1887 in Wales

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1887 to Wales and its people.

← 1886 1885 1884 1883 1882 1887 in Wales → 1888 1889 1890 1891 1892
Centuries:	17th 18th 19th 20th 21st
Decades:	1860s 1870s 1880s 1890s 1900s
See also:	List of years in Wales 1887 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

• 18 February – 39 miners are killed in an accident at Standard Colliery, Ynyshir.
• June – The Riot Act is read at Mochdre in the Vale of Clwyd at the height of a "Tithe War".
• 24 August – Roath Dock opened in Cardiff Docks; first sod of Roath Park dug.[1]
• November – The Helvetia wrecked off Worms Head, Rhossili (remains can still be seen at low tide).
• New Cardiff Metropolitan Cathedral completed.
• The Turner House Gallery, Penarth, is built to house the art collection of Major James Pyke Thompson.
• Opening of Wrexham School of Science and Art, predecessor of Wrexham Glyndŵr University.
• Lewis Llewelyn Dillwyn and Stuart Rendel affirm the Welsh Liberal Party's support of Irish Home Rule.[2]
• Richard John Lloyd Price establishes a Welsh whisky distillery on his Rhiwlas estate at Frongoch.[3]

Arts and literature

Awards

National Eisteddfod of Wales – held at London

• Chair – Robert Arthur Williams, "Y Frenhines Victoria"[4]
• Crown – John Cadfan Davies

New books

• Amy Dillwyn – Jill and Jack
• Daniel Silvan Evans – Dictionary of the Welsh Language (Geiriadur Cymraeg)

Music

• John Thomas (Pencerdd Gwalia) – Cambria’s Homage to our Empress Queen

Sport

• Football
  • Chirk win the Welsh Cup for the first time.
  • Knighton Town F.C. is founded.
• Rugby union
  • Ammanford RFC, Caerphilly RFC, Mumbles RFC, Newport RFC, Pontyclun RFC and Taffs Well RFC are established.
  • Wales play their first international in Llanelli; though the original venue of Stradey Park is moved to a local cricket pitch due to a frozen pitch.

Births

• 13 January – Hedd Wyn, poet (died 1917)
• 27 February – James Dickson Innes, landscape painter (died 1914)
• 23 March – Percy Jones, Wales international rugby player (died 1969)
• 19 April – Bertrand Turnbull, Olympic hockey player (died 1943)
• 23 April – Len Trump, Wales international rugby player (died 1948)
• 13 July – Elizabeth Watkin-Jones, children's author (died 1966)
• 21 September – T. H. Parry-Williams, poet, author and academic (died 1975)
• 11 October – William Davies, national librarian (died 1952)
• 29 December – Jack Wetter, Wales international rugby union captain (died 1967)
• Date unknown
  • Bessie Jones, singer (died 1974)
  • Artie Moore, wireless operator (died 1949)

Deaths

• 25 January – Rowland Prichard, musician, 76[5]
• 16 February – Richard Owen, preacher, 47
• 24 March – William Lucas Collins, priest and writer, 71
• 11 April – Samuel Bowen, Independent minister, 87[6]
• 23 April – John Ceiriog Hughes, poet, 54
• 3 May – Robert John Hussey Vivian, infantry officer, illegitimate member of the Vivian family, 84/5[7]
• 28 May – Dan Isaac Davies, educationist, 48[8]
• 19 July – Lewis Edwards, educationist, 77
• 1 August – Hugh Cholmondeley, 2nd Baron Delamere, politician, 75[9]
• 11 August – Sir Richard Green-Price, 1st Baronet, politician, 83
• 7 November – Joshua T. Owen, Welsh-born educator, politician, and soldier in the Union army during the American Civil War, 66

References

1. "Opening of the Roath Dock". Cardiff Times. 27 August 1887. p. 6. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
2. "Dillwyn". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
3. Winn, Christopher (2007). I Never Knew That About Wales. London: Ebury. ISBN 978-0-09-191858-3.
4. "Winners of the Chair". National Eisteddfod of Wales. 3 October 2019.
5. Robert David Griffith. "Prichard, Rowland Huw (1812-1887), musician". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
6. Richard Griffith Owen. "Bowen, Samuel (1799-1887), Macclesfield, Independent minister and teacher". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
7. "Obituary". The Illustrated London News. Illustrated London News & Sketch Limited. 21 May 1887. p. 580. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
8. "DAVIES, DAN ISAAC (1839 - 1887), a pioneer of the teaching of Welsh in schools | Dictionary of Welsh Biography". biography.wales. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
9. Michael Stenton (1976). Who's who of British members of Parliament: a biographical dictionary of the House of Commons based on annual volumes of Dod's Parliamentary companion and other sources. The Harvester Press. p. 76. ISBN 978-0-85527-219-7.