George Eyre Evans Collection,

Papers collected by George Eyre Evans, 1565-1939, comprising deeds and documents relating to properties in the parishes of Llangynog, Llansteffan and Llanybri, 1565-[1848], 1938; other Welsh properties, 1565-1909; papers relating to the county of Devon, 1693-1939, including deeds, correspondence and papers relating to the Powell and Evans family; together with miscellaneous papers, 1757-1939, including papers relating to antiquarian matters, correspondence and deeds.

George Eyre Evans (1857-1939), Unitarian minister, historian and antiquary, was born in Colyton, Devon, on 8 September 1857, the son of the Rev. David Lewis Evans and his wife Ophelia (née Powell). He moved to Carmarthen in 1864 when his father became a tutor at Carmarthen College. He was educated at Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Carmarthen, Gwilym Marles's academy in Llandysul and Liverpool University. He became a Unitarian minister like his father, served as minister of the Church of the Saviour at Whitchurch, Shropshire, 1889-1897, and later devoted many years to unpaid service at the Unitarian chapel in Aberystwyth. For eighteen years he was a researcher for the Royal Commission on Ancient Monuments in Wales and Monmouthshire. He was a member of the Cambrian Archaeological Society from 1903 and was the secretary of the Carmarthenshire Antiquarian Society from its formation in 1906 until his death. He was elected to the Court of Governors of UCW Aberystwyth in 1919, and to the Councils of the National Museum of Wales in 1921 and the National Library of Wales in 1924. He lived in Aberystwyth from 1898-1928, then returned to Carmarthen, where he died on 9 November 1939. He published many books on historical, antiquarian and religious subjects, including a History of Renshaw Street Chapel, Liverpool (London, 1887), Whitchurch of Long Ago (Oswestry, 1893), Vestiges of Protestant Dissent (Liverpool, 1897), Colytonia (Liverpool, 1898), Cardiganshire, a Personal Survey (Aberystwyth, 1903), Lampeter (Aberystwyth, 1905) and Lloyd Letters (Aberystwyth, 1908). He also published a private magazine entitled Antiquarian Notes from 1898 until at least 1905. On his death he left a number of unpublished works still in manuscript.

George Eyre Evans (1857-1939) was an antiquarian and historian of Welsh Unitarianism. The son of the Rev. David Lewis Evans (1813-1902), minister of the Church of the Saviour at Whitchurch, Shropshire, he was born at Colyton, Devon. He became minister of the Church of the Saviour, Whitchurch and also worked hard for the Unitarian Chapel in Aberystwyth. For eighteen years he carried out research for the Royal Commission on Ancient Monuments in Wales and Monmouthshire, and was also secretary for the Carmarthenshire Antiquarian Society for thirty three years. He published a number of books in English and also a private magazine, Antiquarian Notes, from 1898 until 1905.

Arranged in the following groups: documents relating to properties in the parishes of Llangunnock, Llanstephan and Llanybri, Carmarthenshire; documents relating to other Welsh properties; documents relating to Devon; miscellaneous papers.

Readers consulting modern papers in the National Library of Wales are required to sign the 'Modern papers - data protection' form.

Received from George Eyre Evans, c. 1934.

George Eyre Evans (1857-1939), Unitarian minister, historian and antiquary, was born in Colyton, Devon, on 8 September 1857, the son of the Rev. David Lewis Evans and his wife Ophelia (née Powell). He moved to Carmarthen in 1864 when his father became a tutor at Carmarthen College. He was educated at Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Carmarthen, Gwilym Marles's academy in Llandysul and Liverpool University. He became a Unitarian minister like his father, served as minister of the Church of the Saviour at Whitchurch, Shropshire, 1889-1897, and later devoted many years to unpaid service at the Unitarian chapel in Aberystwyth. For eighteen years he was a researcher for the Royal Commission on Ancient Monuments in Wales and Monmouthshire. He was a member of the Cambrian Archaeological Society from 1903 and was the secretary of the Carmarthenshire Antiquarian Society from its formation in 1906 until his death. He was elected to the Court of Governors of UCW Aberystwyth in 1919, and to the Councils of the National Museum of Wales in 1921 and the National Library of Wales in 1924. He lived in Aberystwyth from 1898-1928, then returned to Carmarthen, where he died on 9 November 1939. He published many books on historical, antiquarian and religious subjects, including a History of Renshaw Street Chapel, Liverpool (London, 1887), Whitchurch of Long Ago (Oswestry, 1893), Vestiges of Protestant Dissent (Liverpool, 1897), Colytonia (Liverpool, 1898), Cardiganshire, a Personal Survey (Aberystwyth, 1903), Lampeter (Aberystwyth, 1905) and Lloyd Letters (Aberystwyth, 1908). He also published a private magazine entitled Antiquarian Notes from 1898 until at least 1905. On his death he left a number of unpublished works still in manuscript.

George Eyre Evans (1857-1939) was an antiquarian and historian of Welsh Unitarianism. The son of the Rev. David Lewis Evans (1813-1902), minister of the Church of the Saviour at Whitchurch, Shropshire, he was born at Colyton, Devon. He became minister of the Church of the Saviour, Whitchurch and also worked hard for the Unitarian Chapel in Aberystwyth. For eighteen years he carried out research for the Royal Commission on Ancient Monuments in Wales and Monmouthshire, and was also secretary for the Carmarthenshire Antiquarian Society for thirty three years. He published a number of books in English and also a private magazine, Antiquarian Notes, from 1898 until 1905.

Title supplied from contents of fonds. The papers pre-date the life of George Eyre Evans.

A hard copy of the catalogue is available at the National Library of Wales. The catalogue can be accessed online.

February 2003.

Compiled by Annette Strauch for the ANW Project. The following sources were used in the compilation of this description: NLW, Schedule of George Eyre Evans Collection, 1971; Dictionary of Welsh Biography down to 1940 (London, 1959);

Usual copyright laws apply.

Action: All records have been retained.

Accruals are not expected.

Further papers collected by George Eyre Evans are NLW MSS 4280-4300, 7945-7984, 13271-13686 and 14631-14639; maps, prints etc. Family and school photographs were transferred to NLW, Special Collections; printed books were transferred to NLW, Bibliographic Data department.

Published

Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru = The National Library of Wales