1888 in Wales

Centuries:	17th; 18th; 19th; 20th; 21st;
Decades:	1860s; 1870s; 1880s; 1890s; 1900s;
See also:	List of years in Wales; 1888 in The United Kingdom Ireland Scotland

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1888 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents[]

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

Events[]

January – Plans are presented for a Welsh Presbyterian Chapel in Charing Cross Road, London.^[1]
March – Construction work begins on the Dowlais steelworks at East Moors, Cardiff.^[2]
May – Owen Glynne Jones climbs Cadair Idris by the east ridge of the Cyfrwy.^[3]
13 May – The young Beatrix Potter records a trip to Machynlleth in her diary.
14 May – Five miners are killed in an accident at the Aber Colliery, Porth, Rhondda.
August – Joshua Hughes, Bishop of St Asaph, has a seizure while staying in Scotland, and is paralysed until his death a few months later.^[4]
27 September – A new dock at Milford Haven is opened.^[5]
5 October – Five sailors are drowned at Colwyn Bay while returning to their ship by boat.
date unknown
- University of Wales, Bangor, opens its agriculture department – the first in a British university.^[6]
- The Welsh Parliamentary Liberal Party is formed.^[7]
- Henry Morton Stanley "discovers" Lake Edward and names it after the Prince of Wales.^[8]
- R. J. Lloyd Price opens a whisky distillery at Frongoch.^[9]
- The remains of Llantwit Major Roman Villa are discovered.^[10]

Arts and literature[]

Awards[]

National Eisteddfod of Wales – held at Wrexham

Chair – , "Peroriaeth"^[11]
Crown – Howell Elvet Lewis, "Y Sabath yng Nghymru"^[12]

New books[]

Daniel Owen – Y Siswrn
J. Rhys – Lectures of the Origin and Growth of Religion as Illustrated by Celtic

Music[]

– "I Will Extol Thee"^[13]

Sport[]

Cricket – Glamorgan County Cricket Club founded.^[14]
Golf – Tenby Links becomes the first golf course in Wales.^[15] The first competition held by the club is held on 25 October over 9 holes and is won by Mr T A Rees.
Rugby union
- Briton Ferry RFC, Builth Wells RFC, Llantrisant RFC, Newbridge RFC and Tonna RFC are founded.
- Willie Thomas is the only Welsh international to take part in the first overseas tour by a British rugby union team.
- Wales win their first international game against Scotland, during the 1888 Home Nations Championship.
- Wales face their first international opposition, the New Zealand Native football team. Wales win by a goal to nil.

Births[]

February – , novelist (died 1963)
23 March – Fred Hando, writer and artist (died 1970)
29 April – Fred Dyer, boxer and baritone singer
14 May – Nansi Richards, harpist (died 1979)
21 May – William Cove, politician (died 1963)
24 May – Howell Lewis, Wales international rugby player (died 1971)
16 August – T. E. Lawrence, writer and war hero (died 1935)
24 August – Valentine Baker, pilot and war hero (died 1942)
5 September – Rhys Hopkin Morris, politician (died 1956)
19 October – Peter Freeman, politician (died 1956)
27 November – Ezer Griffiths, physicist (died 1962)
29 December – Reg Plummer, Wales and British Lion rugby union player (died 1953)

Deaths[]

23 February – Evan Davies (Myfyr Morganwg), poet and archdruid, 87^[16]
29 February – Thomas Price, Baptist minister and author, 67^[17]
7 March – Hugh Hughes (Cadfan), Patagonian colonist, 63
16 March – Thomas Thomas, chapel architect and minister, c. 81
22 March – Henry Robertson, Scottish engineer and founder of Brymbo Steel Works, 72^[18]
24 March – Benjamin Piercy, civil engineer, 61^[19]
29 May – Edward Pryse, politician, 70^[20]
7 June – Charles William Nevill, industrialist and politician, 72
2 August – , poet, 70
5 August – Charles Octavius Swinnerton Morgan, politician, historian and antiquary, 84^[21]
20 August – Henry Richard, politician and peace campaigner, 76^[22]
3 September – Robert H. Roberts, Welsh-born US senator, 51 (boatyard accident)^[23]
20 September – Elias Owen, footballer, 35 (suicide)^[24]
23 November – Edward John Sartoris, politician, 74/75
date unknown
- John Evans (Y Bardd Cocos), poet
- Morgan Morgans, mining engineer, 73/4

References[]

^ The Building News and Engineering Journal. Office for Publication and advertisements. 1888. p. 90.
^ Andrew Lorenz (16 April 2012). GKN: The Making of a Business, 1759–2009. John Wiley & Sons. p. 41. ISBN 978-0-470-68588-4.
^ Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion (London, England) (1967). The Transactions of the Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion. The Society. p. 304.
^ Dictionary of National Biography, 1885–1900, Volume 28.
^ The Railway News ... 1912. p. 141.
^ David Roberts (1 November 2009). Bangor University 1884–2009. University of Wales Press. p. 8. ISBN 978-0-7083-2280-2.
^ John Davies; Nigel Jenkins; Menna Baines (2008). The Welsh Academy encyclopaedia of Wales. University of Wales Press. p. 186. ISBN 978-0-7083-1953-6.
^ The World Book Encyclopedia. World Book. 1989. p. 838.
^ Stuart Perry (1980). The New Zealand Whisky Book. Collins. p. 103. ISBN 978-0-00-216973-8.
^ National Museum of Wales (1928). Annual Report. The Museum. p. 20.
^ "Winners of the Chair". National Eisteddfod of Wales. 3 February 2020.
^ "Winners of the Crown". National Eisteddfod of Wales. 3 February 2020.
^ Griffith, Robert David. "GRIFFITH, WILLIAM (Gwilym Caledffrwd, 1832–1913)". National Library of Wales. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
^ Bamber Gascoigne (1994). Encyclopedia of Britain. Macmillan. p. 259. ISBN 978-0-333-63739-5.
^ The Golfing Annual. H. Cox. 1898. p. 518.
^ "DAVIES, EVAN (Myfyr Morganwg; 1801 – 1888), bard and 'archdruid' | Dictionary of Welsh Biography". biography.wales. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
^ Price, Watkin William. "Thomas Price". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
^ Journal. 1888. p. 4.
^ Thomas Mardy Rees (1908). Notable Welshmen (1700-1900): ... with Brief Notes, in Chronological Order, and Authorities. Herald Office. p. 400.
^ "Death of Colonel Pryse". Cambrian News. 1 June 1888. p. 4. Retrieved 27 February 2018.
^ William Llewelyn Davies. "Morgan, Charles Octavius Swinnerton (1803–1888), antiquary and local historian". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
^ "Death of Mr. Henry Richard, M.P.". Huddersfield Chronicle. 25 August 1888. Retrieved 20 December 2015 – via British Newspaper Archive.
^ EX-SENATOR ROBERTS KILLED in NYT on September 4, 1888
^ Davies, Gareth; Garland, Ian (1991). Who's Who of Welsh International Soccer Players. Wrexham: Bridge Books. p. 155. ISBN 1-872424-11-2.

[1] The Building News and Engineering Journal. Office for Publication and advertisements. 1888. p. 90.

[2] Andrew Lorenz (16 April 2012). GKN: The Making of a Business, 1759–2009. John Wiley & Sons. p. 41. ISBN 978-0-470-68588-4.

[3] Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion (London, England) (1967). The Transactions of the Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion. The Society. p. 304.

[4] Dictionary of National Biography, 1885–1900, Volume 28.

[5] The Railway News ... 1912. p. 141.

[6] David Roberts (1 November 2009). Bangor University 1884–2009. University of Wales Press. p. 8. ISBN 978-0-7083-2280-2.

[7] John Davies; Nigel Jenkins; Menna Baines (2008). The Welsh Academy encyclopaedia of Wales. University of Wales Press. p. 186. ISBN 978-0-7083-1953-6.

[8] The World Book Encyclopedia. World Book. 1989. p. 838.

[9] Stuart Perry (1980). The New Zealand Whisky Book. Collins. p. 103. ISBN 978-0-00-216973-8.

[10] National Museum of Wales (1928). Annual Report. The Museum. p. 20.

[11] "Winners of the Chair". National Eisteddfod of Wales. 3 February 2020.

[12] "Winners of the Crown". National Eisteddfod of Wales. 3 February 2020.

[13] Griffith, Robert David. "GRIFFITH, WILLIAM (Gwilym Caledffrwd, 1832–1913)". National Library of Wales. Retrieved 3 June 2016.

[14] Bamber Gascoigne (1994). Encyclopedia of Britain. Macmillan. p. 259. ISBN 978-0-333-63739-5.

[15] The Golfing Annual. H. Cox. 1898. p. 518.

[16] "DAVIES, EVAN (Myfyr Morganwg; 1801 – 1888), bard and 'archdruid' | Dictionary of Welsh Biography". biography.wales. Retrieved 14 January 2020.

[17] Price, Watkin William. "Thomas Price". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. Retrieved 4 May 2020.

[18] Journal. 1888. p. 4.

[19] Thomas Mardy Rees (1908). Notable Welshmen (1700-1900): ... with Brief Notes, in Chronological Order, and Authorities. Herald Office. p. 400.

[20] "Death of Colonel Pryse". Cambrian News. 1 June 1888. p. 4. Retrieved 27 February 2018.

[21] William Llewelyn Davies. "Morgan, Charles Octavius Swinnerton (1803–1888), antiquary and local historian". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales. Retrieved 4 May 2020.

[22] "Death of Mr. Henry Richard, M.P.". Huddersfield Chronicle. 25 August 1888. Retrieved 20 December 2015 – via British Newspaper Archive.

[23] EX-SENATOR ROBERTS KILLED in NYT on September 4, 1888

[24] Davies, Gareth; Garland, Ian (1991). Who's Who of Welsh International Soccer Players. Wrexham: Bridge Books. p. 155. ISBN 1-872424-11-2.

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