Background
Evans was born at Llanybydder in Carmarthenshire.
Evans was born at Llanybydder in Carmarthenshire.
He was apprenticed to a grocer, but returned to school, one of his teachers being William Thomas (Gwilym Marles). He studied theology and became a Unitarian minister, but gave up his pastorate because of ill-health.
He began to take an interest in ancient Welsh manuscripts, and set up his own printing press in Pwllheli to create facsimiles of major Welsh medieval manuscripts, such as the books of Aneirin and Taliesin. In 1880 he moved to Oxford, where he spent most of the rest of his life. From 1894 to 1920, Evans was employed by the Historical Manuscripts Commission, producing a major Report on Manuscripts in the Welsh Language.
In 1905 he facilitated the purchase of the Peniarth manuscript collection from Sir John Williams.
Since 1909, this has been lodged in the National Library of Wales at Aberystwyth. Evans retired to Llanbedrog in Caernarfonshire, where he ran his own printing press as a hobby.
He campaigned for a secure library for Wales. Valuable books were in danger of destruction by fire, damp and vermin.
His connection with Sir John Williams was important in the history of the establishment of the National Library.
After the publication of the first volume in the Series of Old Welsh Texts in 1887, Evans was awarded the degree of Master of Arts honoris causa by the University of Oxford. In May 1901 he received the degree Doctorate.Litt honoris causa from the same university.
