John Evans, D.D., was born at Wrexham, in Denbighshire, in 1680. He was an eminent Dissenting divine, and graduated both at Edinburgh and Aberdeen; he was the author of several most excellent sermons on the Christian Temper, which have been admired by divines of every denomination. He for some years was the minister of the congregation of Independents in Petty France, having succeeded Dr. Williams; he was also lecturer for some time at Saddlers’ Hall; and he died of dropsy in 1732.
John Evans, D.D., was born in Llanarmon, Denbighshire. He received his education at Jesus College, Oxford, where he proceeded through his degrees. Having taken orders, he obtained the living of Llanaelhaiarn, in Carnarvonshire, and in 1701 he was promoted to the bishopric of Bangor, and he was translated thence to the bishopric of Meath, in Ireland, in 1715.
Evan Evans, an eminent divine and poet, better known among his countrymen by the bardic appellation of Ienan Brydydd Hir, was born at Cynhawdrev in Cardiganshire, in the year 1730. He received his education at the grammar school of Ystrad-meurug in the same county, whence he removed to Oxford, and was entered at Merton College in 1751. After leaving college he officiated as curate at several places; and applied himself with great diligence to the cultivation of Welsh literature, and employed his leisure time in transcribing ancient manuscripts; for which purpose he visited most of the libraries in Wales, where manuscripts were known to exist. In the pursuit of his literary labours he for some time enjoyed the patronage of Sir Watkin W. Wynne, and Dr. Warren, Bishop of Bangor. He received an annuity of 20l. from Paul Panton, Esq., of Plasgwyn, in Anglesea, on condition that all his manuscripts should on his death become his property; and in consequence, the whole collection, amounting to a hundred volumes, was deposited in Plasgwyn Library, where they still remain. He published two volumes of Welsh sermons, and was the author of an English poem, entitled the “Love of our Country;” but his chief work which ranked him high as an antiquary and critic, was a volume of Welsh poems with Latin translations, prefaced by a learned “Dissertatio de Bardis.” The Welsh poems in this volume furnished Gray with matter for some of his most beautiful poetry. Mr. Evans was a man of excellent disposition, and great abilities as a Welsh scholar, but for some reason he never obtained any preferment in the church. He served in succession the curacies of Towyn in Meirion, Llanberis, and Llanllechid in Caernarvonshire. He died suddenly at the place of his birth, in August, 1789.
Richard Fenton, well known as the author of a “Historical Tour through Pembrokeshire;” was born in Wales, and was for several years an eminent member of the Welsh bar. He was also author of other works which were published anonymously, of which “A Tour in search of Genealogy,” and “The Memoirs of an Old Wig,” were highly esteemed as works of great interest, and abounding in wit and anecdote. He was a particular friend of Garrick, Goldsmith, Glover, and other great wits of the day. He translated also the works of Athenæus, which were never published. He died at an advanced age in November, 1821.
John Gambold was born at Haverfordwest about the year 1706. He received a liberal education, and was entered at Christ Church, Oxford, where he took his degree of Master of Arts in 1734. He was presented to the living of Stanton Harcourt by Archbishop Secker in 1738, which he resigned ten years after, from motives of conscience, having become a convert to the opinions of Zinzerdorf, an account of whose life and character he published. He was appointed by the Moravians one of their bishops, of whom he had become a distinguished member in 1754. While at Oxford, he was the author of a “Sacred Drama,” which was published in 1740, on the subject of the martyrdom of Saint Ignatius; and he superintended an edition of the Greek Testament at the Clarendon press; he translated also a History of Greenland from the Dutch, besides several sermons and other productions. He was a man of blameless morals, deep erudition, and sincere piety; and he was greatly beloved for the amiableness of his manners. He died at Haverfordwest in 1771. He was author of a “Welsh Grammar,” and an able critic in the language.
William Glynn, D.D., was born in 1504, at Malltraeth in Anglesea, and educated at Cambridge, where he became Master of Queen’s College. In 1549, he was presented to the living of St. Martin’s-le-grand, London; and in 1551 he was made rector of his native parish of Heneglwys, and in 1555 he was promoted to the episcopal see of Bangor, where he died in 1558, in the fifty-fourth year of his age. Fuller, in his Worthies of Wales, gives a high character of this excellent bishop; and he was a man of great natural abilities and learning, and strictly attentive to the duties of his high station.
Edmund Griffith, D.D., was a native of Lleyn in Caernarvonshire, where he was born in 1570. He was educated at Brazen-nose College, Oxford, whence he removed to Jesus College, where he graduated. In 1599, he obtained the rectory of Llandwrog, and the following year he was made canon of Bangor; and after other preferments he was made dean of the same diocese in 1613, and he was promoted to the bishopric in 1633. His death took place in the year 1637.
Elizabeth Griffith, who has distinguished herself in the literary world by several productions, was a native of Wales; she married an Irish gentleman of the name of Richard Griffith, and little is known of her except her works. She first published “Letters of Henry and Frances,” which is supposed to contain the genuine correspondence of herself and her husband before, and for some time after their marriage. She was the author of several dramas, novels, and several other productions, which obtained various success. She died in 1793.
George Griffith, D.D., was born at Penrhyn, Caernarvonshire, in 1601. He was educated at Westminster School, from whence he was elected student of Christ Church, Oxford, in 1619, where he became an eminent tutor and preacher. He was appointed chaplain to Bishop John Owens, and was by him presented to the rectory of Llanvechain, Montgomeryshire, which he subsequently left for Llanymynech, and he also had the rectory of Llandrinio. In 1631, he was made a canon of St. Asaph. On the commencement of the civil war, he lost his preferment on account of his attachment to the royal cause, to which he rendered good service; but on the Restoration he was rewarded, and raised to the bishopric of St. Asaph. In a convocation of the clergy in 1662, he was an active member in drawing up the Act of Uniformity, and making several alterations in the Liturgy; and he is supposed to have written the form for the baptism of those of riper years. He was also author of some Plain Discourses on the Lord’s Supper. He died in 1666.
John Gwillim was born of an ancient Welsh family in Herefordshire, in 1565. He was educated at Brazen-nose College, Oxford, and became a member of the Herald’s College, London, in which he obtained the appointment of Rouge Croix Pursuivant, in 1617, which was owing to the appearance of his famous work, the “Display of Heraldry,” which first appeared in 1610, and has since gone through several other editions. His death took place in 1621.