1840 in Wales

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1840 to Wales and its people.

← 1839 1838 1837 1836 1835 1840 in Wales → 1841 1842 1843 1844 1845
Centuries:	17th 18th 19th 20th 21st
Decades:	1820s 1830s 1840s 1850s 1860s
See also:	List of years in Wales 1840 in The United Kingdom Ireland Scotland

Incumbents

• Prince of Wales - vacant
• Princess of Wales - vacant

Events

• 1 January - Trial of Chartists John Frost, Zephaniah Williams and William Jones for their part in the Newport Rising of 1839 continues at Monmouth[1] before Chief Justice Tindal. This is the first trial where proceedings are recorded in shorthand.
• 16 January - Frost, Williams and Jones are all found guilty of high treason for their part in the Chartist riots,[2] and are sentenced to death - the last time the sentence of hanging, drawing and quartering is passed in the United Kingdom, although following a nationwide petitioning campaign and, extraordinarily, direct lobbying of the Home Secretary by the Lord Chief Justice, it is commuted to transportation for life (and Frost is much later pardoned).
• 5 June - Joseph Brown is appointed Vicar Apostolic of the Roman Catholic District of Wales, being consecrated as a bishop on 28 October.
• 8 October - Taff Vale Railway is officially opened, the first steam-worked passenger railway in Wales, running from Cardiff docks to Navigation House at Abercynon via the Cardiff station known in modern days as Queen Street.[3][4] Public service begins the following day.
• 30 October - First branch of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Wales formed in Flintshire.[5]
• 18 November - The paddle steamer City of Bristol is wrecked at Llangennith, Gower, drowning about 22 people.[6]
• Approximate date - Rebuilding of Gregynog Hall with extensive use of concrete begins.[7]

Arts and literature

• An eisteddfod is held at Liverpool.

New books

English language

• Sir John Hanmer - Memorials of the Parish and Family of Hanmer
• William Lloyd - The Narrative of a Journey from Cawnpoor to the Boorendo Pass

Welsh language

• Evan Davies (Eta Delta) - Y Weinidogaeth a'r Eglwysi
• David Price (Dewi Dinorwig) - Y Catechism Cyntaf
• Taliesin Williams - Hynafiaeth ac Awdurdodaeth Coelbren y Beirdd

Music

• John Orlando Parry - Wanted: a Governess (opera)

Births

• 7 February - Charles Warren, military and police officer and archaeologist (died 1927)
• 26 February - John Cynddylan Jones, theologian (died 1930)
• 14 April - Evan Jones (Gurnos), poet and musician (died 1903)
• 21 June - Sir John Rhŷs, educationist (died 1915)
• 16 September - Alfred Thomas, 1st Baron Pontypridd (died 1927)
• 29 November - Rhoda Broughton, novelist (died 1920)
• 3 December - Francis Kilvert, diarist (died 1879)
• 5 December - John E. Jones, governor of Nevada (died 1896)
• 17 December - Matthew Vaughan-Davies, 1st Baron Ystwyth, politician (died 1935)
• 24 December - Jabez Edmund Jenkins, poet (died 1903)

Deaths

• 6 January - Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, 5th Baronet, politician and soldier, 67
• 12 March - John William Thomas, mathematician, 34?
• 17 March - William Williams of Wern, 58
• 19 May - John Blackwell (Alun), poet, 42?
• date unknown - Thomas George, miniaturist

References

1. Frost, John (1839). Trial of John Frost for high treason: revised by a Barrister. p. 19.
2. Maunder, Samuel; Cox, George William (1856). The Treasury of History (New ed.). Longman & Co. pp. 499–.
3. Barrie, D. S. (1950). The Taff Vale Railway. Oakwood Press.
4. Edward Cresy (1847). An Encyclopædia of Civil Engineering, Historical, Theoretical, and Practical. Paternoster-Row: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans. pp. 595.
5. "Wales". Retrieved 10 June 2014.
6. Bennett, Tom. Shipwrecks for Walkers 1: A Walkers Guide to Beach Wrecks Around Britain. Author. pp. 28–. GGKEY:EA61KY0D96E.
7. Hughes, Glyn Tegai; Morgan, Prys; Thomas, J. Gareth (1977). Gregynog. Cardiff: University of Wales Press. ISBN 978-0-7083-0634-5.