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EVANS, David (d.1568), of the Great House, Neath, Glam.
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Constituency
Dates
Family and Education
1st s. of Evan ap David of Gnoll, Neath by Lucy, da. and coh. of Morgan Gwyn ap John ap Gruffydd of Cefn Iorwerth. m. Catherine, da. of Sir William Vaughan of Porthaml, Brec., 2s. 5da.
Offices Held
Jt. (with William Herbert†, 1st Earl of Pembroke) attorney-gen, Glam. 1555-d.; attorney-gen. Carm., Card., Pemb. 1559; j.p.q. Glam. from c.1559, sheriff 1562-3.
Biography
This Member came of a family (of which he was the first to stabilize the surname) living on the 1st Earl of Pembroke’s land just outside Neath, one of the contributory boroughs of the Cardiff group. Marriage into the family of Vaughan of Porthaml gave him a footing in county society, and he made good matches for his children. His fee as attorney-general for Glamorgan was £5 with profits, and for the West Wales shires £8 13s.4d. with profits. No doubt Pembroke had a share in gaining him his parliamentary seat.
Evans made his will 2 Feb. 1568, when he was ill and expecting to die. He left £3 6s.8d. to the poor and 40s. for the repair of the church and steeple of Neath, as well as numerous bequests to members of his family and to his servants. The will was proved 8 May 1568. His family retained their local importance till the end of the next century, and were connected with the development of the coal and copper industries of Neath.
Clark, Limbus, 82; CPR, 1555-7, p. 136; 1558-60, pp. 36, 247; 1560-3, pp. 145, 445; 1563-6, p. 29; Lansd. 1218, ff. 93-4, 137; D. R. Phillips, Hist. Vale of Neath, 232, 375-6, 381-2, 683, 762-3, 765; CPR, 1560-3, p. 145; PCC 8 Babington.