Samiksha Jaiswal (Editor)

1879 in Wales

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Centuries:
  
17th18th19th20th21st

Decades:
  
1850s1860s1870s1880s1890s

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1879 to Wales and its people.

Contents

Incumbents

  • Prince of Wales — Albert Edward
  • Princess of Wales — Alexandra

    • Events

  • 13 January — In a mining accident at Dinas Colliery, Ruabon, 63 men are killed.
  • 22–23 January — Rorke's Drift is successfully defended by 139 British soldiers from the South Wales Borderers against an assault by 3,000 to 4,000 Zulu warriors.
  • 2 May — Eleven Victoria Crosses are awarded to soldiers active in the defence of Rorke's Drift, the recipients including Privates John Williams and Robert Jones.
  • 1 September — The ballroom of the Lord Nelson Hotel in Milford Haven becomes the first in the UK to be lit by electricity.
  • 22 September — In a mining accident at Waunllwyd, Ebbw Vale, 84 men are killed.
  • 3 October — Pryce Pryce-Jones opens his Royal Welsh Warehouse at Newtown, Montgomeryshire.
  • 17 October — Official opening of the Severn Railway Bridge (destroyed in 1960).
  • 29 November — Stradey Park opens as the home of Llanelli RFC. It remains the home for Llanelli RFC for nearly 130 years, and later for the regional side Scarlets, but closes in November 2008 when the teams' new home, Parc y Scarlets, opens in nearby Pemberton.
  • Railway engine drivers and firemen from Griffithstown form a craft union which becomes the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen.
  • The Croesor Tramway becomes the Portmadoc, Croesor and Beddgelert Tram Railway.

    • New books

  • Beriah Gwynfe Evans — Owain Glyndwr (play)
  • D. Walter Thomas & Edward Hughes - The Cymric language
  • Brinley Richards - The Songs of Wales (Royal Edition)

    • Music

  • Joseph Parry - "Man of Sorrows"
  • Edward Stephen - Ail Lyfr Tonau ac Emynau ("The Second Book of Tunes and Hymns"; including Parry's "Aberystwyth")

    • Sport

  • Football
  • 18 January - Wales play England for the first time, at Kennington Oval. Wales lose 2-1, but see their first international goal, scored by William Davies.
  • Newtown win the Welsh Cup in the second year of its existence.
  • Rugby union
  • 18 January - Treherbert RFC play Cardiff for the first time.
  • Brecon RFC and Ebbw Vale RFC are founded.
  • Tennis - The first tennis club in Wales is formed by the Newport Athletic Club.

    • Births

  • 1 January
  • Ernest Jones, psychiatrist (died 1958)
  • Willie Llewellyn, Wales international rugby union (died 1973)
  • 15 March — David John Thomas, Wales international rugby union (died 1925)
  • 7 April - Philip Turnbull, hockey player (died 1930)
  • 23 June — Percy Bush, Wales international rugby union player (died 1955)
  • 8 August — Arthur Harding, Wales international rugby union captain (died 1947)
  • 28 August - Edward E. Clive, actor (died 1940)
  • 29 August — Donough O'Brien, cricketer (died 1953)
  • 3 September - Illtyd Buller Pole-Evans, botanist (died 1968)
  • 4 September — Eliot Crawshay-Williams, politician and writer (died 1962)
  • 12 September - Rupert Davies, Welsh-Canadian politician (died 1967)
  • 2 October — Idris Bell, papyrologist (died 1967)
  • 6 November — George Daggar MP, politician (died 1950)
  • 9 November - S. O. Davies, politician (died 1972)
  • 27 November — Dick Jones, Welsh international rugby player (died 1958)

    • Deaths

  • 20 February — John Orlando Parry, actor, pianist, artist, comedian and singer, 69
  • 28 March - Robert Jones, Anglican priest and writer, 69
  • 10 May — Robert Thompson Crawshay, ironmaster, 62
  • 13 August — Edward Edwards, zoologist, 75
  • 23 September — Francis Kilvert, diarist, 39
  • 11 December — William Thomas (Gwilym Marles), minister and writer, uncle of Dylan Thomas, 45

    • References

    1879 in Wales Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA


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