David Tecwyn Evans was born in a cottage called Aberdeunant Uchaf in the parish of Llandecwyn in Ardudwy on the 5th of December 1876.
His father, Evan Evans, was a quarryman in the Llechwedd Quarry, Blaenau Ffestiniog, and originally from the village of Maentwrog. Evan Evans married twice. Jane, daughter of William and Catherine Owen, Maesyllan, Llandecwyn was his first wife and four sons and two daughters were born from that marriage. Shortly after Jane's death in 1874, Evan Evans married Jane's sister, Catherine, and the only child from that marriage was David who added the name Tecwyn to his baptismal name after he began preaching.
His mother's family can be traced to the family of Ty Newydd, Llandecwyn, and her father, William Owen was the son of Richard Owen, Ty Newydd, one of the founders of the Wesleyans in the area. His mother was also a relative of Edmund Evans (Utgorn Meirion), one of the most prominent assistant preachers of his time.
His grandmother was the daughter of Las Ynys Bach, a talented and capable woman who had better educational advantages than most of her peers. She suffered from depression, or intermittent ulcers, and Tecwyn admitted that he inherited some of that affliction at times.
Tecwyn began his formal education at Llandecwyn National School before he was five years old. During his years there he had five different headmasters, two of whom were Welsh - but he received an English education from all five. He moved from there to Talsarnau Board School. He had an offer to become a 'monitor' there but his father wanted him to go out into the world. He was a farm servant in Y Gegin, Llandecwyn and worked in a shop in Blaenau Ffestiniog.
Tecwyn went back to school and the principal of Ysgol Talsarnau, J.J.Thomas, had a great influence on him. He was made a monitor and pupil teacher at the school. He was also a pupil teacher at Ysgol Llanfrothen for a year and Bob Owen, Croesor was one of his pupils.
Tecwyn was a great admirer of Sir O.M.Edwards, and he walked from Llandecwyn to Llanuwchllyn to see his hero a few times. While at Ysgol Talsarnau, he persuaded the headmaster to allow him to distribute 'Cymru'r Plant' to the pupils in order to encourage them to read Welsh.
Tecwyn's wish was to enter the Ministry and he went to Bangor University, studying Welsh under Sir John Morris Jones and also the English language. He received an honors degree in English at Bangor.
He took a special interest in the orthography and syntax of the Welsh language and was very critical of everyone who misused them. He was called a 'language polisher' and 'corrector of errors' when he was editor of 'Yr Eurgrawn', and someone also said - 'pruning is Tecwyn's hobby'.
He was considered one of the 'stalwarts' of the Welsh pulpit. At Capel Wesla Brontecwyn in Llandecwyn he preached his first sermon on Whitsun 1894 when he was seventeen years old. He was admitted to the Ministry in 1902.
Tecwyn was known as a preacher, lecturer, linguist and hymnist of the first class. He composed a Peace Hymn which won first prize at the Pontypool National Eisteddfod in 1924. He translated other hymns, two of them by Charles Wesley and one an excellent translation of George Matheson's famous hymn - 'Jesus, friend of my soul'.
Tecwyn Evans died in Rhyl on October 27th 1957 and in a tribute to him, his friend Tegla said that people will forget him as a linguist, writer and lecturer, but while the great preaching of Wales is remembered, he will be kept among the stalwarts. It might also be said that we will continue to remember him whilst the Welsh continue to sing their sacred hymns.
There is a worthy Memoir for him by the Rev. Tudor Davies, Aberystwyth published in 2002 with the support of the Methodist Church Historical Society.
The text above was received from Mrs E. W. Jones, Ty'n Bonc, Llandecwyn, Talsarnau with grateful thanks.