EVANS
(née
FRANCIS
),
MARY JANE
(‘
Llaethferch
’;
1888
-
1922
),
elocutionist
;
b.
3 Feb. 1888
, in a house at
Reed Row
,
Godre'r Graig
,
Swansea Valley
, the daughter of
Charles
Francis
,
conductor
of
Ystalyfera Band
, and his wife,
Mary Ann
Hutchings
. Both
Charles
Francis
and his father,
George
Francis
, who came to
Ystalyfera
from the
Caerleon
district, Mon., were able
musicians
. The parents of
Thomas
Hutchings
,
Mary Ann
's father and also a
musician
, came from
Bristol
to
run a school
in
Swansea
; after the father's death, the mother took charge of the
‘College' School
near
Ystradgynlais
. After travelling in many countries,
Thomas
Hutchings
moved to
Ystalyfera
where he
worked in the tinplate works
. Through her mother, his wife was also from a musical family, the
Anthony
s
of
Cwmaman
.
Hutchings
and his wife both worked, as children,
in the tinplate works
. When
Mary Jane
was five years old, her family moved to live with her mother's parents at
Cwmtawe Villa
where they
kept a few cows
and
sold milk
. The little girl
carried two pitchers of milk to customers
on her way to
Panteg School
because, at this time, her father worked at the
Ynysmeudwy tinplate works
. For this reason, she later took the name, ‘
Llaethferch
’ (
Milkmaid
). Despite a musical education given by local teachers, she showed little inclination for playing a musical instrument.
William Asaph
Williams
gave her singing lessons but this again did not interest her because of her great love was
reading and literature
. She
took part in recitation competitions
and also participated in the quarterly meetings of the
Sunday schools
in the
Panteg
area. During the
Revival
of
1904-05
, she was received as a member of
Panteg Congregational church
; she was among those members released in
1905
to establish a church in
Godre'r Graig
. On the initiative of her
minister
,
Ben
Davies
(
1864
-
1937
;
DWB
, 110)
, she took lessons in recitation with
David Thomas
Jones
.
Mary Jane
now began to
recite at literary meetings and at
eisteddfodau
; she became famous as ‘
Llaethferch
’ and won many chairs and cups. In
April 1909
, she entered the
Old College School
,
Carmarthen
run by
Joseph
Harry
(see above
); in order to meet the fees, her family sold the cows. She was placed in a class of talented students and a special course on literature was arranged for her.
Mary Jane
preached
for the first time at
Godre'r Graig
on
8 July 1909
; she usually included a recitation with the sermon. In
1912
, she took an examination in elocution and obtained the grade of
A.E.V.C.M.
at the
Victoria College of Music
. For a time, she taught at
Tro'rglien School
,
Cwmtwrch
, and attended the
Royal Academy of Music
in
London
for two terms in order to perfect her
English
, but lack of money cut this course short in
Jan. 1916
. She discovered an
interest in drama
and
formed a drama company
at
Ynysmeudwy
. She performed with
Gunstone
Jones
and
Gwernydd
Morgan
and also performed with her own company in
Gruffydd o'r Glyn
by
Alarch Ogwy
. Her
delight in recitation competitions
hindered her from rehearsing with the company. She turned to
presenting dramatic recitations
on her own or with a soloist so that she could obtain a respite and the audience given some variety. These recitations were very popular both in
Wales
and in parts of
England
between
1918 and 1922
. The programmes contained rich and varied material both in
English
and
Welsh
. Her most popular piece in
Welsh
was ‘
Cadair Tregaron
’ by
J.J.
Williams
(see above
). In
1921
, her writing paper described
Mary Jane
Evans
as the winner of a crown, 11 cups, 68 chairs and 396 other prizes at
eisteddfodau
. She achieved little success as a
reciter
at the
National
Eisteddfod
; she was given an award at
Swansea
in
1907
and acted as an
adjudicator
at
Barry
in
1920
and
Corwen
in
1921
. She considered extending her tours to
London
,
America
and
Japan
but four years of performing throughout
Wales
proved too much for a constitution which was not strong.
Mary Jane
Evans
d. on
25 Feb. 1922
at her home in
School Street
,
Maerdy
,
Rhondda
. Her body was carried to her parents’ home at
Wigfa
near
Ynysmeudwy
on the following Thursday and she was buried in the graveyard at
Godre'r Graig
on
Saturday, 4 Mar.
For a period of less than four years, she appeared like a shooting star over the halls and chapels of
Wales
where she delighted many audiences and became, for that short period, the most famous woman in
Wales
.
Without telling her parents, she m.
William David
Evans
on
5 Mar. 1919
; he was a
teacher
in the
Maerdy elementary school
and had been discharged from the
Army
, suffering from the effects of poison gas at
Ypres
. A
penillion
singer to the accompaniment of the harp
, he won prizes at the
National
Eisteddfod
. He was the
conductor
of the
Maerdy United Choir
.
Sources:
-
Ben Davies
(ed.),
Llaethferch. Er Cof
(Ystalyfera,
1923)
,
1923
.
Author:
Evan David Jones, F.S.A., (1903-87), Aberystwyth
