Researching Hugh Evans

Evans was born in Ynysybwl, now in Rhondda Cynon Taff, Wales, and brought up in Luton, Bedfordshire, England. He was noticed by Birmingham City while he was serving in the Army, and signed for the club in December 1947. An inside forward, Evans made his debut in the First Division on 22 January 1949, deputising for Jackie Stewart in a goalless draw at Preston North End. His hard work did not make up for insufficient ability to play at the top level, and he joined Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic of the Third Division South in 1950. He scored 8 goals in 22 league games for Bournemouth, and a year later moved to Walsall, where his 12 goals in 36 league games made him their joint leading scorer in the 1951–52 season. For the following season he signed for his third Division Three South club, Watford, then finished off his career playing non-league football for Bedford Town and Hitchin Town. After retiring from the game he became a grocer in Luton.

Hugh Evans was a native of the small village of Llangwm, then in Denbighshire, now in Conwy. He attended elementary school before going to work as a farm labourer in his locality. He moved to Liverpool in 1875 where he founded the Gwasg y Brython Press, which became one of the major Welsh publishers of the day.

He had wide interests as a writer and archaeologist. He founded the antiquarian magazine Y Brython in 1906 and in 1911 began to publish an influential critical magazine Y Beirniad, edited by Sir John Morris-Jones.He wrote an interesting book on folk tales about fairies in 1935. He wrote a series of stories and other books for children as well, e.g. Hogyn y Bwthyn Bach To Gwellt. But he is chiefly remembered for his little classic Cwm Eithin (Gorse Glen) (1931), which portrays the memorable customs and society of rural Wales, largely based on his knowledge of his native area.