- He was a weaver, and wool and flannel merchant.
- Kept the Ancient Druid Inn in Argoed, Monmouthshire when his son James was born.
- They moved to Pontypridd, where Evan had a woollen factory in Mill Street.
- 1854: He was a skilled poet; examples of his work are seen in 'Gardd Aberdâr'.
- 1856: January – According to family legend, his son composed the tune for 'Hen Wlad fy Nhadau' on a walk along the Rhondda River, and Evan then wrote the words to it.
- 1858: James submitted the song, under the name of 'Glan Rhondda' in a competition in the Llangollen Eisteddfod.
- 1860: 'Hen Wlad fy Nhadau' was published in a book under its present-day name.
- 1874: The song was performed at the Bangor National Eisteddfod by famous tenor Robert Rees (Eos Morlais), and was gradually adopted as the National Anthem of Wales.
- 1905: 'Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau' was the first National Anthem to be sung at the start of a sporting event.
- 1930: A memorial to Evan and James was erected in Ynysangharad Park, Pontypridd.
'The words and music that were later adopted as our national anthem were composed in January 1856, the result of a
collaboration between a father and a son from Pontypridd: Evan James (Ieuan ap Iago, 1809-1878), author of the words, and James James (Iago ap Ieuan, 1833-1902) who composed the melody.' – 'The National Anthem', National Library of Wales – https://www.library.wales/discover-learn/digital-exhibitions/archives/the-national-anthem