Eli Evans

Did you know that we had a sculptor living in the village in the 19th century? His name was Eli Evans.

Perhaps you did, and that he lived in Vine Cottage on the Common. But who was he, and why Vine Cottage? Lots more unanswered questions that need to be unpicked.
The sketch below is based on the old photograph and shows Eli and his wife outside the cottage

Chris Soughton has discovered that Eli was born in Roath in 1811, but had moved to Wauntreoda by 1836, so he would be about 25 years old. We don’t know anything about his early life, but by the first census in 1841, he was living on Wauntreoda, as a lodger with Thomas White who was a carpenter, Thomas’ wife and family and a servant. Eli’s occupation was given as ‘sculptor’.

By the 1851 census, Eli is still calling himself as a sculptor, but is living on his own at Wauntreoda with 2 servants.

In Websters Trade Directory of 1852, Eli changes/refines his occupation to ‘stone mason’, and 3 years later in the Ewans Trade Directory of 1855, describes himself as a ‘stone cutter’.

By then, Eli is living in Vine Cottage with a new wife (20 years younger than himself), and is making a name for himself as the go-to man for headstones/gravestones in the village. Chis S has shown me a photograph of a beautifully designed, shaped and tooled headstone in (old) St Mary’s Churchyard. We know that this is Eli’s work as he has signed it in the corner with his name and profession (all in Welsh).

In 1859, he was given the commission to design and construct the family mausoleum for the Booker family. The Cardiff & Merthyr Guardian newspaper of 16th July states:
‘…the tomb of the late TW Booker Esq in St Mary’s Churchyard in Forest-of-Dean stone, interspersed with iron railings. All executed by Mr Eli Evans of Whitchurch who has exhibited considerable skill in the general treatment of it’

The mausoleum is still there, but the railings have been lost (I wonder if they were melted down as part of the WW1 war effort?)

By the 1861 census Eli has a family of 2 small daughters and 2 smaller sons. He now refers himself as a ‘stone sculptor’ and employed 2 men and a boy. Eli’s nephew Henry Hopkins is also living with, and working for Eli as a ‘burial mason’ (more on Henry Hopkins another time!)

By 1871, Eli and his wife have had another daughter, and by the next year Eli’s eldest daughter had married the new minister at Ararat, Rev Thomas Thomas.

 

Just three years later, Eli died, at the age of 63. An obituary from the Cardiff Times of 24th July 1875 says:
‘at 3 o’clock on Wednesday 21st inst the remains of Mr Eli Evans were consigned to their last resting place in the family vault, Wauntreoda Chapel Whitchurch. The Rev Horatio J Thomas, vicar of Pentyrch conducted the service. There were several hundred persons present, including the Mayor of Cardiff. The service was conducted in Welsh. Hardly a dry eye was to be seen’

So, back to the beginning of this blog with Eli living in Vine Cottage. Where was Vine Cottage, and why such an unusual name? There’s an old black and white photograph in the Heritage Library in Cathays, dated 1892 and showing a thatched cottage alongside a stream on Whitchurch Common. By a process of elimination, the photograph is probably of Vine Cottage, and in all likelihood, the old farmhouse of Cornel-y-Waun farm. Was Vine a corruption of Waun? Waun Cottage becomes Vine Cottage? Sounds plausible to me.

Apparently, there is a letter book of ‘Eli Evans of Whitchurch’ dated 1865 held in the West Glamorgan Archives. Opportunity for further exploring by someone in the future!
I’d welcome any thoughts you might have of this local character!

 

  Back