William Edward Evans (8 June 1801 – 21 November 1869) was an English divine and naturalist.

Life

Evans was born on 8 June 1801 in Shrewsbury. He inherited a taste for poetry and natural history from his father, John Evans M.D., a physician there and author of a poem in four books on bees (1806–13). His mother was Jane Wilson. A brother, Robert Wilson Evans, became the

Archdeacon of Westmorland and Furness The Archdeacon of Westmorland and Furness is a senior ecclesiastical officer within the Diocese of Carlisle. As such he or she is responsible for the disciplinary supervision of the clergy within its four rural deaneries: Barrow, Windermere, Ken ...

. From

Shrewsbury School Shrewsbury School is a public school (English independent boarding school for pupils aged 13 –18) in Shrewsbury. Founded in 1552 by Edward VI by Royal Charter, it was originally a boarding school for boys; girls have been admitted into ...

, then run by Samuel Butler, Evans gained a scholarship at

Clare Hall, Cambridge Clare Hall is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. Founded in 1966 by Clare College, Clare Hall is a college for advanced study, admitting only postgraduate students alongside postdoctoral researchers and fellows. It ...

, where he proceeded to the degree of B.A. in 1823 and M.A. in 1826. After taking holy orders, Evans became curate of Llanymynech, Shropshire, until his marriage to a cousin, Elizabeth Evans, when he was presented to the living of

Criggion Criggion ( cy, Crugion) is a village in Powys, Wales. Criggion Radio Station was located nearby. A branch of the now defunct Shropshire and Montgomeryshire Railway The Shropshire and Montgomeryshire Light Railway was a railway running from Sh ...

Montgomeryshire , HQ= Montgomery , Government= Montgomeryshire County Council (1889–1974)Montgomeryshire District Council (1974–1996) , Origin= , Status= , Start= , End= ...

. This, however, he resigned to live at Burton Court,

Leominster Leominster ( ) is a market town in Herefordshire, England, at the confluence of the River Lugg and its tributary the River Kenwater. The town is north of Hereford and south of Ludlow in Shropshire. With a population of 11,700, Leominster i ...

, which his wife had inherited, and to hold the sole charge of the parish of Monkland. In 1841 he was appointed

prebendary A prebendary is a member of the Roman Catholic or Anglican clergy, a form of canon with a role in the administration of a cathedral or collegiate church. When attending services, prebendaries sit in particular seats, usually at the back of th ...

of Hereford and

praelector A praelector is a traditional role at the University of Cambridge and the University of Oxford. The role differs somewhat between the two ancient universities. University of Cambridge At Cambridge, a praelector is the fellow of a college who forma ...

of the cathedral. After holding Monkland for eighteen years, in 1850, Evans accepted the living of

Madley Madley is a village and civil parish in the English county of Herefordshire. It is located six miles west of the city of Hereford. The population of the civil parish at the 2011 census was 1,200. Other settlements The parish includes the hamle ...

with Tibberton,

Herefordshire Herefordshire () is a county in the West Midlands of England, governed by Herefordshire Council. It is bordered by Shropshire to the north, Worcestershire to the east, Gloucestershire to the south-east, and the Welsh counties of Monmouthsh ...

. In 1861 he became

canon Canon or Canons may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Canon (fiction), the conceptual material accepted as official in a fictional universe by its fan base * Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture ** Western ca ...

of Hereford Cathedral. His health failed for the last two or three years of his life, and he died in the Close, Hereford on 21 November 1869, aged 68.

Works

Evans was an effective preacher, a careful student of animals, especially birds, and an angler. His major work was ''The Song of the Birds; or Analogies of Animal and Spiritual Life,'' 1845, drawing lessons from birds' habits. There are 22 chapters on England's main songbirds. He wrote also ''Sermons on Genesis'', ''Family Prayers'', ''First Revelations of God to Man'' (Sermons), and a ''Letter to the Bishop on Diocesan Education'', 1850 (to Renn Hampden), with some sermons.

Family

Evans left one daughter, and three sons, one of whom became the

vicar A vicar (; Latin: '' vicarius'') is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior (compare "vicarious" in the sense of "at second hand"). Linguistically, ''vicar'' is cognate with the English pre ...

of Holmer, Herefordshire.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Evans, William Edward 1801 births 1869 deaths English naturalists 19th-century English Anglican priests People educated at Shrewsbury School Clergy from Shrewsbury Scientists from Shrewsbury