1909 in Wales
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This article is about the particular significance of the year 1909 to Wales and its people.
Incumbents
- Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales â Dyfed[1]
- Lord Lieutenant of Anglesey â Sir Richard Henry Williams-Bulkeley, 12th Baronet
- Lord Lieutenant of Brecknockshire â Joseph Bailey, 2nd Baron Glanusk[2]
- Lord Lieutenant of Caernarvonshire â John Ernest Greaves[3]
- Lord Lieutenant of Cardiganshire â Herbert Davies-Evans[4]
- Lord Lieutenant of Carmarthenshire â Sir James Williams-Drummond, 4th Baronet[5]
- Lord Lieutenant of Denbighshire â William Cornwallis-West[6]
- Lord Lieutenant of Flintshire â Hugh Robert Hughes[7]
- Lord Lieutenant of Glamorgan â Robert Windsor-Clive, 1st Earl of Plymouth
- Lord Lieutenant of Merionethshire â W. R. M. Wynne (until 25 February);[8] Sir Osmond Williams, 1st Baronet (from 22 March)[9]
- Lord Lieutenant of Monmouthshire â Godfrey Morgan, 1st Viscount Tredegar[10]
- Lord Lieutenant of Montgomeryshire â Sir Herbert Williams-Wynn, 7th Baronet
- Lord Lieutenant of Pembrokeshire â Frederick Campbell, 3rd Earl Cawdor[11]
- Lord Lieutenant of Radnorshire â Powlett Milbank[12]
- Bishop of Bangor â Watkin Williams[13]
- Bishop of Llandaff â Joshua Pritchard Hughes[14]
- Bishop of St Asaph â A. G. Edwards (later Archbishop of Wales)[15]
- Bishop of St Davids â John Owen[16]
Events

- January â Noah Ablett is a founding member of the Plebs' League at Ruskin College, Oxford.[17]
- 1 January â John Ballinger becomes first librarian of the National Library of Wales which is being set up in Aberystwyth, initially in temporary premises in the former Assembly Rooms.[18]
- 16 January â Edgeworth David is a member of the expedition which successfully reaches the Magnetic South Pole.
- 2 July â Thirty-six men are killed when a trench collapses during construction of the Alexandra Dock part of Newport Docks.
- 26 Julyâ7 August - The National Pageant of Wales is held at Cardiff Castle.[19]
- 30 August â RMS Mauretania (1906) calls at Fishguard.
- October â Monthly rainfall of 56.5 inches (1,440 mm) is measured at Llyn Llydaw, Snowdonia - a British record.
- 29 October â A mining accident at Darren Colliery, New Tredegar, kills 26 men.
- December â Thomas "Toya" Lewis is awarded the Albert Medal by Edward VII for his heroism in rescuing survivors of the Newport Dock collapse on 2 July.[20]
- date unknown
- King's Dock, part of Swansea Docks, is opened.[21]
- First coal raised from Penallta Colliery.
- The first mines rescue station in south Wales is opened at Aberaman.
- The Bryn Eglwys slate quarry, the Abergynolwyn estate and village and Talyllyn Railway are purchased by Henry Haydn Jones.
- Thomas Rees becomes principal of Bala-Bangor Theological College.
- Completion of Berw Bridge over the River Taff above Pontypridd, the longest reinforced concrete span in the U.K. at this date (116 feet (35 m)); it is designed by L. G. Mouchel to Hennebique patents and built by Watkin Williams and Page.[22][23]
- Clark's Pies originates in Cardiff.
Arts and literature
Awards
- National Eisteddfod of Wales â held in London
- Chair â T. Gwynn Jones, "Gwlad y Bryniau"[24]
- Crown â W. J. Gruffydd, "Yr Arglwydd Rhys"[25]
New books
English language
- John Gwenogvryn Evans (ed.) â Facsimile of the Chirk Codex[26]
- Edward Thomas â The South Country
- Arthur Wade-Evans â Welsh Mediaeval Law[27]
Welsh language
- Emrys ap Iwan â Homilïau vol. 2 (posthumous)[28]
- Hugh Brython Hughes â Tair Cwpan Aur[29]
Music
- Evan Thomas Davies â Ynys y Plant[30]
Sport

- 23 August â Freddie Welsh wins the European lightweight title (at Mountain Ash).
- 8 November â Freddie Welsh wins the British lightweight title, and becomes the first boxer to be awarded a Lonsdale Belt (in London).
- 20 December â Thomas Thomas is awarded the first Lonsdale Belt at middleweight.
- Sport of athletics
- 23 August â Welshman Fred 'Tenby' Davies beats Irishman Bert Day to become world champion over the half-mile distance (at Pontypridd).
- Rugby league
- Aberdare RLFC, Barry RLFC and Mid-Rhondda RLFC fold after just one season. The first Welsh League competition is won by Ebbw Vale.
- Rugby union
- Wales win their second Grand Slam.
Births
- 4 January â Glyndwr Michael, vagrant whose body was used as Maj. William Martin, RM, in Operation Mincemeat (died 1943)[31]
- 29 January â George Thomas, 1st Viscount Tonypandy (died 1997)[32]
- 14 February â Harry Peacock, Wales rugby union player (died 1996)
- 20 February â Bill Roberts, Wales international rugby union player (died 1969)
- 5 March â Howard Thomas, radio and television producer (died 1986)
- 10 March â Glen Moody, boxer (died 1989)
- 30 March â Dai Thomas, Wales national rugby player (date of death unknown)
- 1 April â George Ewart Evans, folklorist and oral historian (died 1988)[33]
- 11 May â Aneirin Talfan Davies, writer and publisher (died 1980)[34]
- 11 June â Ronnie Boon, Wales rugby union player (died 1998)
- 12 June â Mansel Thomas, composer and conductor (died 1986)[35]
- 16 July â Eddie Jenkins footballer (died 2005)
- 28 July â Jack Morley, Wales and British Lions rugby player (died 1972)
- 25 August â Arwel Hughes, composer (died 1988)[36]
- 30 September â Arthur Probert, politician (died 1975)[37]
- 1 October â Jim Lang, Wales rugby union player (died 1991)
- 24 October â Elwyn Jones, Baron Elwyn-Jones, politician (died 1989)[38]
- 25 October â Walter Vickery, Wales national rugby player (died 2000)
- 7 November â Eirene White, politician (died 1999)[39]
- 29 November â Goronwy Rees, journalist and academic (died 1979)[40]
- 14 December â Ronald Welch, historical novelist (died 1982)[41]
- date unknown
- Isaac Davies (Eic Davies), dramatist (died 1993)
- Evan Roberts, botanist (died 1991)
Deaths

- 3 January â Robert Bird, politician, 69
- 8 January â Frederick Courtenay Morgan, politician, 74[42]
- 9 January â Erasmus Jones, Welsh-American minister and author, 91[43]
- 5 February â W. R. M. Wynne, politician, landowner, collector of manuscripts, Lord Lieutenant of Merionethshire, 68[44]
- 9 March â David Thomas (Dewi Hefin), poet, 80[45]
- 29 March â Catherine Prichard, poet, 66[46]
- April â Ivor James, educationist[47]
- 19 April â J. S. Pughe, Welsh-born American political cartoonist, 39[48]
- 31 May â Thomas Price, Premier of South Australia, 57[49]
- 9 June â Walter Rice Evans, Wales international rugby player[50]
- 2 July â Sir Arthur Cowell-Stepney, landowner and politician, 74[51]
- 1 August â General Sir Hugh Rowlands, VC recipient, 81[52]
- 23 September â Thomas Edward Lloyd, politician, 89[53]
- 17 October â Edward David Williams, politician in Australia, 67[54]
- 22 October â David Rogers, politician in Canada, 79
- 9 November â Montague Guest, politician, son of Lady Charlotte Guest, 70[55]
- 10 November â George Essex Evans, Welsh-Australian poet, 46 (complications arising from gall bladder surgery)[56]
- 11 December â Ludwig Mond, industrialist, 70[57]
- 13 December â Sir Alfred Lewis Jones, shipping magnate, 64[58]
