JENKINS
,
EVAN
(
1895
-
1959
),
poet
;
b.
2 May 1895
, youngest of the 8 children of
Thomas
and
Margaret
Jenkins
,
Tynewydd
,
Ffair-rhos, Cards.
His father was a
miner
who
worked in the local lead mines
, and
farmed his smallholding
in his spare time.
Evan
went to
Pontrhydfendigaid elementary school
in
1901
, and to
Tregaron county school
in
Oct. 1909
, but when he left is not recorded. He failed to pass the medical examination for military service
during
World War I
but apparently
worked in a munitions factory
. In
1919
he went to the
University College
,
Aberystwyth
and graduated
B.A.
in
1921
. It is said in
Cofiant Idwal Jones
(
DWB
, 506-7)
, by
D. Gwenallt
Jones
(
D. James
Jones
‘
Gwenallt
’ see below
), that he and
Philip Beddoe
Jones
, composed
cywyddau
in a poetic contention when they were students of
T. Gwynn
Jones
(see below)
. He taught for a period in
Taliesin
and
Llanfihangel-y-Creuddyn
schools. Being of poor health he left the
teaching
profession and in
1924
he became
secretary
to the
Union of Cardiganshire Friendly Societies
, a post which he held until
1948
.
He was primarily responsible for encouraging the work of
poets
in the
Ffair-rhos
district and was a
member of the Cardiganshire team in bardic contests
. He won the
South Wales bardic chair
at
Treorci
on two occasions, the
crown
at the
Anglesey
eisteddfod
, and prizes for lyrics, an
englyn
, a sonnet and a
cywydd
at
national
eisteddfodau
. When the last of his sisters left the old home he moved to live with her and her husband at
Ffynnon Fawr
. About a year before his death he moved to live with his two sisters at
Minawel
, where he d.
2 Nov. 1959
. He was buried in his brother
John
's grave in
Strata Florida
. His prize-winning collection of lyrics was included in the
Cardiff national
eisteddfod
volume of adjudications and winning poetry,
1938
, 108-18. A selection of his poems was selected and edited by
T. Llew
Jones
under the title
Cerddi Ffair Rhos
(
1959
).
Author:
Dafydd Jones (1907-91), Ffair-rhos, Tregaron
