1885 in Wales

← 1884 1883 1882 1881 1880 1885 in Wales → 1886 1887 1888 1889 1890
Centuries:	17th 18th 19th 20th 21st
Decades:	1860s 1870s 1880s 1890s 1900s
See also:	List of years in Wales 1885 in The United Kingdom Ireland Scotland

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1885 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents[]

• Monarch – Victoria
• Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales – Clwydfardd

Events[]

• October – Keswick House, predecessor of Aberdare Hall, in Cardiff opens, allowing women to study for degrees through the University College of South Wales and Monmouthshire.
• 24 November – The United Kingdom general election is the first in which the Liberal Party has a candidate in every Welsh constituency. The Liberals win 30 of the 34 available seats.
• 23 December – 81 miners are killed in an accident at the Maerdy Colliery, Rhondda.
• The world's first passenger-carrying ropeway comes into use over the River Aeron at Aberaeron.
• Opening of steelworks at Brymbo.
• By order of the Admiralty, only Welsh coal is to be used on ships of the Royal Navy.
• Three people are killed when fire breaks out at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth.
• Frances Hoggan is the first woman doctor registered in Wales.
• Opening of the first local authority secondary school in Cardiff.
• Under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, the constituencies of Denbighshire, Glamorganshire, North and South Monmouthshire are among those disestablished.

Arts and literature[]

Awards[]

National Eisteddfod of Wales – held at Aberdare

• Chair – Watkin Hezekiah Williams, "Y Gwir yn Erbyn y Byd"^[1]
• Crown –

New books[]

• Daniel James (Gwyrosydd) – Caneuon Gwyrosydd
• Daniel Owen – Hunangofiant Rhys Lewis, Gweinidog Bethel, the first long novel written in Welsh

Music[]

• 5 August – Queen Victoria's harpist John Thomas (Pencerdd Gwalia) marries a former student, Joan Francis Denny.^[2]

Sport[]

• Football – Druids win the Welsh Cup for the fourth time in its eight-year history.
• Golf – Course at Borth opens.
• Rugby union
  • Cross Keys RFC, London Welsh RFC, Neyland RFC and Risca RFC are founded.
  • Arthur Gould plays his first international match for Wales.

Births[]

• 21 May – William Dowell, Welsh dual-code rugby player (died 1949)
• 26 June – David John Williams, writer and politician (died 1970)
• 2 August – Clarence Bruce, 3rd Baron Aberdare (died 1957)
• 5 September – Jenkin Alban Davies, Welsh international rugby captain (died 1976)
• 21 November – Robert Evans, footballer (died 1965)
• date unknown
  • Ernest Evans, politician (died 1965)
  • James Grey West, architect (died 1951, in Beer, Devon)

Deaths[]

• 21 January – John Gwyn Jeffreys, conchologist, 76
• 15 March – Jane Williams (Ysgafell), writer, 79
• 1 May – Henry Brinley Richards, composer, 67
• 10 May – Edward Stephen, composer, 62
• 27 July – Penry Williams, artist
• 1 August – Sidney Gilchrist Thomas, inventor, 34
• 24 September – Samuel Roberts, political and economic writer, 85

References[]