Evan James
Illustration — Memorial to Evan James and James James at Ynysangharad Park, Pontypridd Evan James (also known by the bardic name Ieuan ap Iago) (18 January 1809 – 30 September 1878), was a Welsh weaver and poet from Pontypridd, originally from Caerphilly, Wales, who wrote the lyrics of "Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau" ("Land of my Fathers"), the national anthem of Wales. • Illustration — "Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau", by Madge Breese for the Gramophone Company (1899) – the first known recording made of any song in the Welsh language James, a weaver by trade, employed several people at his mill on the bank of the River Rhondda. According to family legend, his son James James, was walking one day in January 1856 on the banks of the river when the melody for Hen Wlad fy Nhadau came to him. When he gave the tune to his father, Evan James was able to compose the words which are the present-day Welsh national anthem.
Also recorded as Ieuan ap Iago
Evan James
This image is available from the National Library of Wales You can view this image in its original context on the NLW Catalogue · Public domain
- Born
- 1809. · Caerphilly.
- Died
- 1878. · Wales.
- Nationality
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
- Occupation
- writer, poet and weaver.
- Languages
- English.
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Documentary summary
Illustration — Memorial to Evan James and James James at Ynysangharad Park, Pontypridd Evan James (also known by the bardic name Ieuan ap Iago) (18 January 1809 – 30 September 1878), was a Welsh weaver and poet from Pontypridd, originally from Caerphilly, Wales, who wrote the lyrics of "Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau" ("Land of my Fathers"), the national anthem of Wales. • Illustration — "Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau", by Madge Breese for the Gramophone Company (1899) – the first known recording made of any song in the Welsh language James, a weaver by trade, employed several people at his mill on the bank of the River Rhondda. According to family legend, his son James James, was walking one day in January 1856 on the banks of the river when the melody for Hen Wlad fy Nhadau came to him. When he gave the tune to his father, Evan James was able to compose the words which are the present-day Welsh national anthem.
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Biography
Biography
Also worked under the name Ieuan ap Iago. Born at Caerphilly in 1809, died in Wales in 1878.
The recorded working language is English.
A portrait from the Welsh Portrait Collection at the National Library of Wales. Depicted person: Evan James – Welsh poet
This image is available from the National Library of Wales You can view this image in its original context on the NLW Catalogue
photomechanical print. Part of the National Library of Wales portrait archive
This image is available from the National Library of Wales You can view this image in its original context on the NLW Catalogue
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Caerphilly.
Birth place
Wales.
Death place
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Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.BBC. Welsh anthem - The background to Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau. 1 December 2008.
- 2.Watkin William Price. James, Evan ((Ieuan ap Iago; 1809-1878), author of the words of 'Hen Wlad fy Nhadau'. 1959.
- 3.Evan James and James James Memorial - Public Monuments and Sculpture Association. VADS.
- 4.Van der Krogt. Pontypridd - Evan James and James James. Statues - Hither & Thither.
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The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 18 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Books
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