Jonah Evans, Gwauncaegurwen

Disgrifiad

Evans, Jonah (c1856 - 1926) Jonah
Evans wrote the book Hen Gymeriadau - Cwmgors a'r Waun o'r flwyddyn 1840 [Old Characters of Cwmgors and Gwaun cae gurwen from the year 1840] in 1907.
The book was indexed and translated by Jenni Hyatt in 1999 and can be viewed on the above Genuki page.
Apart from being immensely grateful to him for contributing such an invaluable resource for local family historians I realised I knew nothing else about him, so I did some research. My first port of call was the 'other' local history book by L C Huws - Annibynwyr Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen, written in 1942, and here are some references from the translation which will help to place Jonah Evans in the area's history. .......Jonah Evans [who was the treasurer of Carmel Chapel for many years] (p16) In the year 1902, the following were elected to join the existing deacons; .........Jonah Evans, Dyffryn Clwyd (p55) ...........and by 1898 we have the names of four secretaries, namely..................... The following year we have six names, to augment the above four, Jonah Evans and W S Jones. The explanation for this is that the church had split into areas and made one secretary responsible for looking after the accounts of each area.(p57) Jonah Evans was elected as treasurer of Carmel. He was a capable man beyond the ordinary, taking an interest in literature and poetry, and a brave leader in social matters. He wrote the History of Carmel, and a book on Old Characters of Cwmgors and the Waun. He was a deacon since 1902. Jonah Evans died at the beginning of 1926,....(p59)
I'm assuming that the Dyffryn Clwyd in the first reference above is the abode detailed on the 1871 census, not far from the Caegurwen Arms - a Thomas Morgan and family were living there then. And in 1891 a Henry Bigby and family/lodgers were there. According to FreeBMD a Jonah Evans died in the March Quarter of 1926 in the Pontardawe Registration District, he was aged 70 which implies he was born c 1856. A search of the 1911 census finds Jonah Evans and family living at Dyffryn Clwyd, GCG and these are the details as transcribed
EVANS, JONAH HEAD MARRIED M 56 MINER HEWER GLAMMORGANSHIRE LLANGUICKE EVANS, AIYHANAH [see below] WIFE MARRIED 27 [years married] F 48 GLAMMORGANSHIRE LLANGUICKE EVANS, EVAN SON SINGLE M 27 MINER HEWER GLAMMORGANSHIRE LLANGUICKE EVANS, CAMBE SON MARRIED M 23 MINER HEWER GLAMMORGANSHIRE LLANGUICKE EVANS, GWENIE DAUGHTER SINGLE F 15 DOMESTIC GLAMMORGANSHIRE LLANGUICKE EVANS, MINNIE DAUGHTER SINGLE F 12 SCHOOL GLAMMORGANSHIRE LLANGUICKE EVANS, CATHRINE DAUGHTER SINGLE F 7 SCHOOL GLAMMORGANSHIRE LLANGUICKE EVANS, WILLIAM JOHN SON SINGLE M 9 SCHOOL GLAMMORGANSHIRE LLANGUICKE EVANS, ASQUITH SON SINGLE M 3 GLAMMORGANSHIRE LLANGUICKE
So, from the above we now also know that Jonah was born in Llangiwg parish, as were all his largefamily, he was a coal face worker, he married his wifein 1883/4 A further search of FreeBMD finds a Jonah Evans married Angharad Thomasin the Dec Quarter 1883 in Pontardawe Registration District. (4/11) I am contacted by Billo Jenkins (formerly of Twyn yr Efail) who tells me "My maternal grandfather was William Thomas, known to all and sundry as"Billy Derwydd", who lived all his married life in Twyn yr Efail. One of his sisters, Angharad, was married to Jonah Evans and they had 8 children viz .Evan, Camber, Christmas (who died in infancy), Gwenny, Minnie, Cathrine,William John, and Asquith." The photographs that follow were contributed by Leigh Jones (August 2011) Jonah Evans is Leigh's great grandfather and his daughter Catherine Evans is Leigh's grandmother Jonah Evans Jonah and Angharad Evans, GCG Jonah Evans & family head stone, GCG GCG Girls Hockey team Catherine Mafanwy Jones, nee Evans & daughter of Jonah, seated centre Old Carmel chapel reopening in 1927 Angharad Evans (wife of Jonah) front right.
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• http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~cwmgors/history/Waun.html (link opens in new window)