Thomas Evans (1742–1784) was a London bookseller, one of two of the same name in the middle of the 18th century.

Life

Evans served an apprenticeship with Charles Marsh of Round Court and Charing Cross, and opened a bookshop in the

Strand, London Strand (or the Strand) is a major thoroughfare in the City of Westminster, Central London. It runs just over from Trafalgar Square eastwards to Temple Bar, where the road becomes Fleet Street in the City of London, and is part of the A4 ...

. He published works on English literature and antiquities, many edited by himself. A leading member of the booksellers' club in the Grecian Coffee-house, to which Thomas Davies belonged, Evans was popular. Unlike his namesake Thomas Evans (1739–1803), he was on good terms with

Oliver Goldsmith Oliver Goldsmith (10 November 1728 – 4 April 1774) was an Anglo-Irish novelist, playwright, dramatist and poet, who is best known for his novel ''The Vicar of Wakefield'' (1766), his pastoral poem ''The Deserted Village'' (1770), and his pl ...

, and collected the first London edition of his writings. Evans died on 30 April 1784.

Works

Evans wrote or edited: * ''Poems by Mr. W. Shakespeare'' ondon, 1774 * ''A History of Wales by Caradoc of Lhancarvan. Englished by Dr. Powell'', London, 1774. * ''Memoirs of the Cardinal de Retz, translated'', London, 1774, 4 vols. * ''The Works of Richard Savage'', London, 1775, 2 vols. * ''The Works of George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham'', London, 1775, 2 vols. * ''The English, Scotch, and Irish Historical Libraries, by Bishop W. Nicolson, a new edition'', London, 1776. * ''A Solemn Declaration of Mr. Daniel Perreau, written by himself'', London, 1776. Daniel Perreau (c.1734–1776) was a forger of bonds, hanged in 1776. * ''Desiderata Curiosa, by Francis Peck, new edition'', London, 1779, 2 vols. Evans submitted in it a proposal to reprint Thomas Tanner's ''Notitia Monastica'', some years later published by

James Nasmith James Nasmith (1740–1808) was an English clergyman, academic and antiquary. Life The son of a carrier who came from Scotland, and plied between Norwich and London, he was born at Norwich late in 1740. He was sent by his father to Amsterdam fo ...

in a new edition. * ''Poetical Works of Matthew Prior'', London, 1779, 2 vols. * ''Poetical and Dramatic Works of O. Goldsmith'', London, 1780, 2 vols. * ''Old Ballads, Historical and Narrative, with some of Modern Date, now first collected and reprinted from Rare Copies and MSS., with Notes by T. Evans'', London, 1784, 2 vols. First edition, 1777, 2 vols.; third edition, edited by R. H. Evans, his son, 1810, 4 vols. This was his major work. * ''The Works of Francis Rabelais, translated'', London, 1784, 4 vols.

Family

Evans left a widow Ann and a young son,

Robert Harding Evans Robert Harding Evans (1778–1857) was an English bookseller and auctioneer. Life Evans was the son of Thomas Evans (1742–1784). After an education at Westminster School he was apprenticed to Thomas Payne of the Mews Gate, and succeeded to t ...

Notes

;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Evans, Thomas 1742 births 1784 deaths British booksellers British book editors