EVANS, DAVID DELTA ('Dewi Hiraddug '; 1866 - 1948), journalist, author and Unitarian minister

Born in 1866 and brought up in Ochr-y-Marian, between Diserth and Cwm, Flintshire, one of seven children of Joseph Evans, miner, and his wife Ann. He was reared in poverty and began life as a farm servant at the age of ten. Later he worked on a newspaper, The Rhyl Record, and was also associated with Y Faner under Thomas Gee. At 19 he went to London and took a leading part in establishing the first congregation of Welsh Unitarians in 1937, after which he maintained the connection until his death. Much of his later work was written in air-raid shelters after he had lost his home in war-time bombing. He spent the last years of his life in his sister's home in Diserth. He died 22 May 1948 in Rhyl Memorial Hospital and was buried in Diserth churchyard.

In 1901 he was an assistant Unitarian missionary in Liverpool, and a year later became the editor of Christian Life (and Unitarian Herald) and made it a success until its merger with The Inquirer in 1929. The end of the Christian Herald was a great loss, as the appeal of The Inquirer was much narrower. Delta published a special issue in 1913 to celebrate the centenary of the Law of Trinity and 25,000 copies were sold within a week. He ministered in Southend-on-Sea, 1905-09, Portsmouth High Street, 1909-10, Woolwich, London 1913-17, Bermondsey, 1921-29 and Ilford, 1929-32. He visited the Unitarian Society's meetings in Cardiganshire and Glamorganshire.

Many of his articles appeared in Y Gwyliedydd Newydd, and issues of Yr Ymofynydd were sprinkled with his contributions, written under his name, Delta, DDE and Dewi Hiraddug. He also used the pseudonym Cadfan Rhys, Deiniol Ddu and An Old Sinner. Even Delta was an assumed name, his baptismal name being David. He wrote a weekly column for the Kentish Independent for years under the name, ' An Old Philosopher '. He wrote an article on Phrenyddeg (phrenology) in the second edition of Y Gwyddoniadur Cymreig, 1896.

He was a prolific writer. He wrote two novels, Daniel Evelyn; Heretic, 1913 and The Rosicrucian, 1918. Other works include Pethau Newydd a Hen, 1900; The Ancient Bards of Britain, 1906; Hiwmor, Synnwyr a Halen, 1937; Rhedeg ar ôl y Cysgodion, 1940; Saviours of Men; An Argosy of Common Sense; At y Golygydd (a collection of letters to the press 1937-42), Days of Youth - an autobiography in novel form; Athrofa Mab y Saer; Jesus the Galilean; Ymdaith y Pererin; and Why do we Pray ? Many of his books are kept in Bangor University Library, and also a letter praising Ymdaith y Pererin together with a cywydd from T. Gwynn Jones (1942) and a letter praising Rhedeg ar ôl y Cysgodion. He was fluent in Esperanto and Hindustani. He was a fierce debater and a fiery character.

Author

• Aubrey John Martin, (1911 - 1990)

Sources

• Yr Ymofynnydd, July 1948
• recollections from Alwyn Thomas and Derwyn Jones, Bangor

Additional Links

• Wikidata: Q20821100

Published date: 2001

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