Mary Evans (, 1735–1789), known as Mari y fantell wen (Mary of the white cloak) was the leader of a short-lived religious sect in

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

whose followers held that she was married to

Christ Jesus ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Christianity, central figure of Christianity, the M ...

and would never die. The sect soon dissolved after her death.

Life

Mary Evans was born in 1735, possibly in

Ceredigion Ceredigion (), historically Cardiganshire (, ), is a Principal areas of Wales, county in the West Wales, west of Wales. It borders Gwynedd across the River Dyfi, Dyfi estuary to the north, Powys to the east, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire t ...

. She is thought to have come from

Anglesey Anglesey ( ; ) is an island off the north-west coast of Wales. It forms the bulk of the Principal areas of Wales, county known as the Isle of Anglesey, which also includes Holy Island, Anglesey, Holy Island () and some islets and Skerry, sker ...

Merionethshire Merionethshire, or Merioneth ( or '), was Historic counties of Wales, one of the thirteen counties of Wales that existed from 1536 until their abolishment in 1974. It was located in the North West Wales, north-west of Wales. Name 'Merioneth' is a ...

around 1780. According to some accounts she was a maidservant at the

Maentwrog Maentwrog () is a village and community in the Welsh county of Merionethshire (now part of Gwynedd), lying in the Vale of Ffestiniog just below Blaenau Ffestiniog, within the Snowdonia National Park. The River Dwyryd runs alongside the vil ...

rectory, while others say she lived in Breichiau in

Llandecwyn Llandecwyn () is a hamlet near Penrhyndeudraeth in Gwynedd, Wales. The bulk of the population (between 40 and 50 houses) is now located around Cilfor close to the A496 road and served by Llandecwyn railway station, with a cluster of under ten ho ...

parish, on the border with the

. She had left her husband and was living with another man. Eglwys Llanfihangel-y-traethau 376726

Mary claimed she was betrothed to Christ, and convinced many people of her tale. She wore a red mantle at the head of a long procession to a marriage festival in

Ffestiniog Ffestiniog (; ) is a community in Gwynedd, Wales, containing several villages, in particular the settlements of Llan Ffestiniog and Blaenau Ffestiniog. It has a population of 4,875. History Ffestiniog was a parish in Cantref Ardudwy; in 12 ...

church, followed by a marriage feast in a tavern in

. She received many bridal gifts. The sect became widespread around Ffestiniog,

Penmachno Penmachno is a village in the isolated upland Machno valley, south of Betws-y-Coed in the county of Conwy, North Wales. The B4406 road runs through part of the village. The village is at the confluence of the Glasgwm and Machno rivers. It ha ...

and

Harlech Harlech () is a seaside resort and community (Wales), community in Gwynedd, North Wales, and formerly in the Historic counties of Wales, historic county of Merionethshire. It lies on Tremadog Bay in the Snowdonia National Park. Before 1966, it ...

. The members seem to have been simple, good and harmless people. They may have numbered sixty or seventy, and met in houses and "on hill tops". Mary and her followers wore white mantles on Sundays, and held ceremonies on the mountains above Ffestiniog. Little is known for sure about their beliefs or practices. Mary died in

Talsarnau Talsarnau () is a village and community in the Ardudwy area of Gwynedd in Wales. Its population was 525 in 2001, and had increased to 550 at the 2011 Census. The village of Talsarnau is situated on the A496 coastal road between Maentwrog an ...

. She had said she would never die, so there was a long delay before her body was buried, but it was at last interred on 28 October 1789 in

Llanfihangel-y-traethau Llanfihangel-y-traethau ("St. Michael's on the Beaches") was a parish in Ardudwy, Gwynedd, north-west Wales centred on a church of the same name in the village of Ynys. The original parish church was built in the 12th century on a tidal island. La ...

churchyard. The parish constable insisted on the burial for reasons of hygiene.

Legacy

Mary's grave is still visible. Her tombstone is a roughly carved slab of slate. On its back a devotee has scratched her pseudonym ''Mari y Fantell Wen'' (Mary Whitemantle). Her tombstone gives her age as 54. Her followers kept scraps of her clothing as relics for some time, but the sect did not long survive her death. Although little is known about the

prophetess In religion, a prophet or prophetess is an individual who is regarded as being in contact with a divine being and is said to speak on behalf of that being, serving as an intermediary with humanity by delivering messages or teachings from the ...

, she was remembered in the area for several generations. Her life was recalled in children's stories. As late as the 1930s children were told to come inside before dark or Mari'r Fantell Wen would get them. The ''

Dictionary of Welsh Biography The ''Dictionary of Welsh Biography'' (DWB) (also ''The Dictionary of Welsh Biography Down to 1940'' and ''The Dictionary of Welsh Biography, 1941 to 1970'') is a biographical dictionary of Welsh people who have made a significant contribution to ...

'' has updated her description from "Evans, Mary, an impostor" to "EVANS, MARY (1735 - 1789), mystic, known in her day as 'Whitemantle' (y Fantell Wen)".

Notes

Sources

* * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Evans, Mary 1735 births 1789 deaths People from Anglesey Welsh Protestant religious leaders History of Gwynedd People from Maentwrog 18th-century Christian mystics 18th-century Welsh women People from Merionethshire