Evan Griffiths (18 January 1795 – 31 August 1873) was a Welsh clergyman, born near

Bridgend Bridgend (; or just , meaning "the end of the bridge on the Ogmore") is a town in the Bridgend County Borough of Wales, west of Cardiff and east of Swansea. The town is named after the Old Bridge, Bridgend, medieval bridge over the River Og ...

Glamorgan Glamorgan (), or sometimes Glamorganshire ( or ), was Historic counties of Wales, one of the thirteen counties of Wales that existed from 1536 until their abolishment in 1974. It is located in the South Wales, south of Wales. Originally an ea ...

. He translated various mostly theological works into Welsh and published a Welsh-English

dictionary A dictionary is a listing of lexemes from the lexicon of one or more specific languages, often arranged Alphabetical order, alphabetically (or by Semitic root, consonantal root for Semitic languages or radical-and-stroke sorting, radical an ...

in 1847.''The Century Cyclopaedia of Names'', coordinated by Benjamin E Smith and published by the De Vinne Press, New York 1894 (Page 461)

Life

A Welsh independent minister, Griffiths was at Gellibeblig, near Bridgend, Glamorganshire, the youngest of seven children. He was only three years old when his father died, leaving his family in poverty. His mother taught him at home. Griffiths became a member of the neighbouring independent church when he was thirteen, and at twenty-one was encouraged to preach. About this time he went for a year to a school kept by his own minister, and then to a college at Newport, Monmouthshire, kept by Dr. Jenkin Lewis. At the end of two years his tutor recommended him to Lady Barham as a suitable person to undertake the pastorate of two small churches in

Gower The Gower Peninsula (), or simply Gower (), is a peninsula in the south-west of Wales. It is the most westerly part of the historic county of Glamorgan, and is now within the City and County of Swansea. It projects towards the Bristol Channel ...

. After there successfully for two years he was ordained, 21 July 1824. In August 1828 Griffiths moved to

Swansea Swansea ( ; ) is a coastal City status in the United Kingdom, city and the List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, second-largest city of Wales. It forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area, officially known as the City and County of ...

to undertake a Welsh translation of

Matthew Henry Matthew Henry (18 October 166222 June 1714) was a British Nonconformist and Presbyterian minister and author who was born in Wales but spent much of his life in England. He is best known for the six-volume biblical commentary ''Exposition o ...

's ''Commentary''. Only a few numbers of the work appeared before the printer became bankrupt. Griffiths purchased the business and carried on as translator and printer till the work was finished. He also preached almost every Sunday. Griffiths died 31 August 1873.

Works

Altogether Griffiths published more than forty works, original or translated, including a ''Welsh-English Dictionary''. Abertavy, 1847. Besides Henry's ''Commentary'', he translated

Charles Grandison Finney Charles Grandison Finney (August 29, 1792 – August 16, 1875) was a controversial American Presbyterian minister and leader in the Second Great Awakening in the United States. He has been called the "Father of Old Christian revival, Revivalism ...

's ''Lectures'' (1839) and ''Sermons'' (1841),

Samuel Burder Samuel Burder (8 January 1772 – 21 November 1837) was an Anglican clergyman and writer on religious subjects. Life Burder was the son of William Burder and Mary James, and was related to George Burder. Brought up as a dissenter, he was minister ...

's ''Oriental Customs'',

Thomas Brooks Thomas, Thom, Tom, or Tommy Brooks may refer to: Politics and religion * Thomas Brooks (Puritan) (1608–1680), Puritan minister and author * Thomas Brooks, American minister after whom Brookfield, Connecticut, was named * Thomas Brooks, 1st Baron ...

's ''Mute Christian'',

John Angell James John Angell James (6 June 1785 – 1 October 1859), was an England, English Nonconformist (Protestantism), Nonconformist clergyman and writer. James was a typical Congregational church, Congregational preacher of the early 19th century, massive ...

's ''Church Member's Guide'',

Philip Doddridge Philip Doddridge D.D. (26 June 1702 – 26 October 1751) was an English Nonconformist (specifically, Congregationalist) minister, educator, and hymnwriter. Early life Philip Doddridge was born in London, the last of the twenty children ...

's ''Rise and Progress'', and other books.

References

;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Griffiths, Evan 1795 births 1873 deaths Welsh lexicographers 19th-century lexicographers People from Bridgend