My fellow Presbyterian Meredydd Evans, who has died aged 95, was an inspiration to generations of us who love the Welsh language and its culture.
A native of Merionethshire, born in Llanegryn, he was brought up in Tanygrisiau, Blaenau Ffestiniog, the 11th child of Charlotte and Richard Evans, a quarryman. Meredydd’s strong principles as a Christian Socialist, nationalistic concerns and moral standing came from his upbringing.
In his youth he became a pacifist and a member of the Fellowship of Reconciliation, and faced a military tribunal as a conscientious objector during the second world war. He was given an unconditional discharge on religious grounds, which allowed him to study at the University of Wales in Bangor and later at Princeton University, where he met Albert Einstein. He also met Phyllis Kinney, an American singer. They were married in 1948 and settled in Bangor, where their collaboration on the history of Welsh folk songs and music became invaluable.
Meredydd was also one of the most influential people in Welsh light entertainment. He was the head of light entertainment for BBC Wales (1963-73), and as a producer of popular television programmes discovered a good deal of talent. It was a golden age for BBC Wales. A popular lecturer in Welsh literature and philosophy in the adult education departments at Bangor and Aberystwyth, Meredydd encouraged campaigners in the defence of the Welsh language.
Merêd, as he was known, became a campaigner too. In 1979, with two other academics, Ned Thomas and Pennar Davies, he appeared before Carmarthen assizes for breaking into the Pencarreg television transmitter, as part of the campaign for the establishment of a Welsh language broadcasting service. It was a significant act, but only when politicians became involved, in particular Gwynfor Evans, Willie Whitelaw and Cledwyn Hughes, did Margaret Thatcher yield. In 1999, Merêd refused to pay his television licence fee as a protest against decreasing hours of Welsh language broadcasting.
He was delighted by the establishment of Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol (Welsh Medium Federal College) and he was honoured to be one of its first fellows, a fitting tribute to the academic who worked daily in his study and extensive library at Cwmystwyth, a small village in the hills of Ceredigion, near Aberystwyth, until the last few months of his life.
He is survived by Phyllis, their daughter, Eluned, their grandchildren, Kathryn and Elinor, and great-grandchildren, Anna, James, Kira and Ben.
