ieuan ap iago, also known as evan james, was a welsh poet and weaver who wrote the words to 'hen wlad fy nhadau', the national anthem of wales. born in 1809 in caerphilly, wales, he died on september 30, 1878. early life and career evan james was a weaver by trade and 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 prese…