1949 in Wales
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the particular significance of the year 1949 to Wales and its people.
Incumbents
- Archbishop of Wales
- David Prosser, Bishop of St David's (retired)
- John Morgan, Bishop of Llandaff (elected)[1]
- Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales – Wil Ifan
Events
- Easter - Urdd Gobaith Cymru holds its first "Celtic camp".[2]
- April - The government decides to establish an Advisory Council for Wales.[3]
- 20 May - Council for Wales and Monmouthshire first meets, with Huw T. Edwards as its first chairman.[4]
- June - Meteorologist David Brunt is knighted.[5]
- 12 June - Britain's first all-world Muslim conference is held in Cardiff.
- 21 September
- The first comprehensive school in Wales is opened in Holyhead, Anglesey.[6]
- A meteorite falls through the roof of the Prince Llewelyn Hotel, Beddgelert.[7]
- John Morgan is enthroned as Archbishop of Wales.[1]
- 4 November - Cwmbran is designated as the first New Town in Wales under powers of the New Towns Act 1946.[8]
- 26 December - The Gwyn Nicholls memorial gates at Cardiff Arms Park are officially opened.[9]
- date unknown
- Closure of the granite quarry at Llanbedrog, the last in the town.
- Sale of Bron-y-garth, Porthmadog, ancestral home of Sir Lewis Casson.
- Bodnant Garden is donated to the National Trust.[10]
- Gwynfor Evans is elected to Merionethshire County Council.[11]
- Jack Jones spends three months in the USA promoting the Moral Re-Armament Movement.
Arts and literature
- May - Dylan and Caitlin Thomas settle at the Boat House, Laugharne.
- Geraint Evans stars in The Marriage of Figaro at Covent Garden.
- Huw Menai is granted a civil list pension.
Awards
- National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Dolgellau)
- National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair - Roland Jones, "Y Graig"[12]
- National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown - John Tudor James, "Meirionnydd"[13]
- National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal - withheld[14]
New books
English language
- Dannie Abse - After Every Green Thing[15]
- Stan Awbery - Labour's Early Struggles in Swansea
- David James Davies - Towards an Economic Democracy
- Cledwyn Hughes - A Wanderer in North Wales
- Arthur Leach - Charles Norris of Tenby and Waterwynch
- Gordon Macdonald, 1st Baron Macdonald of Gwaenysgor - Newfoundland at the Cross Roads
- Thomas Mardy-Jones - Character, Coal and Corn – the Roots of British Power[16]
- Bertrand Russell - Authority and the Individual[17]
- Gwyn Thomas - All Things Betray Thee[18]
Welsh language
- Aneirin Talfan Davies - Gwyr Llen
- Richard Davies (Isgarn) - Caniadau Isgarn (posthumously published)[19]
- John Daniel Vernon Lewis - Bydd melys fy myfyrdod: detholiad o lyfr y Salmau[20]
- Kate Roberts - Stryd y Glep[21]
- Louie Myfanwy Thomas
- as Jane Ann Jones - Y bryniau pell[22]
- as Ffanni Llwyd - Diwrnod yw ein bywyd (submitted to National Eisteddfod; published 1954)
- William Nantlais Williams - Emynau'r daith
Music
- Ivor Novello - King's Rhapsody[23]
- Grace Williams - Fantasia on Welsh Nursery Tunes - first recording, made by London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Mansel Thomas (first recording of any work by a female Welsh composer)
Film
- Blue Scar, starring Kenneth Griffith and Rachel Thomas[24]
- The Last Days of Dolwyn, starring Emlyn Williams, Richard Burton and Hugh Griffith
- Yr Etifeddiaeth (The Heritage), documentary by Geoff Charles and John Roberts Williams, depicting traditional ways of life in rural North Wales, with narration by Cynan; the first film to be made in the Welsh language
- The Fruitful Year, a promotional film about Wales, commissioned by the Post Office National Savings
- The Road to Yesterday, travelogue made for troops serving abroad
Broadcasting
- January - Glyn Griffiths writes: "It would be advisable now for Wales to weigh in with its campaign of aggravation and persuasion to get a Welsh Radio Corporation."[25]
Sport
- Football - John Charles joins Leeds United
- Netball - The Welsh team plays its first international matches, against Scotland and England
- Rugby Union
- 26 March - France beats Wales 5–3 at the Stade Colombes in Paris
- 26 December - Rhys Gabe officially opens the Gwyn Nicholls Memorial Gates at Cardiff Arms Park.[26]
- Steeplechasing - The first Welsh Grand National to be run at Chepstow Racecourse is won by Dick Francis riding Fighting Line.
Births
- 1 January - Sue Jones-Davies, actress, singer and local politician
- 7 February - Martin Daunton, historian and academic
- 2 March - J. P. R. Williams, rugby player[27] (died 2024)
- 5 March - Mike Gwilym, actor
- 9 March - Neil Hamilton, politician
- 22 March - John Toshack, footballer and football manager[28]
- 14 April - Dennis Bryon, rock drummer (died 2024)
- 22 May
- Ieuan Wyn Jones AM, politician[29]
- Derek Quinnell, rugby player[30]
- 5 June - Ken Follett, novelist[31]
- 11 June - Tom Pryce, racing driver (killed in racing accident 1977)[32]
- 14 June - Alan Evans, darts player (died 1999)
- 23 June - Hilary Boyd, novelist
- 16 July - Angharad Rees, actress (died 2012)[33]
- 15 August - Richard Deacon, sculptor and academic
- 25 August (in Oxford) - Martin Amis, novelist[34]
- 24 October - Nick Ainger, politician
- 29 October - Alun Ffred Jones AM, politician
- 18 November - William Graham AM, politician
- 15 December (in Epsom) - Jane Hutt AM, politician[35]
- date unknown
- Anthony O'Donnell, actor
- M. J. Trow, writer
Deaths
- 20 January - Artie Moore, wireless operator (born 1887)[36]
- 21 January
- J. H. Thomas, politician, 72[37]
- Rowley Thomas, Wales international rugby player, 85
- 7 March - T. Gwynn Jones ("Tir-na-Nog"), poet and journalist, 77
- 20 April - Sir Evan Davies Jones, 1st Baronet, civil engineer and politician, 90[38]
- 21 April - Sir Alfred Thomas Davies, civil servant, 88
- 27 April - Evan Morgan, 2nd Viscount Tredegar, poet and occulist, 55
- 1 May - Horace Lyne, Wales international rugby player and WRU president, 88[39]
- 3 May - David John Tawe Jones, composer, 64
- 8 May - Abel J. Jones, teacher, writer and public servant
- 6 June - Walter E. Rees, Secretary of the Welsh Rugby Union, 86
- 3 July - William McCutcheon, Wales international rugby player, 78/79[40]
- 23 July - John Bodvan Anwyl (Bodfan), lexicographer, 74[41]
- 10 August - William Jones Williams, public servant, 86
- 26 August - Edgar Chappell, sociologist, 70[42]
- 1 September - Dr Teddy Morgan, Welsh international rugby player, 69
- 24 October - T. Rowland Hughes, author, 46
- 9 November - William Dowell, Wales dual code rugby international, 64
- 16 December - George Maitland Lloyd Davies, pacifist politician, 59[43]