1879 in Wales
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This article is about the particular significance of the year 1879 to Wales and its people.
Contents
Incumbents
- Prince of Wales — The Prince Albert Edward, son of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom
- Princess of Wales — Alexandra of Denmark
Events
- 13 January — In a mining accident at Dinas Colliery, Ruabon, 63 men are killed.
- 22–23 January — 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 — Eleven Victoria Crosses are awarded to soldiers active in the defence of Rorke's Drift, the recipients including Privates John Williams and Robert Jones.[1]
- 1 September — The ballroom of the Lord Nelson Hotel in Milford Haven becomes the first in the UK to be lit by electricity.
- 22 September — In a mining accident at Waunllwyd, Ebbw Vale, 84 men are killed.
- 3 October — Pryce Pryce-Jones opens his Royal Welsh Warehouse at Newtown, Montgomeryshire.
- 17 October — Official opening of the Severn Railway Bridge (destroyed in 1960).
- 29 November — Stradey Park opens as the home of Llanelli RFC.[2] 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.
- 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.
Arts and literature
New books
- Beriah Gwynfe Evans — Owain Glyndwr (play)
- D. Walter Thomas & Edward Hughes - The Cymric language
- Brinley Richards - The Songs of Wales (Royal Edition)
Music
- Joseph Parry - "Man of Sorrows"
- Edward Stephen - Ail Lyfr Tonau ac Emynau ("The Second Book of Tunes and Hymns"; including Parry's "Aberystwyth")
Sport
- Football
- 18 January - Wales play England for the first time, at Kennington Oval. Wales lose 2-1, 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 - Treherbert RFC play Cardiff for the first time.
- Brecon RFC and Ebbw Vale RFC are founded.
- Tennis - 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 — David John Thomas, Wales international rugby union (died 1925)
- 7 April - Philip Turnbull, hockey player (died 1930)
- 23 June — Percy Bush, Wales international rugby union player (died 1955)
- 8 August — Arthur Harding, Wales international rugby union captain (died 1947)
- 28 August - Edward E. Clive, actor (died 1940)
- 29 August — Donough O'Brien, cricketer (died 1953)
- 3 September - Illtyd Buller Pole-Evans, botanist (died 1968)
- 4 September — Eliot Crawshay-Williams, politician and writer (died 1962)
- 12 September - Rupert Davies, Welsh-Canadian politician (died 1967)
- 2 October — Idris Bell, papyrologist (died 1967)
- 6 November — George Daggar MP, politician (died 1950)
- 9 November - S. O. Davies, politician (died 1972)
- 27 November — Dick Jones, Welsh international rugby player (died 1958)
Deaths
- 20 February — John Orlando Parry, actor, pianist, artist, comedian and singer, 69
- 28 March - Robert Jones, Anglican priest and writer, 69
- 10 May — Robert Thompson Crawshay, ironmaster, 62
- 13 August — Edward Edwards, zoologist, 75
- 23 September — Francis Kilvert, diarist, 39
- 11 December — William Thomas (Gwilym Marles), minister and writer, uncle of Dylan Thomas, 45
