1880s in Wales

1870s | 1890s | Other years in Wales

Other events of the decade

This article is about the particular significance of the decade 1880–1889 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

• Prince of Wales — Albert Edward
• Princess of Wales — Alexandra
• Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales — Clwydfardd

Events

• 1880
• 1881
• 1882
• 1883
• 1884
• 1885
• 1886
• 1887
• 1888
• 1889

Arts and literature

Awards

National Eisteddfod of Wales

• 1880 — Caernarfon
• 1881 — Merthyr Tydfil
  • Chair — Evan Rees ("Dyfed")
  • Crown — Watkin Hezekiah Williams
• 1882 — Denbigh
  • Chair — withheld
  • Crown — Dafydd Rees Williams
• 1883 — Cardiff
  • Chair — withheld
  • Crown — Anna Walter Thomas
• 1884 — Liverpool
  • Chair — Evan Rees ("Dyfed")
  • Crown — Edward Foulkes
• 1885 — Aberdare
  • Chair — Watkin Hezekiah Williams
  • Crown — Griffith Tecwyn Parry
• 1886 — Caernarfon
  • Chair — Richard Davies
  • Crown — John Cadfan Davies
• 1887 — London
  • Chair — Robert Arthur Williams
  • Crown — John Cadfan Davies
• 1888 — Wrexham
  • Chair — Thomas Tudno Jones
  • Crown — Howell Elvet Lewis
• 1889 — Brecon
  • Chair — Evan Rees
  • Crown — Howell Elvet Lewis

New books

• Rhoda Broughton — Doctor Cupid (1886)
• Richard Davies (Mynyddog) — Pedwerydd Llyfr Mynyddog (1882)
• Amy Dillwyn
  • The Rebecca Rioter (1880)
  • Jill and Jack(1887)
• Daniel Silvan Evans — Dictionary of the Welsh Language (Geiriadur Cymraeg) (1887)
• Frances Hoggan — Education for Girls in Wales (1882)
• Daniel Owen
  • Y Dreflan (1881)
  • Rhys Lewis (1885)
• Robert Williams (Trebor Mai) — Gwaith Barddonol Trebor Mai (1883)

Sport

• 1881 — Welsh Rugby Union is formed.
• 1884 — The Cardiff Arms Park hosts its first rugby international (between Wales and Ireland).
• 1889 — In a football match between Wales and Scotland at Wrexham, the referee allows the injured Welsh goalkeeper to be replaced — the first ever substitution in a soccer match.

Births

• 1880
  • 30 April - George Maitland Lloyd Davies, pacifist (died 1949)
  • 9 May — Thomas Scott-Ellis, 8th Baron Howard de Walden, patron of the arts (died 1946)
  • 11 May — David Davies, 1st Baron Davies, politician (died 1944)
  • 22 June — Rhys Gabe, rugby player (died 1967)
  • 2 September — Isaac Daniel Hooson, poet (died 1948)
  • 15 September — William Charles Williams, VC recipient (died 1915)
  • date unknown
    • Edward Tegla Davies, author (died 1967)
    • Harry Grindell Matthews, inventor (died 1941)
• 1881
  • 3 January — Lewis Pugh Evans, VC recipient (died 1962)
  • 14 February — William John Gruffydd, academic and politician (died 1954)
  • 16 April — Ifor Williams, academic (died 1965)
  • 5 May — Rupert Price Hallowes, VC recipient (died 1915)
  • 16 June — David Grenfell, politician (died 1968)
  • 20 June — John Crichton-Stuart, 4th Marquess of Bute, landowner (died 1947)
  • August — John Lewis, footballer (died 1954)
  • 30 September — Philip Lewis Griffiths, lawyer (died 1945)
  • 28 October — Edward Evans, 1st Baron Mountevans, explorer (died 1957)
  • December — George Henry Hall, politician (died 1965)
  • date unknown
    • David Thomas ("Afan"), composer (died 1928)
    • Robert Williams, trade union leader
• 1882
  • 24 July — Reginald Clarry, politician (died 1945)
  • 6 November — David Rees Griffiths, poet (died 1953)
  • 16 December — Cyril Fox, archaeologist (died 1967)
  • date unknown — Ivor Lewis, artist (died 1958)
• 1883
  • 30 April — David John de Lloyd, composer (died 1948)
  • 28 May — Clough Williams-Ellis, architect (died 1978)
  • 13 September - Percy Thomas, architect (died 1969)
  • date unknown
    • John Jones (Tydu), poet (died 1968)
    • James Walker, politician
• 1884
  • 19 February — Clement Davies, politician (died 1962)
  • 24 November - Jack Jones, novelist (died 1970)
  • date unknown
    • Arthur Jenkins, politician (died 1946)
    • Thomas Jones, footballer (died 1958)
• 1885
  • 2 August — Clarence Bruce, 3rd Baron Aberdare (died 1957)
  • 21 November — Robert Evans, footballer (died 1965)
  • date unknown
    • Ernest Evans, politician (died 1965)
    • David John Williams, writer and politician (died 1970)
• 1886
  • 28 March — John Osborn Williams, entrepreneur (died 1963)
  • 3 May — Morgan Jones, Welsh politician (died 1939)
  • 29 September — Jack Williams, VC recipient (died 1953)
• 1887
  • 13 January — Hedd Wyn, poet (died 1917)
  • 27 February - James Dickson Innes, painter (died 1914)
  • date unknown
    • Huw Menai, poet (died 1961)
• 1888
  • 21 May — William Cove, politician (died 1963)
  • 16 August — T. E. Lawrence, writer and war hero (died 1935)
  • 19 October — Peter Freeman, politician (died 1956)
  • 5 September — Rhys Hopkin Morris, politician (died 1956)
• 1889
  • 1 February — John Lewis, philosopher (died 1976)
  • 11 December — Cedric Morris, artist (died 1982)

Deaths

• 1880
  • 23 April — Robert Thomas (Ap Vychan), minister and writer (b. 1809)
• 1881
  • 20 April — William Burges, architect
  • 20 November — Hugh Owen, educationist (born 1804)
• 1882
  • August — John Dillwyn Llewelyn, botanist and photographer (born 1810)
  • 16 December — Alfred Ollivant, Bishop of Llandaff (born 1798)
• 1883
  • 8 November — William Rees (Gwilym Hiraethog), poet (born 1802)
• 1884
  • 17 March — Edward Lloyd-Mostyn, 2nd Baron Mostyn (born 1795)
  • 24 May — Henry Thomas Edwards, preacher (born 1837)
  • 6 November — George Vane-Tempest, 5th Marquess of Londonderry, industrialist
• 1885
  • 1 May — Henry Brinley Richards, composer (born 1817)
  • 1 August — Sidney Gilchrist Thomas, inventor (born 1850)
• 1886
  • 31 March — Edward Douglas-Pennant, 1st Baron Penrhyn (born 1800)
• 1887
  • 25 January — Rowland Prichard, musician (born 1811)
  • 23 April — John Ceiriog Hughes, poet (born 1832)
  • 19 July — Lewis Edwards, educationist (born 1809)
• 1888
  • 20 August — Henry Richard, politician and peace campaigner (born 1812)
• 1889
  • 21 January — Joshua Hughes, Bishop of St Asaph (born 1807)
  • 8 June — Gerard Manley Hopkins, Anglo-Welsh poet (born 1844)
  • date unknown — John Hughes, industrialist (in St Petersburg)