William Evans (lexicographer)

William Evans (d. circa 1776), was a Welsh minister and lexicographer.

Life

Evans came from Cefn-gwilli, Llanedi in Carmarthen and was educated at Carmarthen College under Dr. Jenkins, 1767–72. Early in 1776 he was a minister at Sherborne, but by March he had accepted a post at Moretonhampstead. He only spent seven weeks there, leaving on the 12 May due to ill health.^[1]

He was for some years pastor of the Presbyterian congregation at Sherborne, but removed, owing to declining health, to take charge of a congregation at Moreton Hampstead, Devonshire, in 1776, but was only able to retain it a few weeks, and probably died shortly after.

Works

His claim to noticability is his English-Welsh dictionary, compiled while he was a student and published in 1771. A second edition appeared in 1812. The Welsh bibliographer Daniel Silvan Evans found some merit in it.

References

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: "Evans, William (d.1776?)". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.