Facsimile & Text of the Book of Taliesin; 2

by John Gwenogvryn Evans (Creator)

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. To ensure a quality reading experience, this work has been proofread and republished using a format that seamlessly blends the original graphical elements with text in an easy-to-read typeface. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

242 pages, Hardcover

First published August 12, 2015

About the author

Reverend John Gwenogvryn Evans was a Welsh palaeographic expert.

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 and his wife Edith are both buried there.

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 MA honoris causa by the University of Oxford. In May 1901 he received the degree D.Litt honoris causa from the same university.