1901 in Wales

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1901 to Wales and its people.

← 1900 1899 1898 1897 1896 1901 in Wales → 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906
Centuries:	18th 19th 20th 21st
Decades:	1880s 1890s 1900s 1910s 1920s
See also:	List of years in Wales 1901 in The United Kingdom Ireland Scotland

Incumbents

• Prince of Wales – Albert Edward (until 22 January); George (from 9 November)
• Princess of Wales – Alexandra (until 22 January); Mary (from 9 November)
• Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales – Hwfa Môn[1]

Events

• January – Samuel Thomas Evans becomes the last QC appointed by Queen Victoria.
• 22 January – Albert Edward, Prince of Wales accedes to the throne as King Edward VII of the United Kingdom, following the death of Queen Victoria.
• 31 March – The 10-yearly Census of England and Wales is taken. The population of Wales is shown to have topped two million for the first time in history. Over 15% of the population speak Welsh as their sole language.[2]
• 3 April – Frederick Rutherfoord Harris, MP for Monmouth Boroughs, is unseated for alleged electoral malpractice.[3]
• 7 May – In the by-election at Monmouth Boroughs, Joseph Lawrence becomes the new Conservative MP.[4]
• 24 May – 81 miners are killed in an accident at Universal Colliery, Senghenydd.
• 10 September – Twelve miners are killed in a mining accident at Llanbradach Colliery in Glamorgan.
• 9 November
  • Prince George, Duke of Cornwall and York (later George V) and his wife Mary of Teck officially become Prince and Princess of Wales.
  • Shipping magnate Alfred Lewis Jones is awarded a knighthood.[5]
• Gomer Berry and William Ewart Berry co-found Advertising World.[6]
• Samuel Walker Griffith helps draft the Australian constitution.
• Construction of Port Talbot Steelworks begins.
• Construction of the 156-room Grand Hotel at Llandudno, the largest in Wales at the time.

Arts and literature

• Arthur Machen joins Frank Benson's travelling theatre company.

Awards

• National Eisteddfod of Wales – held in Merthyr Tydfil
  • Chair – Evan Rees, "Y Diwigiwr"[7]
  • Crown – John Gwili Jenkins

New books

• Morris Williams (Nicander) – Damhegion Esop ar Gân (published posthumously)
• The Dau Wynne – A Maid of Cymru

Music

• John Glyn Davies – Cerddi Huw Puw

Sport

• Rugby Union
  • 9 February – Scotland beat Wales 18–8 at Inverleith, Edinburgh.
  • Pontypool RFC and Tenby United RFC are founded.

Births

• 4 January – Lonza Bowdler, Wales international rugby player (died 1963)
• 20 January – Cecil Griffiths, athlete (died 1973)
• 18 February – Will Owen, politician (died 1981)
• 27 February – Iorwerth Peate, poet, author and founder of the Museum of Welsh Life (died 1982)[8]
• 4 March – Edward Prosser Rhys, journalist and poet (died 1945)[9]
• 1 April – Tom Jones, cricketer (died 1935)
• 18 April – Mel Rosser, dual-code international rugby player (died 1988)
• 22 May – David Morgan Jenkins, rugby player (died 1968)
• 22 June – Naunton Wayne, actor (died 1970)
• 1 July – Candy Evans, miner, boxer, dual-code international rugby union and professional rugby league footballer (died 1952)
• 3 September – Alexander Tudor-Hart, doctor and political activist (died 1992)[10]
• 10 September – Rowe Harding, Wales and British Lions rugby player (died 1991)
• 9 November – Rhys Davies, writer (died 1978)
• 10 December – Ivor Jones, rugby player (died 1982)
• 24 December – Hilary Marquand, economist and MP (died 1972)[11]
• date unknown – Ivor R. Davies, Welsh-descended organist and composer (died 1970)[12]

Deaths

• 20 January – James Harvey Insole, English-born colliery proprietor, 79
• 7 February – Leonard Watkins, Wales international rugby union player, 41
• 21 February – John Deffett Francis, artist, 85[13]
• June – Abel Jones (Bardd Crwst), balladeer, 71[14]
• 1 June
  • John Viriamu Jones, scientist, 45[15]
  • Morgan Albert Ellis, Welsh-American preacher (born 1832)
• 30 June – John Jones Griffiths[16]
• 18 August – Evan James, rugby player, 32
• 26 August – Robert Anderson Evans, executioner
• 5 September – Rhys Gwesyn Jones, minister and author, 75[17]
• 15 September – John Richards (Isalaw), musician (born 1843)
• 22 September – William Davies (Mynorydd), artist, 75[18]
• 24 November – Evan Lewis, Dean of Bangor, 83[19]
• 26 November – Robert Clayton, cricketer, 57
• 16 December – David Lewis, Archdeacon of Carmarthen, 62[20]

References

1. Hywel Teifi Edwards (20 July 2016). The Eisteddfod. University of Wales Press. p. 39. ISBN 978-1-78316-914-6.
2. 200 years of the census in Wales. Office for National Statistics. 2001.
3. The Times, 3 September 1920
4. "No. 27312". The London Gazette. 10 May 1901. p. 3197.
5. "Birthday Honours". The Times (36608). London. 9 November 1901. p. 8.
6. World's Press News and Advertisers' Review. World's Press News Publishing Company, Limited. 1966.
7. "Winners of the Chair". National Eisteddfod of Wales. 3 October 2019.
8. Trefor M. Owen. "Peate, Iorwerth Cyfeiliog (1901–1982), Curator of the Welsh Folk Museum, 1948–1971, scholar and poet". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales. Retrieved 16 October 2019.
9. Jones, Evan David. "Rhys, Edward Prosser". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. LIGC. Retrieved 8 August 2015.
10. "Alex Tudor-Hart". Spartacus educational. Retrieved 12 October 2015.
11. John Graham Jones. "Marquand, Hilary (1901–1972), economist and Labour politician". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales. Retrieved 16 October 2019.
12. Musical Opinion – Volume 94 – Page 483 1970 OBITUARY Ivor R. Davies, F.R.C.O., LJLA.M.
13. Megan Ellis. "Francis, John Deffett (1815–1901), painter and collector". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
14. Robert Thomas Jenkins. "Jones, Abel (1830–1901), ballad writer and strolling ballad singer". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
15. Edgar William Jones. "Jones, John Viriamu (1856–1901), first principal of the University College, Cardiff". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
16. "Death of Alderman J. Jones Griffiths, Penygraig". Rhondda Leader. 6 July 1901. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
17. The Cambrian. T.J. Griffiths. 1902. p. 97.
18. Charles Wilkins (of Merthyr-Tydfil.) (1908). The history of Merthyr Tydfil. J. Williams and sons. p. 468.
19. Thomas, D. L. "Lewis, Evan (1818–1901)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online edition, subscription access). Oxford University Press. Retrieved 26 April 2008.
20. "Obituary – Ven. David Lewis". The Times (36640). London. 17 December 1901. p. 11.