1934 in Wales
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This article is about the particular significance of the year 1934 to Wales and its people.
Incumbents
- Archbishop of Wales
- Alfred George Edwards, Bishop of St Asaph (retired)[1]
- Charles Green, Bishop of Bangor (elected)[2]
- Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales â Gwili[3]
Events
- 22 September - At Gresford Colliery in Wrexham, 265 miners are killed in a mining accident.[4] Later in the year, Paul Robeson performs in Caernarfon in a benefit concert for victims of the accident.
- 23 October - Opening of the Guildhall, Swansea, designed by Percy Thomas.[5]
- 24 October - Aneurin Bevan marries fellow MP Jennie Lee.[6]
- date unknown
- Anthracite production in Wales reaches its peak.
- The Special Areas Act is passed to help areas such as the South Wales Valleys that have been particularly affected by the Great Depression in the United Kingdom.[7]
- Courtaulds establishes a new rayon factory at Greenfield.[8]
- Tudor Thomas's work on corneal grafting restores the sight of a man who had been nearly blind for 27 years.
Arts and literature
- Sir Henry Walford Davies is appointed Master of the King's Musick.[9]
- The Welsh Folk Dance Society is founded at Bala.
- Caradog Prichard becomes sub-editor of the News Chronicle.
- Richard Hughes and his wife move into Laugharne Castle.
Awards
- National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Neath)
- National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair - William Morris, "Ogof Arthur"[10]
- National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown - Eirug Davies, "Y Gorwel"[11]
New books
- Edward Tegla Davies - Y Llwybr Arian
- Margiad Evans - Turf or Stone
- D. Gwenallt Jones - Plasau'r Brenin
- Jack Jones - Rhondda Roundabout
- Eiluned Lewis - Dew on the Grass
- Howard Spring - Shabby Tiger
- Dylan Thomas - 18 Poems (his first collection, including "The Force that Through the Green Fuse Drives the Flower")
Drama
- James Kitchener Davies - Cwm Glo
Music
- Harry Parr Davies becomes accompanist to Gracie Fields.
Film
- Ray Milland appears in We're Not Dressing.
- Gareth Hughes appears in Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch.
- Yr Ail Fordaith Gymraeg (Second Welsh Cruise), a silent film made by Ifan ab Owen Edwards focusing on the activities of Urdd Gobaith Cymru (with Welsh-language titles)
Broadcasting
- A new radio station is established at Bangor.[12]
Sport
- Badminton - Wales is a founder member of the Badminton World Federation.
- Cricket - Cyril Walters becomes the first Welshman to captain an England Test team
- Rugby Union
- 10 March - Wales defeat Ireland 13â0 in a game held at St Helen's, Swansea
Births
- 11 February â Mary Quant, fashion designer[13]
- 25 February (in London) â Nicholas Edwards, Baron Crickhowell, politician (died 2018)[14]
- 28 March â Graham Vearncombe, footballer (died 1993)
- 30 March â Dic Jones, bard and archdruid (died 2009)[15]
- 18 April â Brynmor John, politician (died 1988)[16]
- 16 May â Kenneth O. Morgan, historian and academic[17]
- 10 May â Cliff Wilson, snooker player (died 1994)[18]
- 13 June â Gren (Grenfell Jones), cartoonist (died 2007)[19]
- 5 July â Philip Madoc, actor (died 2012)[20]
- 13 July â Dai Ward, footballer (died 1996)
- 6 August â Billy Boston, rugby league footballer
- 16 August â Dave Thomas, golfer and architect (died 2013)[21]
- 4 September â Clive Granger, econometrician (died 2009)[22]
- 19 August â Ron Jones, athlete (died 2021)
- 20 September â David Marquand, academic and MP[23]
- 1 November â William Mathias, composer (died 1992)[24]
- 6 November â Betty Campbell, née Johnson, Wales's first black head teacher (died 2017)[25]
- 24 November â Dewi Zephaniah Phillips, philosopher (died 2006)[26]
- date unknown â Mary Lloyd Jones, painter and printmaker[27]
Deaths
- 6 January â Dorothy Edwards, novelist, 30 (suicide)[28]
- 8 January â Ivor Bowen, judge, 71[29]
- 23 January â Charles McLaren, 1st Baron Aberconway, owner of Bodnant, 83[30]
- 2 February â Edward Bevan, Bishop of Swansea and Brecon, 72[31]
- 4 February â Harry Wetter, Welsh international rugby union player, 52
- 25 February â Daniel Protheroe, composer and conductor, 67[32]
- 28 February â David Davies, textile merchant, 81[33]
- 3 May â Courtenay Morgan, 1st Viscount Tredegar, 68[34]
- 24 May â William Nathaniel Jones, politician, 76
- 14 June â George Thomas, Wales international rugby union player, 76/77
- 30 June â Hugh Evans, author and publisher, 79[35]
- 19 July â Christopher Williams, painter, 61
- 28 August â Edgeworth David, geologist and explorer, 76[36]
- 11 October â John Kelt Edwards, cartoonist, 59[37]
- 13 November â Sir Evan Vincent Evans, journalist, 81[38]
- 4 December â Henry Davies, cricketer, 69