Margaret Bevan (born c. 1894 – died before July 1954) also called Maggie Bevan and later Maggie Bevan Gealy, was a Welsh-born child evangelist and singer, who twice toured the United States as a teenager, giving sermons and recitals in churches.

Early life

Margaret Bevan was born in about 1894, at Porth,"Eloquent Girl Preacher Pays Visit to Brooklyn"
''Brooklyn Daily Eagle'' (7 February 1911): 18 via

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and raised in Caerphilly. Her father was Rees Bevan, an optician, watchmaker and jeweller. Her uncle was Dr. Gomer Lewis, a preacher in Swansea. A pastor's advice moved her to evangelism. She earned a certificate from the Glamorgan Welsh Baptist Association in 1909, for passing the examination for entry into the ministry. She was hailed as a "pulpit prodigy" when she preached at

Barry Docks Barry Docks ( cy, Dociau'r Barri) is a port facility in the town of Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales, a few miles southwest of Cardiff on the north shore of the Bristol Channel. They were opened in 1889 by David Davies and John Cory as an alterna ...

later in 1909.

Career

Her mother accompanied her when, in 1910, she embarked on a preaching tour of American cities, especially in New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio. She also sang, with her mother providing piano accompaniment. That tour was judged a "triumphant" success, and she was encouraged to return for another tour in 1911-1912. On this second tour, she visited the western United States, including an appearance in

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. Margaret Bevan was still preaching and singing in America in 1914 and 1915, while living in Scranton. Her parents were living in Scranton at the time too; her father died by suicide in a Scranton charity institution in 1915.

Later years

Margaret Bevan married engineer Edgar J. Gealy of Scranton in November 1915; both of his parents were from Wales. Their first child, a son, was born in

Wilkes-Barre Wilkes-Barre ( or ) is a city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Luzerne County. Located at the center of the Wyoming Valley in Northeastern Pennsylvania, it had a population of 44,328 in the 2020 census. It is the s ...

in 1918. She was soon after preaching as "Mrs. Maggie Bevan Gealy." She was "Mrs. Margaret B. Gealey" of

Kingston, Pennsylvania Kingston is a borough in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located on the western bank of the Susquehanna River opposite the city of Wilkes-Barre. Kingston was first settled in the early 1770s; it was incorporated as a borough in ...

when she preached at

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in 1920. In 1923 she played the title role in a Wilkes-Barre production of "Princess Bonnie", a musical to benefit the American Legion. The Gealys moved to Pittsburgh in 1928 for Edgar's work. In the 1930s and 1940s Margaret was active in the Women's Welsh Club of

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, and still involved with music. She died before July 1954.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bevan, Margaret Welsh Baptists 19th-century Welsh women People from Caerphilly People from Porth 1894 births Year of death missing