JAMES, JOHN (Ioan ap Iago), poet and hymnwriter, who lived in the second half of the 18th century and the early part of the 19th

Name: John James
Pseudonym: Ioan ap Iago
Gender: Male
Occupation: poet and hymnwriter
Area of activity: Literature and Writing; Poetry
Author: Daniel Evans

there is considerable uncertainty about the dates of his birth and death. He lived in the Cil-y-cwm district of Llandovery and was a carpenter by trade. He never received formal schooling, but through his own efforts became a good scholar, his main interests being history, political economy, and poetry. He turned to religion at an early age, was a member of Soar Calvinistic Methodist chapel at Cil-y-cwm for forty-six years and an elder for twenty-five years. He was generally known as 'Jacki Siams.' He became a fairly well known poet in his day and wrote a number of hymns. In 1828, after his death, J. Jones of Llandovery published a small volume of his works, Ehediadau Barddonol.

Author

Published date: 1959

Article Copyright: http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/

The Dictionary of Welsh Biography is provided by The National Library of Wales and the University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies. It is free to use and does not receive grant support. A donation would help us maintain and improve the site so that we can continue to acknowledge Welsh men and women who have made notable contributions to life in Wales and beyond.

Find out more on our sponsorship page.