John Evan Thomas

[1] In 1857 he left his London practice and bought the small mansion, Penisha'r-Pentre, at Llanspyddid.

[2] As a loyal Welshman, and with the support of Benjamin Hall, he was a prominent figure in the movement to stop misuse of endowments which had been given to Christ College, Brecon.

At his London studio at 7 Lower Belgrave Place he retained the patronage of Welsh landed gentry, producing bust portraits for them.

Four more principal works are: Sir Charles Morgan at Newport, the Duke of Wellington at Brecon, the John Henry Vivian at Swansea and the 1865 Prince Consort on Castle Heights, Tenby.

The original maquettes for these have languished for a hundred years, hidden in the bottom of the north tower of the medieval Westgate, Canterbury.

[11][12] The statues which make up Thomas' contribution to this set are Henry de Loundres, Archbishop of Dublin, and William, Earl of Pembroke.