I. D. Ffraid or John Evans (23 July 1814 – 4 March 1875) was a

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, of or about Wales * Welsh language, spoken in Wales * Welsh people, an ethnic group native to Wales Places * Welsh, Arkansas, U.S. * Welsh, Louisiana, U.S. * Welsh, Ohio, U.S. * Welsh Basin, during t ...

poet and

Calvinistic Reformed Christianity, also called Calvinism, is a major branch of Protestantism that began during the 16th-century Protestant Reformation. In the modern day, it is largely represented by the Continental Reformed Christian, Presbyterian, ...

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...

minister. He who was born at Ty Mawr, Llansantffraid Glan Conwy,

North Wales North Wales ( ) is a Regions of Wales, region of Wales, encompassing its northernmost areas. It borders mid Wales to the south, England to the east, and the Irish Sea to the north and west. The area is highly mountainous and rural, with Snowdon ...

, on 23 July 1814. At the age of sixteen he published a ''History of the Jews'' in the

Welsh language Welsh ( or ) is a Celtic languages, Celtic language of the Brittonic languages, Brittonic subgroup that is native to the Welsh people. Welsh is spoken natively in Wales by about 18% of the population, by some in England, and in (the Welsh c ...

, and at twenty-one he wrote ''Difyrwch Bechgyn Glanau Conwy'', a volume of poetry. Much of his later work was contributions of prose and verse to the periodical literature of the day. Ffraid was, for many years, a regular contributor of a racy letter to the ''Baner'', under the name of Adda Jones. A writer in the ''Gwyddoniadur'' (the Welsh Cyclopædia) says that many of the letters remind one of Addison's ''Essays'' in their liveliness, wit, and ingenious reasonings. He strikes his opponent till he groans, and at the same time tickles him till he laughs, and the reader is amused and instructed. He translated

Edward Young Edward Young ( – 5 April 1765) was an English poet, best remembered for ''Night-Thoughts'', a series of philosophical writings in blank verse, reflecting his state of mind following several bereavements. It was one of the most popular poem ...

's '' Night Thoughts'' and

John Milton John Milton (9 December 1608 – 8 November 1674) was an English poet, polemicist, and civil servant. His 1667 epic poem ''Paradise Lost'' was written in blank verse and included 12 books, written in a time of immense religious flux and politic ...

's ''

Paradise Lost ''Paradise Lost'' is an Epic poetry, epic poem in blank verse by the English poet John Milton (1608–1674). The poem concerns the Bible, biblical story of the fall of man: the temptation of Adam and Eve by the fallen angel Satan and their ex ...

''. It is on this last his reputation chiefly rests, and it has received high praise in Dr.

Lewis Edwards Lewis Edwards (27 October 1809 – 19 July 1887) was a Welsh educator and Nonconformist (Protestantism), Nonconformist minister. Life He was born in Pen-llwyn, Ceredigion, Wales, the eldest son of Lewis and Margaret Edward. He was educated a ...

's ''Traethodau Llenyddol''. Dr. W. O. Pughe had already translated ''Paradise Lost'' into Welsh, but the doctor's Welsh was so artificial that it was never much read. Evans died on 4 March 1876, and his remains were interred in the burying-ground of his native parish on 10 March.

References

* * 1814 births 1875 deaths Welsh poets 19th-century British poets People from Conwy County Borough {{UK-poet-stub