Sub-fonds 952-1292. - Horatio James Evans and family,

Brig.-Gen. Horatio James Evans, CMG, DL, JP (1859-1932) was the eldest son of the Rev. T. H. Evans and Mrs Harriet Evans. Educated at the Royal Naval School, Deptford, he served in the Afghan, South African and First World Wars, mostly as an officer of The King's (Liverpool) Reg., ending his substantive military service as Brig. Gen. 115th Infantry Brigade, 38th Welsh Division. He was twice mentioned in despatches. Dying from cancer on 7 May 1932, Horatio was buried in Rhaeadr churchyard. He married (1) Harriet Gertrude Evans (youngest daughter of Rev. J.C. Evans, who died 21 Sept. 1874) who died 3 May 1904, aged 51, after four hours apoplexy at North Strand, Ireland; and (2) Susan Ethelwyn Claire Matthews (1886-1965) who was buried in Rhaeadr churchyard. Their son, Horatio Peter Bowen Evans (1916-1988) was also buried in Rhaeadr churchyard. Francis Howel Evans, the brother of Horatio James Evans, was born in 1867. He wrote crime stories and could have been the inspiration behind Agatha Christie's 'Poirot'. Another brother, Walter Bowen, was a noted explorer and mining engineer. For a full account of Horatio and his family see David H. Williams, 'A clerical son of Radnorshire', Trans. Rads. Soc., vol. 73 (2003), pp. 163-192. For the battle for Mametz Wood (Somme) in July 1916, in which HJE took part and was wounded in an arm and his head, and 'weakened by loss of blood', see no's 984a and 1004 below. See also Colin Hughes, Mametz (Gerrards Cross: Orion Press, 1982), Michael Renshaw, Mametz Wood (Barnsley, 1999) and, especially, Ll. Wyn Griffith, Up to Mametz (Norwich, 1988 reprint). Griffith (three of whose letters are listed below) became HJE's aide-de-camp during the battle. The brigade diary for 1916 also contains a contemporaneous account of this bloody battle, which saw much loss of life; this might partly have been avoided if higher authority had listened to Horatio's recommendations (PRO [National Archives] WO 95/2560 - bound booklet for July 1916). Much further information also occurs in NLW sources, especially René Hague MS 1 (Papers of Capt. David Jones), NLW MSS, 21830, passim; 22431, ff. 1-60; 23269, ff. 98-161. An article by Dr Williams, entitled 'Letters from the Front', is due to appear in the Trans. Rads. Soc. The Penralley accounts, inter alia, tell of much effort devoted to the gardens at Penralley - with purchase of seeds for vegetables and flowers; of regular piano tuning, of occasional purchases from Harrods, of tithe payments, and the frequent hire of a car, either from Fred Harris of Beehive or from Lloyds Garage, both Rhaeadr. They reveal the varied range of tradespeople in Rhaeadr in HJE's time. Arranged into military career (952-1009), Scout commissioner (1010-1017), local affairs (1018-1030), Rhaeadr Golf Club (1031-1033), personal affairs (1034-1081), family photographs (1082-1087), Penralley and HJE domestic accounts etc. (1088-1105), other subscriptions (1106-1108), Mrs Harriet Gertrude Evans (1109-1111), Mrs Susan Ethelwyn Claire Evans (n(c)e Matthews) and family (1112-1185), family photographs and cards (1186-1199), Matthews family (1200-1220), and Commander Peter Bowen Evans, RN (1221-1292).