1888 in Wales

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1888 to Wales and its people.

← 1887 1886 1885 1884 1883 1888 in Wales → 1889 1890 1891 1892 1893
Centuries:	17th 18th 19th 20th 21st
Decades:	1860s 1870s 1880s 1890s 1900s
See also:	List of years in Wales 1888 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

• January – Plans are presented for a Welsh Presbyterian Chapel in Charing Cross Road, London.[1]
• March – Construction work begins on the Dowlais steelworks at East Moors, Cardiff.[2]
• May – Owen Glynne Jones climbs Cadair Idris by the east ridge of the Cyfrwy.[3]
• 13 May – The young Beatrix Potter records a trip to Machynlleth in her diary.
• 14 May – Five miners are killed in an accident at the Aber Colliery, Porth, Rhondda.
• August – Joshua Hughes, Bishop of St Asaph, has a seizure while staying in Scotland, and is paralysed until his death a few months later.[4]
• 27 September – A new dock at Milford Haven is opened.[5]
• 5 October – Five sailors are drowned at Colwyn Bay while returning to their ship by boat.
• date unknown
  • University of Wales, Bangor, opens its agriculture department – the first in a British university.[6]
  • The Welsh Parliamentary Liberal Party is formed.[7]
  • Henry Morton Stanley "discovers" Lake Edward and names it after the Prince of Wales.[8]
  • R. J. Lloyd Price opens a whisky distillery at Frongoch.[9]
  • The remains of Llantwit Major Roman Villa are discovered.[10]

Arts and literature

Awards

National Eisteddfod of Wales – held at Wrexham

• Chair – Thomas Tudno Jones, "Peroriaeth"[11]
• Crown – Howell Elvet Lewis, "Y Sabath yng Nghymru"[12]

New books

• Daniel Owen – Y Siswrn
• J. Rhys – Lectures of the Origin and Growth of Religion as Illustrated by Celtic

Music

• William Griffith – "I Will Extol Thee"[13]

Sport

• Cricket – Glamorgan County Cricket Club founded.[14]
• Golf – Tenby Links becomes the first golf course in Wales.[15] The first competition held by the club is held on 25 October over 9 holes and is won by Mr T A Rees.
• Rugby union
  • Briton Ferry RFC, Builth Wells RFC, Llantrisant RFC, Newbridge RFC and Tonna RFC are founded.
  • Willie Thomas is the only Welsh international to take part in the first overseas tour by a British rugby union team.
  • Wales win their first international game against Scotland, during the 1888 Home Nations Championship.
  • Wales face their first international opposition, the New Zealand Native football team. Wales win by a goal to nil.

Births

• February – Grace Wynne Griffiths, novelist (died 1963)
• 23 March – Fred Hando, writer and artist (died 1970)
• 29 April – Fred Dyer, boxer and baritone singer
• 14 May – Nansi Richards, harpist (died 1979)
• 21 May – William Cove, politician (died 1963)
• 24 May – Howell Lewis, Wales international rugby player (died 1971)
• 16 August – T. E. Lawrence, writer and war hero (died 1935)
• 24 August – Valentine Baker, pilot and war hero (died 1942)
• 5 September – Rhys Hopkin Morris, politician (died 1956)
• 19 October – Peter Freeman, politician (died 1956)
• 27 November – Ezer Griffiths, physicist (died 1962)
• 29 December – Reg Plummer, Wales and British Lion rugby union player (died 1953)

Deaths

• 23 February – Evan Davies (Myfyr Morganwg), poet and archdruid, 87[16]
• 29 February – Thomas Price, Baptist minister and author, 67[17]
• 7 March – Hugh Hughes (Cadfan), Patagonian colonist, 63
• 16 March – Thomas Thomas, chapel architect and minister, c. 81
• 22 March – Henry Robertson, Scottish engineer and founder of Brymbo Steel Works, 72[18]
• 24 March – Benjamin Piercy, civil engineer, 61[19]
• 29 May – Edward Pryse, politician, 70[20]
• 7 June – Charles William Nevill, industrialist and politician, 72
• 2 August – David Davies (Dewi Emlyn), poet, 70
• 5 August – Charles Octavius Swinnerton Morgan, politician, historian and antiquary, 84[21]
• 20 August – Henry Richard, politician and peace campaigner, 76[22]
• 3 September – Robert H. Roberts, Welsh-born US senator, 51 (boatyard accident)[23]
• 20 September – Elias Owen, footballer, 35 (suicide)[24]
• 23 November – Edward John Sartoris, politician, 74/75
• date unknown
  • John Evans (Y Bardd Cocos), poet
  • Morgan Morgans, mining engineer, 73/4

References

1. The Building News and Engineering Journal. Office for Publication and advertisements. 1888. p. 90.
2. Andrew Lorenz (16 April 2012). GKN: The Making of a Business, 1759–2009. John Wiley & Sons. p. 41. ISBN 978-0-470-68588-4.
3. Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion (London, England) (1967). The Transactions of the Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion. The Society. p. 304.
4. Dictionary of National Biography, 1885–1900, Volume 28.
5. The Railway News ... 1912. p. 141.
6. David Roberts (1 November 2009). Bangor University 1884–2009. University of Wales Press. p. 8. ISBN 978-0-7083-2280-2.
7. John Davies; Nigel Jenkins; Menna Baines (2008). The Welsh Academy encyclopaedia of Wales. University of Wales Press. p. 186. ISBN 978-0-7083-1953-6.
8. The World Book Encyclopedia. World Book. 1989. p. 838.
9. Stuart Perry (1980). The New Zealand Whisky Book. Collins. p. 103. ISBN 978-0-00-216973-8.
10. National Museum of Wales (1928). Annual Report. The Museum. p. 20.
11. "Winners of the Chair". National Eisteddfod of Wales. 3 February 2020.
12. "Winners of the Crown". National Eisteddfod of Wales. 3 February 2020.
13. Griffith, Robert David. "GRIFFITH, WILLIAM (Gwilym Caledffrwd, 1832–1913)". National Library of Wales. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
14. Bamber Gascoigne (1994). Encyclopedia of Britain. Macmillan. p. 259. ISBN 978-0-333-63739-5.
15. The Golfing Annual. H. Cox. 1898. p. 518.
16. "DAVIES, EVAN (Myfyr Morganwg; 1801 – 1888), bard and 'archdruid' | Dictionary of Welsh Biography". biography.wales. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
17. Price, Watkin William. "Thomas Price". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
18. Journal. 1888. p. 4.
19. Thomas Mardy Rees (1908). Notable Welshmen (1700-1900): ... with Brief Notes, in Chronological Order, and Authorities. Herald Office. p. 400.
20. "Death of Colonel Pryse". Cambrian News. 1 June 1888. p. 4. Retrieved 27 February 2018.
21. William Llewelyn Davies. "Morgan, Charles Octavius Swinnerton (1803–1888), antiquary and local historian". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
22. "Death of Mr. Henry Richard, M.P.". Huddersfield Chronicle. 25 August 1888. Retrieved 20 December 2015 – via British Newspaper Archive.
23. EX-SENATOR ROBERTS KILLED in NYT on September 4, 1888
24. Davies, Gareth; Garland, Ian (1991). Who's Who of Welsh International Soccer Players. Wrexham: Bridge Books. p. 155. ISBN 1-872424-11-2.