1879 in Wales
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the particular significance of the year 1879 to Wales and its people.
Incumbents
- Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales â Clwydfardd[1]
- Lord Lieutenant of Anglesey â William Owen Stanley[2][3][4][5]
- Lord Lieutenant of Brecknockshire â Joseph Bailey, 1st Baron Glanusk[6]
- Lord Lieutenant of Caernarvonshire â Edward Douglas-Pennant, 1st Baron Penrhyn[7]
- Lord Lieutenant of Cardiganshire â Edward Pryse[8][3]
- Lord Lieutenant of Carmarthenshire â John Campbell, 2nd Earl Cawdor
- Lord Lieutenant of Denbighshire â William Cornwallis-West
- Lord Lieutenant of Flintshire â Hugh Robert Hughes
- Lord Lieutenant of Glamorgan â Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot[9]
- Lord Lieutenant of Merionethshire â Edward Lloyd-Mostyn, 2nd Baron Mostyn[10]
- Lord Lieutenant of Monmouthshire â Henry Somerset, 8th Duke of Beaufort[11]
- Lord Lieutenant of Montgomeryshire â Edward Herbert, 3rd Earl of Powis[12]
- Lord Lieutenant of Pembrokeshire â William Edwardes, 4th Baron Kensington[3]
- Lord Lieutenant of Radnorshire â Arthur Walsh, 2nd Baron Ormathwaite
Events
- 13 January â In a mining accident at Dinas Colliery, Llantrisant in the Rhondda, 63 men are killed.[18]
- 22â23 January â Rorke's Drift is successfully defended by 139 British soldiers from the South Wales Borderers against an assault by 3,000 to 4,000 Zulu warriors.
- 2 May â Eleven Victoria Crosses are awarded to soldiers active in the defence of Rorke's Drift, the recipients including Privates John Williams and Robert Jones.[19]
- 1 September â The ballroom of the Lord Nelson Hotel in Milford Haven becomes the first in the UK to be lit by electricity.[20]
- 22 September â In a mining accident at Waunllwyd, Ebbw Vale, 84 men are killed.
- 3 October â Pryce Pryce-Jones opens his Royal Welsh Warehouse at Newtown, Montgomeryshire.
- 17 October â Official opening of the Severn Railway Bridge in Gloucestershire (destroyed in 1960).
- 29 November â Stradey Park opens as the home of Llanelli RFC.[21] It remains the home for Llanelli RFC for nearly 130 years, and later for the regional side Scarlets, but closes in November 2008 when the teams' new home, Parc y Scarlets, opens in nearby Pemberton.
- date unknown
- Railway engine drivers and firemen from Griffithstown form a craft union which becomes the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen.
- The Croesor Tramway becomes the Portmadoc, Croesor and Beddgelert Tram Railway.[22]
- Butter (General) Market in Wrexham opens.[23]
- Welsh draper D H Evans opens his shop in London's Oxford Street.[24]
Arts and literature
New books
English language
- D. Walter Thomas & Edward Hughes â The Cymric language
- Brinley Richards â The Songs of Wales (Royal Edition)
Welsh language
- Beriah Gwynfe Evans â Owain Glyndwr (play)[25]
- Daniel Owen â Offrymau Neilltuaeth[26]
Music
- Joseph Parry
- "Aberystwyth" (first published)[27]
- "Man of Sorrows"
- Edward Stephen â Ail Lyfr Tonau ac Emynau ("The Second Book of Tunes and Hymns")[27]
Sport
- Football
- 18 January â Wales play England for the first time, at Kennington Oval. Wales lose 2â1, but see their first international goal, scored by William Davies.
- Newtown win the Welsh Cup in the second year of its existence.
- Rugby union
- 18 January â Treherbert RFC play Cardiff for the first time.
- Brecon RFC and Ebbw Vale RFC are founded.
- Tennis â The first tennis club in Wales is formed by the Newport Athletic Club.
Births
- 1 January
- Ernest Jones, psychiatrist (died 1958)
- Willie Llewellyn, Wales international rugby union (died 1973)
- 15 March â David John Thomas, Wales international rugby union (died 1925)
- 7 April â Philip Turnbull, hockey player (died 1930)
- 23 June â Percy Bush, Wales international rugby union player (died 1955)
- 8 August â Arthur Harding, Wales international rugby union captain (died 1947)
- 28 August â E. E. Clive, actor and director (died 1940 in Hollywood)[28]
- 29 August â Donough O'Brien, cricketer (died 1953)
- 3 September â Illtyd Buller Pole-Evans, botanist (died 1968)[29]
- 4 September â Eliot Crawshay-Williams, politician and writer (died 1962)[30]
- 12 September â Rupert Davies, Welsh-Canadian politician (died 1967)
- 2 October â Idris Bell, papyrologist (died 1967)[31]
- 6 November â George Daggar MP, politician (died 1950)[32]
- 9 November â S. O. Davies, politician (died 1972)
Deaths
- 22 January â John Vivian, MP, English-born member of the Vivian family, 60[33]
- 20 February â John Orlando Parry, actor, pianist, artist, comedian and singer, 69[34]
- 5 March â John Davies of Nercwys, minister and writer, 79[35]
- 28 March â Robert Jones, Anglican priest and writer, 69
- 10 May â Robert Thompson Crawshay, ironmaster, 62[36]
- 14 May â Thomas Nicholas, antiquary, 63[37]
- 13 August â Edward Edwards, zoologist, 75[38]
- 25 August â John Evans, Welsh-born Canadian politician, 63[39]
- 23 September â Francis Kilvert, diarist, 39[40]
- 11 December â William Thomas (Gwilym Marles), minister and writer, uncle of Dylan Thomas, 45[41]