EVANS
,
JOHN JOHN
(
1862
-
1942
),
journalist
;
b.
9 Dec. 1862
, at
Llanberis, Caerns.
He was educated at the local primary school but left to
work in the quarry
. He
competed at literary meetings
and
took an interest in drama
, being a member of the
Llanberis company
, the first
Welsh
drama company to be formed in
Wales
. During the
Llanberis strike
of
1886
he was told by
Tecwyn
Parry
,
minister
of
Gorffwysfa
, who was responsible for the poetry column in
Y Faner
, that
Thomas
Gee
(
DWB
, 274)
required a young
correspondent
in his office.
J.J.
Evans
secured the post and after settling in
Denbigh
he devoted his energies to his work and to master shorthand. He became a skilled
journalist
in both
Welsh
and
English
. He later became
Thomas
Gee
's
private secretary
and during this period he contributed many articles to the
Welsh
encyclopaedia (
Y Gwyddoniadur Cymreig
). He afterwards became
editor
of
Y Faner
and later of the
North Wales Times
. He reported all the main meetings of the
Vale of Clwyd
for over half a century and represented
Y Faner
on his own at the
national
eisteddfod
for many years. He attended the first meeting of the
Denbighshire county council
and was present at every meeting until his editorial duties tied him to his office. He acted for a long period as
interpreter at the assizes and the quarter sessions
. He was the
Vale of Clwyd correspondent
for the
Liverpool Daily Post
,
Liverpool Echo
, and the
Manchester Guardian
, for over fifty years. He m.
Margaret
Evans
of
Henllan
in
1864
, and they had seven children. He d.
22 April 1942
in
Denbigh
, as the result of an
accident
.
Author:
Mrs. Katherine Williams (‘Kate Roberts’), D.Litt.,
(1891-1985), Denbigh
