Evan Jones

18?? -1930

Chemist

From local newspapers    Evan Jones' shop

Evan Jones

Evan Jones came to Llanelli from Monmouthshire in 1885 and in 1886 opened a chemist shop at the bottom of Station Road during the expansion and industrialisation of the town. A chemist in those early days was expected to be capable of undertaking a whole range of services. Mr Jones was not only a fine chemist but he pulled teeth and sight tested his many customers.

In 1890, five years after the family established their business in lower Station Road, they moved to new premises at the corner of Lakefield Road and Station Road. This shop was known by the locals as ‘Siop y Clock’ because it had a huge clock above the premises. Frank Evan-Jones (grandson of Evan Jones) has vivid recollections of winding the clock which had a chain in the bedroom. The original Chemist Shop is no longer, since the premises along with others, were demolished to make way for a block of flats.

By 1929 the business and the family had grown, the business moved to Cowell Street and the family moved into Cilfig, Old Road. Mr Evan Jones had four sons who were qualified chemists and Members of the Pharmaceutical Society (MPS). He also had three daughters. The first son Eric took over the chemist shop in Cowell Street when his father died in 1930. Eric Evan Jones, chemist, was the originator of Fynnon Salts which was sold to Beecham Maclean for a considerable sum of money.

In 1931 Evans Jones the Chemist, became a Limited Company when Dudley and his brother Lawrence became Directors. In 1943 Phillip Naylor was employed as Manager and continued in this capacity for 50 years, until he retired in 1993.

When Dudley Evan Jones died in 1995 his daughter, Carol Richards, who had worked in the shop for 20 years, took over the Directorship with Lawrence.

Before the start of the Second World War there were many local family businesses that had been established during the boom years between 1872 and 1891. Now only a handful remain in existence, and 20 March 1999 marked the end of an era for the oldest family run chemists in Wales. The modern trend of doctors’ surgeries opening up their own pharmaceutical facilities proved too much competition and the decision was made to close Evans Jones.

The family business which was established in 1886, was sold to Superdrug, a national pharmaceutical chain.

One remaining branch of the family continued to trade and followed Evan Jones’ Optical side of the business as F. Evan-Jones, Opticians of John Street. Although Frank Evan-Jones retired after 50 years in business, his two sons Roger and Russell carried on the family tradition with Roger Evan-Jones' shop in John Street and the younger son Russell Evan-Jones together with his partner, has several practices, namely the ‘Optic’ Shops in Carmarthen, Swansea, Cardiff, Bridgend and Porthcawl.

From local newspapers