1880 in Wales

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1880 to Wales and its people.

← 1879 1878 1877 1876 1875 1880 in Wales → 1881 1882 1883 1884 1885
Centuries:	17th 18th 19th 20th 21st
Decades:	1860s 1870s 1880s 1890s 1900s
See also:	List of years in Wales 1880 in The United Kingdom Ireland Scotland

Incumbents

• Prince of Wales – Albert Edward
• Princess of Wales – Alexandra
• Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales – Clwydfardd

Events

• 25 February – The Resurgam, an early mechanically-powered submarine, sinks off Rhyl.[1]
• 10 March – Six miners are killed in an accident at the Bedwellty Colliery, Tredegar.
• 29 April – At the United Kingdom general election, Wales elects 28 Liberal MPs. David Davies, Llandinam, is returned unopposed as member for Cardigan.
• 17 June – The rebuilt Holyhead railway station and inner harbour are officially opened by the Prince of Wales.[2]
• 15 July – 120 miners are killed in an accident at the Risca Colliery.
• 3 August – Nine miners are killed in an accident at the Bersham Colliery in Wrexham.
• 10 December – 101 miners are killed in an accident at the Penygraig Colliery, Rhondda.

Arts and literature

• Beriah Gwynfe Evans' Owain Glyndwr, one of the first full-length plays in the Welsh language, is first performed at Llanberis.

Awards

National Eisteddfod of Wales held at Caernarfon (first "official" National Eisteddfod)

• Chair – W. B. Joseph, "Athrilyth"[3]
• Crown – Ellis Roberts (Elis Wyn o Wyrfai)

New books

• Sir William Boyd Dawkins – Early Man in Britain and his place in the Tertiary Period
• Amy Dillwyn – The Rebecca Rioter

Music

• Joseph Parry – Emmanuel (cantata)

Sport

• Football – The Druids of Rhiwabon win the Welsh Cup for the first time.
• Rugby union – Cwmbran RFC and Crumlin RFC are founded.
• Yachting – Penarth Yacht Club is founded as Penarth Boat Club.

Births

• 31 January – Phil Hopkins, Wales international rugby player (died 1966)
• 12 February – William Joseph Rhys, writer (died 1967)
• 17 March – Harry Grindell Matthews, inventor (died 1941)
• 8 April – Thomas Thomas, boxing champion (died 1911)
• 19 April – Jack Jenkins, Wales international rugby player (died 1971)
• 30 April – George Maitland Lloyd Davies, pacifist (died 1949)
• 9 May – Thomas Scott-Ellis, 8th Baron Howard de Walden, patron of the arts (died 1946)
• 11 May – David Davies, 1st Baron Davies, politician (died 1944)
• 22 May
  • Dr Teddy Morgan, Wales international rugby player (died 1947)
  • Robert John Rowlands ('Meuryn'), journalist and poet (died 1967)
• 31 May – Edward Tegla Davies, author (died 1967)
• 22 June – Rhys Gabe, rugby player (died 1967)
• 2 September – Isaac Daniel Hooson, poet (died 1948)[4]
• 15 September – William Charles Williams, VC recipient (died 1915)
• 20 September – Ernie Jenkins, Wales international rugby player (died 1958)

Deaths

• 6 January – John Thomas ('Minimus'), minister and author, 71[5]
• 12 February – John Whitehead Greaves, slate mine proprietor, 72[6]
• 2 March – Charles Meredith, Tasmanian politician, 68[7]
• 12 April – Thomas Joseph Brown, Roman Catholic bishop, 81[8]
• 23 April – Robert Thomas ('Ap Vychan'), minister and writer, 70[9]
• 10 May – David Charles II, hymn-writer, 76?[10]
• 21 August – Evan Mathew Richards, politician, 68[11]
• 30 August – Mordecai Jones, industrialist, 67[12]
• 9 September – William Watkin Edward Wynne, politician and antiquarian, 78[13]

References

1. Richard Compton-Hall (2003). The Submarine Pioneers: The Beginnings of Underwater Warfare. Periscope Publishing Ltd. p. 53. ISBN 978-1-904381-19-8.
2. Roger Cragg (1997). Wales and West Central England. Thomas Telford. p. 25. ISBN 978-0-7277-2576-9.
3. "Winners of the Chair". National Eisteddfod of Wales. 3 October 2019.
4. Thomas Parry, Arwyn Lloyd Hughes. "Hooson, Isaac Daniel (1880–1948), solicitor and poet". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
5. Derwyn Jones. "Roberts, John (Minimus; 1808–1880), Calvinistic Methodist minister, and author". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
6. "JW Greaves, Slate and the Festiniog Railway". Lillington Parish Church. Retrieved 26 September 2019.
7. Sally O'Neill. "Meredith, Charles (1811–1880)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
8. Robert O'Neil (25 October 1997). Cardinal Herbert Vaughan: Archbishop of Westminster, Bishop of Salford, founder of the Mill Hill Missionaries. Burns & Oates. p. 49. ISBN 978-0-8245-1717-5.
9. Richard Griffith Owen. "Thomas, Robert Ap Vychan (1809-1880), Independent minister and tutor, poet and man of letters". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
10. Thomas Iorwerth Ellis. "Charles, David, II (1803–1880), Calvinistic Methodist minister and hymnist". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
11. "Sudden Death of Mr Evan Mathew Richards". The Cambrian. 27 August 1880. Retrieved 26 September 2019.
12. Watkin William Price. "Jones, Mordecai (1813–1880), promoter of British Schools, colliery proprietor, etc". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
13. Thomas, D. L.; Jones, Beti (2004). "Wynne, William Watkin Edward (1801–1880)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 10 March 2009.