Evan Francis was born in 1772 in Dyrnioga Bach, Talsarnau in the parish of Llanfihangel y Traethau. His father and mother are buried in Rehoboth Cemetery, Harlech, and on the gravestone are the following words: "Francis Evans of Mochras, who died September 23 1827. Also Lowri Evans his wife, who died12 September 1833"
In his lifetime Francis Evans, the father, was one of the most important men in the area, because he kept a boat to in order to cross the river, from Ty Gwyn to Trwyn y Penrhyn and to Garreg Goch, and sometimes, if required, to Cricieth. Towyn was the name of the place where Tremadog and Porthmadog stands today. Francis Evans would carry goods as well as people and animals.
Francis Evans and Lowri Evans had several children and it is believed that Evan was one of the older sons. There was very little education available to people at that time. But very fortunately the Church had a book of hymns that had just come out, and in it several hymns by William Williams, Pantycelyn. The hymns were very popular in the church at Llanfihangel and children flocked there to listen. Several of them learned the hymns by heart, and Evan Francis was one of them. Due to the lack of opportunities he was limited to helping his father with the boat.
But one day he decided to go to sea, and he joined one of the small ships that came to Garreg Goch. The morning of his departure was a big event, going in his father's boat to the ship, without thinking or imagining what was waiting for him - and his mother asked him, "You'll be back tonight, won't you?" "Maybe I will," he said, and the last thing his mother said to his father that night was, "Don't lock the door, in case Evan comes home."
The following night the mother warned him again not to lock the door. Many years passed without any news of Evan, because he could not read nor write. Even so, his mother's faith did not fail, and she kept waiting, and hoping and the door was kept unlocked.
Evan sailed to Plymouth and there he joined one of the local fishing boats, and he was accompanied by the son of Lewis Edwards, Pensarn. He did the work for years and became proficient in the English language. But at that time the countries of Europe were embroiled in Napoleon's troubles. One Sunday night, when Evan's ship was fishing outside Plymouth, the crew were all taken prisoners by an armed, French ship. They were taken to France and there they were imprisoned for several years, and they became proficient in the language. Their job, as prisoners was to carry water in earthen vessels on their heads or in a
sort of cart. They worked close to the home of the country's Home Secretary, and that man's daughter regularly visited the prisoners and she felt very sorry for them. But a great famine came. The situation worsened so wretchedly that the Government decided to shoot all the prisoners. When she heard about this, the Home Secretary's daughter went straight to her father and begged him desperately and tearfully to save their lives, and he was forced to ask the Government to change their intentions.
At the same time Evan Francis was praying diligently, in his cell. He remembered the old hymn he learned by heart in the old Llanfihangel Church, and recited it scores of times that night. “Disgwyl wyf ar hyd yr hirnos, etc.” "I am waiting all night long, etc." Perhaps it was an answer to the Welshman's prayer that motivated the girl to go and intercede for him. The fact is, they were all released - a truly exceptional decision- and they were ordered to escape through Belgium.
They managed to do this and get a ship to take them to Dover. Evan decided to start for his old home. He looked awful, half-starved, in his tattered clothes and grey in complexion, without a single penny in his pocket and the road was a long way to Dyrnioge Bach, and Talsarnau. But there was nothing to do but carry on walking, eat where he could and sleep where-ever the opportunity arose. The trip took almost three weeks, and he was very pleased when the old Harlech castle came into view. He came through Harlech at dawn, a day in mid July; and when he came to Llechwedd and looked in the direction of his old home, he almost began to doubt himself, because of what he saw. Morfa Harlech, and Yr Ynys all in meadows and green fields. Before he left, this area was mostly covered by the sea and he was truly amazed.
He soon arrived at the old home around five in the morning, and his parents were in bed. The mother said, "Someone is coming." “Yes.” His father said. He listened a moment, and his wife said, "Very similar to the sound of Evan's feet." Then Evan shouted, "Hey," "Evan, my dear boy, you've come?" said his mother. "Yes," he replied. "But why would you leave the door unlocked?"
"My dear son," said his mother, "There has been no lock on it since the day you went away." That was over fourteen years since, but his mother's faith never wavered, and she kept the door unlocked all the time, to wait for her son to return.
The sea was in Evan Francis' blood and he sailed for many years. He faced bitter stormsand met desperate situations which endangered his life on the seven oceans. But old age came to Evan eventually and he was forced to give up his sea-faring days. He came to Mochras to end his life, to his nephew Griffith Griffiths (his sister's son). There were several fishing boats in the new Bar at that time and Evan Francis' greatest delight was being able to go with the crews fishing for herring and tell the tales about the troubles he had experienced.
His days ended on 4th September 1857 and he was buried in Rehoboth Cemetery at Harlech.
O.N. Thanks to Richard Jones, Morfa for sending the above story to Llais Ardudwy. It has become apparent that Griffith Griffiths, Mochras was the great grandfather of Margaret Wilson, and also belonged to the Llanfairucha family. Gwen's full name, Llanfairucha's daughter, was Gwen Francis Owen.
O.N. We don't know how old Evan Francis was when he went to sea, but considering he could have been between 15 and 20 years old in 1792 and returned after 14 years, he would have arrived back around 1816. The Napoleonic Wars were between 1800 - 1815 when he was imprisoned. A tidal dyke was built from Ty Gwyn y Gamlas to Glyn Cywarch in 1810 which would explain the surprising change to Morfa Harlech that Evan Francis saw when he returned.