1868 in Wales

← 1867 1866 1865 1868 in Wales → 1869 1870 1871
Centuries:	17th 18th 19th 20th 21st
Decades:	1840s 1850s 1860s 1870s 1880s
See also:	List of years in Wales 1868 in The United Kingdom Ireland Scotland

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1868 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

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

Events

• 22 January – Sixteen vessels are lost in a gale off the Burry estuary, with a total of thirty lives lost.
• 1 February – At the bridge over the Severn at Caersws an approach embankment, damaged by flood water, collapses under a train. The driver and fireman are killed.^[1]
• 14 August – Opening of the Bala and Dolgelly Railway, completing the Ruabon to Barmouth Line via Corwen and alongside Bala Lake.
• 20 August – 33 people die in a fire resulting from a collision between a mail train and a set of trucks at Llandulas station near Abergele, the greatest loss of life in a railway accident in Wales.
• October – Work begins on Nant-y-Ffrith reservoir.
• 2 December – The United Kingdom general election leaves Gladstone's Liberals the dominant party in Wales, with 21 seats.
  • Among the Conservative members who lose their seats are Crawshay Bailey and Henry Austin Bruce, the latter replaced by two MPs for the expanded constituency of Merthyr Tydfil: Richard Fothergill and Henry Richard.
  • Richard Davies becomes MP for Anglesey.
  • Love Jones-Parry wins Caernarvonshire from Douglas Pennant.
  • George Osborne Morgan is elected for the first time in Denbighshire.
  • Farmers in Cardiganshire are evicted for returning a Liberal MP, Thomas Lloyd.
• Norwegian Seamen's Church opens in Cardiff.
• John Crichton-Stuart, 3rd Marquess of Bute, sponsors restoration work at Caerphilly Castle.
• First publication of the Welsh-language periodical, Baner America, in the USA.
• Y Dydd is founded, with Samuel Roberts (S. R.) as editor.
• Iron Age crannog is discovered on an island in Llangorse Lake, near Brecon.

Arts and literature

Awards

• National Eisteddfod of Wales is held at Ruthin.

New books

• Robert Elis (Cynddelw) – Geiriadur Cymreig Cymraeg
• John Ceiriog Hughes – Oriau eraill
• Jabez Edmund Jenkins – Rhiangerdd – Gwenfron o'r Dyffryn
• Griffith Jones (Glan Menai) – Enwogion Sir Aberteifi
• Rhys Gwesyn Jones – Caru, Priodi, a Byw
• John Phillips (Tegidon) – Y Ddeilen ar y Traeth
• William Forbes Skene – The Four Ancient Books of Wales

Music

• William Lewis Barrett is appointed flautist at the Italian Opera of Lutz.
• Gŵyl Ardudwy music festival is founded by John Roberts (Ieuan Gwyllt).
• Publication of Llyfr Tonau ac Emynau, edited by Edward Stephen (Tanymarian) and Joseph David Jones.

Sport

• Cricket
  • May – A team from Cadoxton play the United South of England (including W. G. Grace) at The Gnoll, Neath.

Births

• 29 May – Sydney Nicholls, Wales rugby international player (d. 1946)
• 10 June
  • John Jones (Ioan Brothen), poet (d. 1940)
  • David Prosser, bishop (d. 1950)
• 2 August – Sir Alfred Edward Lewis, banker (d. 1940)
• 28 August – Thomas Charles Williams, minister (d. 1927)
• 28 November - Arthur Linton, cyclist (d. 1896)
• 29 December – William Owen Jones (Eos y Gogledd), musician (d. 1928)
• date unknown
  • Roger Doughty, footballer (d. 1914)
  • David Matthews, politician

Deaths

• 13 January – John Parry, Mormon convert, 79
• 22 June – Owain Meirion, poet, 65
• 17 August – William Nevill, 4th Earl of Abergavenny, 76
• 11 September – Maria James, poet, 74
• 24 November – Sir John Dorney Harding, lawyer, 59
• date unknown
  • Dafydd Jones (Dewi Dywyll), balladeer (born 1803)
  • John Vaughan, ironmaster

References