George Eyre Evans

Reverend George Eyre Evans (8 September 1857 – 9 November 1939) was an antiquarian and Unitarian minister from Wales.

Early life

Evans was born in 1857 in Colyton, Devon, the son of Rev. David Lewis Evans (1813–1902) and Ophelia Catherine Powell (1823–1866). He moved to Carmarthen in 1864.

Evan received his schooling at Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, William Thomas' school in Llandysul and Liverpool University.

In 1910, he was appointed the Inspecting Officer of the Royal Commission on Ancient Monuments.

He published a number of history books, including Vestiges of Protestant Dissent (1897), and also left many unpublished manuscripts.

He became a governor of UCW Aberystwyth in 1919 and was elected to the council of the National Museum of Wales in 1921 and the council of the National Library of Wales in 1924.

Minister Evans was the minister at Whitchurch between 1889 and 1897 and then at the Unitarian Chapel, Aberystwyth between 1898 and 1928.

Personal life He joined the Boy Scouts and became County Scout Commissioner for Carmarthenshire. In 1928, he became Deputy Scout Commissioner for Wales.

In 1937, he was made a Freeman of the Borough of Carmarthen.

Death

Evans died in Carmarthen on 9 November 1939 at the age of 82. His ashes were scattered at Allt-y-blaca graveyard.

Legacy

George Eyre Evans' papers were donated to the National Library of Wales.

The Carmarthenshire Antiquarian Society mounted a blue plaque in honour of George Eyre Evans on the building at 5 Quay Street in Carmarthen where he founded and worked in a museum.