sketcher and Anglican clergyman, was born on 27 July 1838 at Gwnws, Cardiganshire, Wales, son of Rev. David Evans Jones and Ann, née Kelly. He entered Trinity College, Dublin but was forced to discontinue his studies because of ill-health. During his convalescence he worked as a captain’s clerk, then spent several years at sea on board American trading ships. In 1857 he came to New South Wales as third mate of the barque Texas . He deserted at Newcastle and was at Sydney in August, then made his way to John Hawdon’s Kiora Station, near Moruya (NSW), where his father was living as tutor to the Hawdon children. Jones was employed at Kiora as a station hand. He accompanied the Rawdon sons on trips to Gippsland, to the Snowy River goldrush, and on an overlanding trip to the Darling Downs early in 1862. In 1863 he visited Sydney, then worked as a journalist in Newcastle.
Soon afterwards Jones returned to Goulburn and became a theology student under the city’s first Anglican bishop, Mesac Thomas, who ordained him deacon in 1865 and priest in 1866. After a temporary appointment to the parish of Moruya, he became diocesan inspector of church schools. His first independent parish was Araluen, then Albury (1868-72), Tumut (1872-76), Deniliquin (1877-79) and Bega (1880-85). He was appointed a canon of Goulburn Cathedral. But his health deteriorated through constant travelling and in March 1886 he moved to the Sydney diocese as rector of St Mark’s, Granville, with Christ Church, Guildford. Because of his high-church leanings he found no preferment in Sydney. He died at Granville on 16 June 1901, survived by his wife Emily Jane, née Pentland, whom he had married in 1873, and their son David Pentland, born in Tumut in 1876. In 1877 Jones assumed the additional surname Evans, henceforth being known as David Evans Evans-Jones.
A mere seven pages in Jones’s only known sketchbook (ML) are filled, but there are usually eight or nine separate ink drawings to a page. Several depict buildings in Ireland, including the Coraboola Grammar School in County Longford where his father was headmaster for several years. There is one North American view, Highlands of Neversink, Long Island USA . The rest, dated between 1858 and 1866, are Australian, mainly rural scenes in New South Wales. Although fond of mountains ( Mt Dromedary from Tilba Tilba. 9 Jan. 1861 and Warrumbungle Mountains 15 Jan. 1861 ), his particular passion was country churches, e.g. Wesleyan Chapel, Moruya (n.d.), Ch. Cooma, 6 Nov. 1866 and St John’s Adaminaby, 12 Nov. 1866 . The only Sydney scenes depict the monument to the botanist Alan Cunningham in the Botanic Gardens (7 August 1863) and Government House stables ( Govt House, Syd. Aug. 8 1863 ). Nobby’s Island. Port Hunter. 26 Sept 1863 is one of a few views of Newcastle. Jones’s small-scale sketchbook drawings, usually tinted and dated, possess a certain delicacy, and their subjects are of particular regional interest.
