Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 18.djvu/63

 thick mass of pure white limestone into several zones, and to correlate these zones with those which had already been established by continental geologists.

Altogether Evans was the author of eleven papers on geological subjects, eight of which appeared in the ‘Proceedings’ of the Geologists' Association, of which, in addition to the paper on the chalk mentioned above, we may specially name that on the ‘Geology of the neighbourhood of Portsmouth and Ryde’ as giving evidence of detailed and careful work. Of other work we may mention a sketch of the geology of Faringdon in the ‘Geologist’ for August 1866, and ‘Mill Hill in former Ages,’ written for the ‘Mill Hill Magazine.’ Many of Evans's papers were also published separately. Evans constructed several excellent geological models or relief maps, his method being to paste layer upon layer of cartridge paper so as to secure the necessary elevations, and then to colour the whole according to the outcrop of the rocks. His models of the valley of the Thames near London, of a part of the same on a larger scale, and one of the whole of England, are now in the possession of Mr. H. J. Lister of Eldon Road, Hampstead; a fine map or model of the country round Hastings is in the possession of the corporation of that town; he also constructed a model of the neighbourhood of Sidmouth. Evans's extensive collections of fossils were purchased by Mr. Ernest Westlake of Fordingbridge. Evans died 16 Sept. 1886.

[Information from relatives; Geological Mag. March 1887; Quart. Journ. Geological Society, President's Address, 1887.]  EVANS, CHARLES SMART (1778–1849), vocalist and composer, was a chorister under Dr. Ayrton, and in 1808 a gentleman of the Chapel Royal. His name appears among the alto singers in the chorus of the ‘Ancient Concerts’ of 1798, and he took part with Braham and others in the music performed at Weber's funeral in 1826. Four of Evans's part-songs gained prizes from the Glee and Catch Clubs, namely: ‘Beauties, have you seen a toy?’ 1811; ‘Fill all the glasses,’ 1812; ‘Ode to the Memory of Samuel Webbe,’ 1817; and ‘Great Bacchus,’ 1821. Subsequently he became a catholic and a member of the choir of the chapel of the Portuguese embassy. Evans wrote a ‘Magnificat,’ and some motetts, contained in books iv. and v. of Novello's ‘Collection of Motetts.’ He was also the composer of many songs. He died 4 Jan. 1849.

[Gillow's Dict. of English Catholics, ii. 185; Grove, i. 498; Musical Recollections of the Last Half Century, i. 136; Programmes of the Ancient Concerts; Quarterly Musical Magazine and Review, viii. 127.]  EVANS, CHRISTMAS (1766–1838), one of the great Welsh preachers, was born on Christmas day 1766, at a place called Ysgaerwen, in the parish of Llandyssul, Cardiganshire. His father, Samuel Evans, was a poor shoemaker, who, dying when his son was only nine years old, left him in a state of complete destitution. The next six years Christmas spent with his mother's uncle at Llanvihangel-ar-Arth in Carmarthenshire, ‘than whom,’ he says, ‘it would be difficult to find a more unconscionable man in the whole course of a wicked world.’ So he left him to become a farm servant at various places, and ultimately came under the influence of David Davies of Castellhywel, a well-known bard and schoolmaster, and the minister of a congregation of presbyterians fast slipping into unitarianism at Llwynrhydowen. Evans joined Llwynrhydowen Chapel, was taught a little by Davies in his school, learnt how to read Welsh, and acquired some knowledge of English; became religious, and began to preach. But as the strict rules of the presbyterians required an academical education for their ministers, he gradually gravitated towards the baptists, who had no such limitations, and in 1788 was baptised in the river Duar at Llanybyther in Carmarthenshire, and joined the baptist congregation at Aberduar. Before this he had seriously injured an eye in an affray in which he does not seem to have been to blame. He was now a regular preacher, and in 1789 was ordained as a sort of missionary to the scattered baptists of Lleyn, the peninsula of Carnarvonshire. Here he married Catherine Jones, a member of his congregation. They had no family. While there he was ‘converted’ during a preaching journey, and now began to preach with a power and earnestness of conviction that soon made him famous. In 1792 he removed to Anglesey to act as minister to all the baptist churches in the island. He lived at Llangevni, where the most important chapel was situated. Here he worked with great success, but a curious wave of Sandemanianism spread over Anglesey and greatly influenced rigid Calvinists like Evans. ‘The Sandemanian heresy afflicted me so much as to drive away the spirit of prayer for the salvation of sinners.’ After a time he regained his orthodoxy, and became the centre of a great baptist movement in Anglesey. Though for many years his salary was only 17l. a year, he ruled over the Anglesey baptists with a rod of iron; built new chapels, and made at least two long and