William Evans (divine)
William Evans (d. abt 1719), was a Welsh Presbyterian minister. In 1707, Evans published The Principles of the Christian Religion, which would later be adapted for use teaching adult baptism.[1] While he was pastor at Carmarthen, Evans ran the Carmarthen Academy,[2] teaching divinity students at a collegiate level.[1]
Biography
Evans was educated at the Ystrad Walter College, while the Rev. Rees Prytherch was president of the school.[1][3]
Evans was ordained at Pencader, in 1688[3] and was the pastor there for fifteen years.[1] In 1703, he moved to Carmarthen to become pastor of the presbyterian congregation. He also taught divinity students.[2][1]
In 1707, Evans publishedThe Principles of the Christian Religion in Welsh, which was based on Westminster Assembly's catechism.[1][2] In 1714, he published, and wrote a preface for, Gemmeu Doethineb ("Gems of Wisdom"), a work by his former tutor Rees Prytherch.[1] In 1717, he wrote the preface for Iago ab Dewi's (James Davies') translation of Matthew Henry's Catechism.[1][2]
Evans had numerous patrons. One was Dr. Daniel Williams who bequeathed a sum of money for his work, which was available to Evans' successors.[1]
He retired about 1718.[1]
Death and legacy
Evans died from about 1718[2] to 1720.[1]
He has been called the "founder of the Welsh Academy", apparently because he was the first to teach divinity students at a collegiate level.[1] In 1757, Abel Morgan re-published Evans's Principles of the Christian Religion, which Morgan had adapted for use teaching adult baptism.[1]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Jones, R.M.J. (1889). . Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 18. pp. 75–76.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Richards, Thomas. "EVANS, WILLIAM (died 1718), Dissenting minister and academy tutor | Dictionary of Welsh Biography". biography.wales. Retrieved 28 March 2026.
- 1 2 "The English-Welsh Dictionary of 1771". The Welshman. Carmarthen, Wales. 23 June 1916. p. 3. Retrieved 29 March 2026 – via newspapers.com.
There was another William Evans, a scholar and a student, under Rhys Prydderch at Ystrad Walter, who was ordained at Pencadair in 1688, and probably one of the four who translated "Taith y Pererin," for Stephen Hughes in the preface to that book mentions "Gwro Benkader," who also translated "Egwyddorion y Grefydd Gristionogol" in 1707.
Bibliography
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Jones, R.M.J. (1889). "Evans, William (d.1720?)". In Stephen, Leslie (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 18. London: Smith, Elder & Co. pp. 75–76.
- 1720 deaths
- 17th-century births
- 18th-century Welsh clergy
- 18th-century British Christian theologians
- Welsh-language writers
- Welsh Presbyterians
- 18th-century British Presbyterian ministers
- 18th-century Welsh writers
- 18th-century Welsh male writers
- 17th-century Welsh writers
- Welsh male non-fiction writers
- 18th-century Welsh theologians