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Richard Gwynfor Evans (1 September 1912 – 21 April 2005), was a Welsh politician and the first Member of Parliament to represent Plaid Cymru at Westminster (1966-1970; 1974-1979). Events 462 - Possible start of first Byzantine indiction cycle. Year 1912 ( MCMXII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year starting Events 753 BC - Romulus and Remus found Rome ( traditional date) Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a Parliament. Plaid Cymru (plaɪd ˈkəmri The Party of Wales often referred to simply as Plaid) is a Political party in Wales. The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories Year 1966 ( MCMLXVI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. Year 1970 ( MCMLXX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1974 ( MCMLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. Year 1979 ( MCMLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1979 Gregorian calendar)

Contents

Early life

Gwynfor Evans was born to an English-speaking family in Barry, near Cardiff, and did not learn to speak Welsh until adulthood. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Barry (Y Barri is a Town in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. Located along the northern coast of the Bristol Channel less than 7 miles (11 kilometers Cardiff ( 'kɑːdɪf) is the Capital and the largest city and county in Wales. Welsh ( cy Cymraeg or cy y Gymraeg, kəmˈrɑːɨɡ and {{IPA|[ə ɡəmˈrɑːɨɡ]}}, is a member of the Brythonic branch of Celtic He was educated at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth, and St John's College, Oxford, from where he qualified as a lawyer. Aberystwyth University (Prifysgol Aberystwyth sometimes called "Aber" or "the College by the Sea" is a university located in Aberystwyth, Wales __FORCETOC__ St John's College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. He was also a market gardener. "Market garden" redirects here For the World War II operation see Operation Market Garden. He was a teenager when the Welsh nationalist party Plaid Cymru was founded in 1925, and he founded a branch of the party while he was at Oxford. Plaid Cymru (plaɪd ˈkəmri The Party of Wales often referred to simply as Plaid) is a Political party in Wales. Year 1925 ( MCMXXV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. He became the party's president in 1945 and retained the office until 1981. Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar Year 1981 ( MCMLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981

A committed Christian and pacifist, he declared himself a conscientious objector in the Second World War and was required to appear before a tribunal which, recognising the firmness of his beliefs, unusually unconditionally dismissed him. A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth A conscientious objector (CO is an individual who on religious moral or ethical grounds refuses to participate as a combatant in war or in some cases to take any role that would support World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Evans is credited with keeping Plaid Cymru going through the lean years of the 1940s and 1950s — in the 1950s he fought unsuccessfully for a Welsh parliament, and failed to prevent the damming of the Tryweryn river and consequent inundation of the Welsh-speaking community of Capel Celyn in order to supply the city of Liverpool with water — a cause célèbre in Wales in the early 1960s. The 1940s decade ran from 1940 to 1949 Events and trends The 1940s was a period between the radical 1930s and the conservative 1950s which also leads the period to be The 1950s Decade refers to the years of 1950 to 1959 inclusive The 1950s Decade refers to the years of 1950 to 1959 inclusive For the flooding of the Tryweryn Valley see Llyn Celyn. The Tryweryn is a River in north Wales which starts at Llyn Tryweryn in Capel Celyn (Holly Chapel was a rural community to the north west of Bala in north Wales, in the Afon Tryweryn Valley that was flooded to create a Liverpool ( is a City and Metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary The 1960s decade refers to the years from the beginning of 1960 to the end of 1969

Electoral record

Local Government and first parliamentary contests

Evans was elected to Carmarthenshire County Council in 1949, keeping his seat for the next 25 years, usually as the lone Plaid Cymru representative, acquiring the nickname "Evans dual carriageway" for his emphasis on improving transport links. Geography The county is bounded to the north by Ceredigion, to the east by Powys, Neath Port Talbot and Swansea, to the south by the He contested Merioneth at the general elections of 1945, 1950, 1955 and 1959, and the Aberdare by-election, 1954. Merioneth, sometimes called Merionethshire, was a constituency in North Wales established in 1542 which returned one Member of Parliament to the Results |} Total votes cast 24073025 All parties shown Conservative total includes Ulster Unionists Reason for Labour victory Results |} Total votes cast 28771124 All parties shown Conservative total includes Ulster Unionists Votes summary Seats summary Results |} Total votes cast 26759729 All parties shown Conservatives include National Liberal Party and Ulster Unionists Votes Background Following the Suez Crisis in 1956 Anthony Eden the Conservative Prime Minister became unpopular and resigned the following year

Carmarthen by-election, 1966

On 14 July 1966, Evans won the parliamentary seat of Carmarthen from Labour in a by-election caused by the death of Lady Megan Lloyd George, daughter of the former Liberal Prime Minister, David Lloyd George, having come third in the general election just a few weeks before. The Carmarthen by-election, was held in Carmarthen, Wales on 14 July 1966. Events 1223 - Louis VIII becomes King of France upon the death of his father Philip II of France. Year 1966 ( MCMLXVI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. Carmarthen was the name of a parliamentary constituency in Wales which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the Lady Megan Arfon Lloyd George CH ( 22 April 1902 – 14 May 1966) was a British politician the first female Member of Parliament The Liberal Party was one of the two major British political parties from the early 19th century until the rise of the Labour Party in the 1920s and a third party David Lloyd George 1st Earl Lloyd George of Dwyfor OM, PC (17 January 1863 &ndash 26 March 1945 was a British Statesman and the only National opinion poll summary Research Services: 3% swing to Labour (forecast majority of 101National Opinion Polls: 3 He had also contested the seat at 1964 general election. Campaign The pre-election campaign was prolonged as Douglas-Home delayed calling a general election in order to try to give himself the maximum time to improve the His by-election victory is regarded as a seminal moment for Plaid Cymru. He was shown around the House of Commons by Emrys Hughes, the son-in-law of Keir Hardie; on being pointed out the Welsh table in the Commons' tea room, Hughes warned him, "You’d better not sit down there, your name’s mud among that lot. Emrys Hughes ( 10 July 1894 &ndash 18 October 1969) was a Welsh Labour politician best known for being the biographer and son-in-law James Keir Hardie (15 August 1856 - 26 September 1915 was a Scottish Socialist and labour leader and was the first independent labour Member of Parliament " [1]

Later electoral record

In the 1970 General Election Evans lost his Carmarthen seat to Labour's Gwynoro Jones, and failed to regain it in the February 1974 General Election by only three votes. Opinion poll summary ORC (Opinion Research Council Conservative lead of 1%Harris (Express Newspapers Labour lead of 2%NOP The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the Gwynoro Glyndwr Jones (born 21 November 1942) is a former British / Welsh politician Results |} Total votes 31321982 All parties are shown The seats won by the Ulster Unionists are compared with those won by Unionist MPs in the 1970 election He regained the seat - with a majority of 3,640 votes - in the October 1974 General Election, when he returned to Parliament accompanied by two other Plaid Cymru MPs, Dafydd Wigley and Dafydd Elis Thomas. Results |} Total number of votes 29189104 All parties shown Votes summary Seats summary The Rt Hon Dafydd Wigley (formerly David Wigley; born 1 April 1943) is a Welsh politician Dafydd Elis Elis-Thomas Baron Elis-Thomas PC AM, (born 18 October 1946 is a Welsh Politician and current Presiding Officer of the

Evans lost Carmarthen once more at the 1979 general election - to Dr Roger Thomas (also Labour). Background Callaghan had succeeded Harold Wilson as Labour Prime Minister after the latter's surprise resignation in April 1976 Roger Gareth Thomas ( 14 November 1925 &ndash 1 September 1994) was a British Labour Party Politician. He was unsuccessful in the 1983 General Election, and did not contest any further elections. Results The Conservatives won with a majority of 144 seats|} Total votes cast 30661309

Career as an MP

In the House of Commons, Evans was true to his pacifist principles in being one of the few MPs to oppose the British government's support of the Nigerian federal government with supplies of weapons in the civil war against Biafra (1967-1970). The House of Commons' is the Lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords Nigeria, officially named the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal Constitutional republic comprising thirty-six states and one Federal A civil war is a War between a State and domestic political actors that are in control of some part of the territory claimed by the state The Republic of Biafra was a Secessionist state in south-eastern Nigeria. Year 1967 ( MCMLXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. Year 1970 ( MCMLXX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. He also opposed the Vietnam War: after being denied entry to the country as part of an inspection group, he instead protested outside a US air base in Thailand. The Vietnam War, also known as the Second Indochina War, or the Vietnam Conflict, occurred in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia The Kingdom of Thailand (ˈtaɪlænd ราชอาณาจักรไทย, râːtɕʰa-ʔaːnaːtɕɑ̀k-tʰɑj

Evans was first (and last) president of the Celtic League from 1961-71. The Celtic League is a political and cultural organisation in the modern Celtic nations of Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Brittany Dr. Robert McIntyre of the SNP was vice-president at the time. Dr Robert Douglas McIntyre ( 15 December 1913 &ndash 2 February 1998) was the leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP from 1947-1956 The Scottish National Party (SNP (Pàrtaidh Nàiseanta na h-Alba Scottis Naitional Pairtie is a Centre-left political party which campaigns for Scottish

Later life

In 1980, his threat to go on hunger strike to ensure that the Conservative government did not renege on its election promise of a Welsh language television channel was instrumental in bringing about an early U-turn on the part of Margaret Thatcher, and S4C began broadcasting on 1 November 1982. Year 1980 ( MCMLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar) A hunger strike is a method of Non-violent resistance or pressure in which participants fast as an act of political Protest, or to provoke feelings of The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Welsh ( cy Cymraeg or cy y Gymraeg, kəmˈrɑːɨɡ and {{IPA|[ə ɡəmˈrɑːɨɡ]}}, is a member of the Brythonic branch of Celtic Margaret Hilda Thatcher Baroness Thatcher LG, OM, PC, FRS (born 13 October 1925 S4C (Sianel Pedwar Cymru meaning Channel Four Wales) is a television channel in Wales Events 996 - Emperor Otto III issues a deed to Gottschalk Bishop of Freising which is the oldest known document using the name Ostarrîchi Year 1982 ( MCMLXXXII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar)

In his political retirement he became a prolific writer, mainly on Welsh subjects and writing in Welsh with simultaneous or later English editions.

Personal life

In 1941 Gwynfor Evans married Rhiannon Prys Thomas (who survived him by nine months [2] dying on January 13, 2006) and they had seven children. Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 532 - Nika riots in Constantinople. 888 - Odo Count of Paris becomes King of the Franks Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar.

Tributes

On his death the Welsh political establishment united in paying its respects to Gwynfor Evans:

Bibliography

See also

External links

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Megan Lloyd George		 Member of Parliament for Carmarthen
1966–1970		 Succeeded by
Gwynoro Jones
Preceded by
Gwynoro Jones		 Member of Parliament for Carmarthen
1974–1979		 Succeeded by
Dr. Year 1971 ( MCMLXXI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. Year 1980 ( MCMLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar) Year 1981 ( MCMLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 An autobiography, from the Greek αὐτός autos "self" βίος bios "life" and γράφειν graphein "to write" Year 1982 ( MCMLXXXII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar) Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. Garth Celyn at Aber Garth Celyn now known as Abergwyngregyn, Aber in Gwynedd, north Wales was the 13th century home of the Welsh princes (or Tywysog Abergwyngregyn is a Village of historical note in Gwynedd, a principal area in Wales. The Carmarthen by-election, was held in Carmarthen, Wales on 14 July 1966. The Royal Commission on the Constitution, also referred to as the Kilbrandon Commission (initially the Crowther Commission) or Kilbrandon Report, was a Events 753 BC - Romulus and Remus found Rome ( traditional date) Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1500 - Portuguese Navigator Pedro Álvares Cabral becomes the first European to sight Brazil. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1500 - Portuguese Navigator Pedro Álvares Cabral becomes the first European to sight Brazil. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1500 - Portuguese Navigator Pedro Álvares Cabral becomes the first European to sight Brazil. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1500 - Portuguese Navigator Pedro Álvares Cabral becomes the first European to sight Brazil. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories Lady Megan Arfon Lloyd George CH ( 22 April 1902 – 14 May 1966) was a British politician the first female Member of Parliament A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a Parliament. Carmarthen was the name of a parliamentary constituency in Wales which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Gwynoro Glyndwr Jones (born 21 November 1942) is a former British / Welsh politician Gwynoro Glyndwr Jones (born 21 November 1942) is a former British / Welsh politician A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a Parliament. Carmarthen was the name of a parliamentary constituency in Wales which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Roger Thomas
Roger Gareth Thomas ( 14 November 1925 &ndash 1 September 1994) was a British Labour Party Politician.
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