in the university,’ published ‘Verba Dierum; or, the Dayes Report of God's glory. … Foure Sermons [on Ps. xix. 2],’ 4to, Oxford, 1615. In that year he does not appear to have been beneficed. Wood has wrongly ascribed the authorship of these sermons to another Edward Evans, who was born and educated at Llanrwst, Denbighshire, entered Christ Church, Oxford, in 1598 when aged 16, and graduated B.A. 15 Feb. 1603, M.A. 13 March 1606.
[Manuscript notes by P. Bliss in a copy of Verba Dierum in the British Museum; Wood's Athenæ Oxon. (Bliss), ii. 168; Wood's Fasti Oxon. (Bliss), i. 299, 317.]
EVANS, EDWARD (1716–1798), Welsh poet, was a ‘bard according to the rites and ceremonies of the bards of Britain,’ and his pedigree is traced in one unbroken line to the ancient Druids (Jones, Hist. of Wales, pp. 224–6). He was pastor at the Old Meeting House, Aberdare, from 1772 to 1798, and is said to have ‘devoted his time faithfully to his religious duties, to the satisfaction of a large number of people, who attended from the country from a distance of many miles.’ He published:
- A Welsh translation of S. Bourne's ‘Catechism,’ 1757.
- ‘Book of Ecclesiastes done into Verse by E. E. and Lewis Hopkin,’ Bristol, 1767.
- ‘An Address delivered before the Association of Ministers at Dref Wen, near Newcastle Emlyn, with two Hymns,’ 1775.
His poetical works were collected and edited by his son, Rees Evans (1778–1869), 1st edition, Merthyr, 1804; 2nd, Merthyr, 1816; 3rd, Merthyr, 1837; 4th, Aberdare, 1875. He died 21 June 1798, the day on which he had arranged to meet the other bards of the Chair of Glamorgan.
[Church Records of the Meeting House, Aberdare; Jones's Geiriadur Bywgraffyddol, i. 340; Yr Ymofynydd, 1854, p. 58.]
EVANS, EDWARD (1789–1835), printseller, was born in 1789, and was for some time a compositor in the printing-office of Messrs. Nichols & Son, then of Red Lion Passage, Fleet Street, by whom he was advanced to the post of reader. Having saved money he opened a print shop, and gradually accumulated an extensive stock. He is known for his ‘Catalogue of a Collection of Engraved Portraits, comprising nearly 20,000 Portraits of Persons connected with this Country,’ n. d., 8vo, published at Great Queen Street, Lincoln's Inn Fields, where he died 24 Nov. 1835, aged 46. His widow, Anne E. Evans, and son, Edward David, brought out a second volume in 1853 at No. 403 Strand, whither the business was removed in that year. The two volumes profess to describe about fifty thousand prints, and form a most useful guide to English engraved portraits.
His eldest son, Edward David Evans (1818–1860), mentioned above, carried on the shop in the Strand until his death there on 15 Aug. 1860, aged 42. He was succeeded by his brother and partner, Albert.
[Gent. Mag. December 1835, new ser. iv. 663, October 1860, 3rd ser. ix. 434.]
EVANS, EVAN (1731–1789), Welsh poet and antiquary, son of Jenkin Evans, was born at Cynhawdref, in the parish of Lledrod, Cardiganshire, on 20 May 1731. He received his education at the grammar school of Ystrad Meurig, under the scholar and poet, Edward Richard. Thence he removed to Oxford, and was entered at Merton College in 1751. He conveyed a small freehold in Cardiganshire to his younger brother for 100l., in order to support himself at the university. After leaving Oxford without taking a degree he officiated as curate at Newick, Sussex, at Towyn, Merionethshire, at Llanberis and Llanllechid, Carnarvonshire, and at Llanvair Talhaiarn, Denbighshire. From an early age he cultivated poetry, and he was soon noticed by Lewis Morris the antiquary. He diligently applied himself to the study of Welsh literature, and employed his leisure time in transcribing ancient Welsh manuscripts, for which purpose he visited most of the libraries in Wales. At one time he received small annuities from Sir Watkin Williams Wynn and Dr. Warren, when bishop of St. David's, to enable him to prosecute these researches. His first publication was entitled ‘Some Specimens of the Poetry of the Antient Welsh Bards, translated into English; with explanatory notes on the historical passages, and a short account of men and places mentioned by the Bards; in order to give the curious some idea of the tastes and sentiments of our Ancestors, and their manner of writing,’ London, 1764, 4to, reprinted at Llanidloes [1862], 8vo. This work gained for its author a high reputation as an antiquary and a critic, and furnished Gray with matter for some of his most beautiful poetry. In it is included a Latin treatise by Evans, ‘De Bardis Dissertatio; in qua nonnulla quæ ad eorum antiquitatem et munus respiciunt, et ad præcipuos qui in Cambria floruerunt, breviter discutiuntur.’ He next published an English poem, now of extreme rarity, entitled ‘The Love of our Country, a poem, with historical notes, address'd to Sir Watkin Williams Wynn. … By a Curate from Snowdon,’ Carmarthen, 1772, 8vo. He also composed various poems in Welsh, which are printed in the ‘Dyddanwch Teuluaidd.’ In 1776 he
