REES
,
EVAN
(
Dyfed
;
1850
-
1923
),
Calvinistic Methodist minister, poet, and archdruid of Wales
;
b.
1 Jan. 1850
at
Puncheston, Pembs.
; son of
James
and
Eunice
Rees
. He removed with his parents to
Aberdare
when but a child and was employed when 8 years of age at
Blaen-gwawr colliery
. He removed to
Cardiff
when 23 years of age, and entered the ministry at
Scion C.M. church
(afterwards
Pembroke Terrace
),
Cardiff
. He succeeded as a
poet
early in life, and was successful in provincial and national eisteddfodau, e.g.
Merthyr Tydfil national eisteddfod
,
1881
, for an
awdl
on ‘
Cariad
’;
Liverpool
,
1884
, for an
awdl
on
Gwilym Hiraethog
;
Brecon
,
1889
, for an
awdl
on ‘
Y Beibl Cymraeg
’;
Merthyr Tydfil
,
1901
, for an awdl on ‘
Y Diwygiwr
’; and the
international eisteddfod at Chicago
,
1893
, for an
awdl
on ‘
Iesu o Nazareth
’. He was appointed
adjudicator at the national eisteddfod
every year during the last forty years of his life, and was
archdruid
for twenty-one years. He travelled extensively in
Europe
,
South Africa
, parts of
Asia
, and
North America
, and became renowned as a
lecturer
. He was editor of
Y Drysorfa
,
1918-23
. He published
Caniadau Dyfedfab
,
Gwaith Barddonol Dyfed
,
Gwlad yr Addewid a Iesu o Nazareth
,
Oriau gydag Islwyn
. He d.
19 March 1923
.
Jonathan
Rees
(q.v.)
was his brother.
Bibliography:
-
Y Goleuad
,
March 1923
;
-
Y Drysorfa
,
April 1923
;
- personal knowledge.
Author:
Rev. James Ednyfed Rhys, (1876-1960), Cardiff
