I just received my Glamorgan County, Wales Family History Society newsletter. Thought I'd share this info from pages 28-29... James JAMES the composer of the music for "Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau" Son of Evan JAMES. He was born on 4th November 1832 at the ancient Druid Inn, Argoed (which was kept by his father) in Bedwellty. He assisted his father in the weaving at Pontypridd and later, in 1873, became land lord of the Colliers Arms Mountain Ash and died at Aberdarte on 11th Jan 1902. Evan JAMES, Author of the words for "Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau" was born in Caerphilly in 1809. A weaver and wool merchant by trade, he moved to Pontypridd in 1844 and became the owner of small woollen factory in Mill Street where he resided until his death on 30th Sept 1878. (Below these two paragraphs it lists: Acknowledgements: Old Pontypridd in Photographs - Stewart Williams - Pontypridd Library Local Studies Dept.) Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau [Welsh language], usually translates The Land of My Fathers, but literally 'old country of my father,' is by tradition the national anthem of Wales. The words were written by Evan James and the tune composed by his son, James JAMES, both residents of Ponypridd, in January, 1856. The earliest written copy survives and is part of the collections of the National Library of Wales. The song, or Glan Rhondda (The banks of Rhondda river) as it was known when first composed was performed for the first time in the vestry of Capel Tabor chapel, Maesteg, in either January or February 1856, by a singer called Elizabeth John from Pontypridd, and it soon became popular in the locality. The popularity of the song increased after the Llangollen Eisteddfod of 1858. Thomas Llewelyn of Aberdare won a competition for an unpublished collection of Welsh airs with a collection that included Glan Rhondda. The adjudicator of the competition, Owain Alaw (John Owen, 1821 - 1883) asked for permission to include Glan Rhondda in his publication, Gems of Welsh Melody (1860-64). This volume gave Glan Rhondda its more famous title, Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau, and was sold in large quantities and ensured the popularity of the national anthem across the whole of Wales. Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau was also one of the first Welsh songs recorded when Madge Breese sang it on 11 March 1899, for the Gramophone Company. This was the first recording in the Welsh language. There are photos of both James JAMES and Evan JAMES in the newsletter. If any of you would like to have a copy, email me privately and I will send it as a jpeg attachment to an email. Elaine Powell 7th G Grandfather: John James 1688 - 1725 6th G Grandfather: Christopher James 1720 - 1779 5th G Grandfather: John James 1750 - 1819 4th G Grandfather: William (Billy) Samuel James 1780 - 1840 3rd G Grandmother: Sarah Ann "Sally" James 1825 - 1880 2nd G Grandmother: Evelyn Hobdy 1846 - 1938 GGrandfather: Alexander Arthur Warren 1868 - 1947 Grandmother: Catherine Evelyn Warren 1895 - 1983 Elaine Powell President, Central Florida Genealogical Society, Inc. www.cfgs@cfgs.org