cranogwen
’ (
DWB
, 829)
at
Pontgarreg
. After the
1868
general election the family was ejected from their home because the father had voted for the
Liberal candidate
, and they moved to
Pant-teg farm
near
New Quay
. When he was 12 yrs. old he was
apprenticed to a shopkeeper
in
Llangrannog
. Three years later he went to
work in a grocer's and clothier's shop
in
Beaufort, Mon.
About
1877
he decided to become a candidate for the ministry and delivered his first sermon in
Maen-y-groes chapel
, near
New Quay
. He went to the school kept by
C.H.
Hughes
in the vestry of
Tywyn (Congl.) chapel
,
New Quay
, and in
1881
he became the first pupil of that school to be accepted by
London University
. He went to
New College
,
London
, where
Samuel
Newth
was
principal
, to prepare himself for the ministry, graduating
B.A.
in
1884
and
A.T.S.
in
1886
. He was an
assistant teacher
at the school of
Watcyn Wyn
(
DWB
, 1076)
at
Ammanford
before being invited to
minister
at
Painscastle
and
Rhos-goch
churches,
Rads.
, in
1887
. In
1894
he moved to take charge of the English church in
Glamorgan Street
,
Brecon
. After the death of
John
Morris
(
DWB
,
661
)
,
principal
of the
Memorial College
in that town, in
1896
, he was invited to
lecture on Hebrew
for a while there (while continuing as
pastor
of the church). When the faculty of theology was established in the
University of Wales
he was invited to
lecture on church history
for a year in
1901
and the invitation was renewed annually until he was appointed full time
professor
in
1905
and at the same time made
financial secretary of the college
(until
1942
). He retained his chair until he retired in
1943
and received the title
Professor Emeritus
.
He accepted modern forms of scholarship in discussing the
Bible
and
Christian
history. His theological liberalism may be perceived in his commentary on
Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians
,
Epistol Cyntaf Paul at y Corinthiaid
(
1926
). He wrote an article on the
Independents
in the neighbourhood of
Painscastle
and
Hay
for
The history of Congregationalism in Breconshire and Radnorshire
(ed.
Joseph
Jones
;
1912
) and he was among the contributors to the
Independents
'
Llyfr Gwasanaeth
(
1926
). He also contributed to
Y Tyst
and
Y Dysgedydd
. He was
chairman of the board of governors
of
Brecon grammar school
,
1921-31
. Through his quiet faith and gentle personality he came to be regarded as the college's unambitious and unjealous ‘man of God’. Everyone knew of his love of
Brecon
and
Brecknockshire
and in
1957
he was honoured with the
freedom of the borough
. He preached for the last time in
Tredomen chapel
, near
Brecon
,
11 Nov. 1962
. He was unmarried and d.
1 Jan. 1963
in his lodgings in
Brecon
, his home for many years. In a few months' time he would have reached the age of 105. He was buried in the town cemetery when snow lay heavy on the ground.
Bibliography:
-
The Congregational Year Book
, 1846
ff
,
1963-64
;
-
Blwyddiadur yr Annibynwyr Cymraeg
,
1964
;
-
reports of the Brecon Independent Memorial College,
1896-97
,
1901-06
,
1942-43
;
-
Pennar Davies
(ed.),
Athrawon ac Annibynwyr
, 1971
(1971)
, 20-30;
-
information from
D.W. Godfrey Evans, Llandysul
, and
Thomas Richards, Brecon
;
- personal acquaintance.
Author:
William Thomas Pennar Davies (1911-96), Swansea
