1909 in Wales

← 1908 1907 1906 1905 1904 1909 in Wales → 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914
Centuries:	18th 19th 20th 21st
Decades:	1880s 1890s 1900s 1910s 1920s
See also:	List of years in Wales 1909 in The United Kingdom Ireland Scotland

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1909 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents[]

• Monarch – Edward VII
• Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales – Dyfed

Events[]

16 January: Edgeworth David

• January – Noah Ablett is a founding member of the Plebs' League at Ruskin College, Oxford.^[1]
• 1 January – John Ballinger becomes first librarian of the National Library of Wales which is being set up in Aberystwyth, initially in temporary premises in the former Assembly Rooms.^[2]
• 16 January – Edgeworth David is a member of the expedition which successfully reaches the Magnetic South Pole.
• 2 July – Thirty-six men are killed when a trench collapses during construction of the Alexandra Dock part of Newport Docks.
• 26 July–7 August - The National Pageant of Wales is held at Cardiff Castle.^[3]
• 30 August – RMS Mauretania (1906) calls at Fishguard.
• October – Monthly rainfall of 56.5 inches (1,440 mm) is measured at Llyn Llydaw, Snowdonia - a British record.
• 29 October – A mining accident at Darren Colliery, New Tredegar, kills 26 men.
• December – Thomas "Toya" Lewis is awarded the Albert Medal by Edward VII for his heroism in rescuing survivors of the Newport Dock collapse on 2 July.^[4]
• date unknown
  • King's Dock, part of Swansea Docks, is opened.^[5]
  • First coal raised from Penallta Colliery.
  • The first mines rescue station in south Wales is opened at Aberaman.
  • The Bryn Eglwys slate quarry, the Abergynolwyn estate and village and Talyllyn Railway are purchased by Henry Haydn Jones.
  • becomes principal of Bala-Bangor Theological College.
  • Completion of Berw Bridge over the River Taff above Pontypridd, the longest reinforced concrete span in the U.K. at this date (116 feet (35 m)); it is designed by L. G. Mouchel to Hennebique patents and built by Watkin Williams and Page.^[6][7]
  • Clark's Pies originates in Cardiff.

Arts and literature[]

Awards[]

• National Eisteddfod of Wales – held in London
  • Chair – T. Gwynn Jones, "Gwlad y Bryniau"^[8]
  • Crown – W. J. Gruffydd, "Yr Arglwydd Rhys"^[9]

New books[]

English language[]

• John Gwenogvryn Evans (ed.) – Facsimile of the ^[10]
• Edward Thomas – The South Country
• Arthur Wade-Evans – Welsh Mediaeval Law^[11]

Welsh language[]

• Emrys ap Iwan – Homilïau vol. 2 (posthumous)^[12]
• Hugh Brython Hughes – Tair Cwpan Aur^[13]

Music[]

• Evan Thomas Davies – Ynys y Plant^[14]

Sport[]

• Boxing

Freddie Welsh

• • 23 August – Freddie Welsh wins the European lightweight title (at Mountain Ash).
  • 8 November – Freddie Welsh wins the British lightweight title, and becomes the first boxer to be awarded a Lonsdale Belt (in London).
  • 20 December – Thomas Thomas is awarded the first Lonsdale Belt at middleweight.
• Sport of athletics
  • 23 August – Welshman Fred 'Tenby' Davies beats Irishman Bert Day to become world champion over the half-mile distance (at Pontypridd).
• Rugby league
  • Aberdare RLFC, Barry RLFC and Mid-Rhondda RLFC fold after just one season. The first Welsh League competition is won by Ebbw Vale.
• Rugby union
  • Wales win their second Grand Slam.

Births[]

• 4 January – Glyndwr Michael, vagrant whose body is used as Maj. William Martin, RM, in Operation Mincemeat (died 1943)
• 29 January – George Thomas, 1st Viscount Tonypandy (died 1997)^[15]
• 14 February – Harry Peacock, Wales rugby union player (died 1996)
• 20 February – Bill Roberts, Wales international rugby union player (died 1969)
• 5 March – Howard Thomas, radio and television producer (died 1986)
• 10 March – Glen Moody, boxer (died 1989)
• 30 March – Dai Thomas, Wales national rugby player (date of death unknown)
• 1 April – George Ewart Evans, folklorist and oral historian (died 1988)
• 11 May – Aneirin Talfan Davies, writer and publisher (died 1980)^[16]
• 11 June – Ronnie Boon, Wales rugby union player (died 1998)
• 12 June – Mansel Thomas, composer and conductor (died 1986)^[17]
• 16 July – Eddie Jenkins footballer (died 2005)
• 28 July – Jack Morley, Wales and British Lions rugby player (died 1972)
• 25 August – Arwel Hughes, composer (died 1988)^[18]
• 30 September – Arthur Probert, politician (died 1975)^[19]
• 1 October – Jim Lang, Wales rugby union player (died 1991)
• 24 October – Elwyn Jones, Baron Elwyn-Jones, politician (died 1989)^[20]
• 25 October – Walter Vickery, Wales national rugby player (died 2000)
• 7 November – Eirene White, politician (died 1999)^[21]
• 29 November – Goronwy Rees, journalist and academic (died 1979)^[22]
• 14 December – Ronald Welch, historical novelist (died 1982)^[23]
• date unknown
  • (Eic Davies), dramatist (died 1993)
  • Evan Roberts, botanist (died 1991)

Deaths[]

January:Frederick Courtenay Morgan

• 3 January – Robert Bird, politician, 69
• 8 January – Frederick Courtenay Morgan, politician, 74^[24]
• 9 January – Erasmus Jones, Welsh-American minister and author, 91^[25]
• 5 February – W. R. M. Wynne, politician, landowner, collector of manuscripts, 68^[26]
• 9 March – David Thomas (Dewi Hefin), poet, 80^[27]
• 29 March – Catherine Prichard, poet, 66^[28]
• April – , educationist^[29]
• 19 April – J. S. Pughe, Welsh-born American political cartoonist, 39^[30]
• 31 May – Thomas Price, Premier of South Australia, 57^[31]
• 9 June – Walter Rice Evans, Wales international rugby player^[32]
• 2 July – Sir Arthur Cowell-Stepney, landowner and politician, 74^[33]
• 1 August – General Sir Hugh Rowlands, VC recipient, 81^[34]
• 23 September – Thomas Edward Lloyd, politician, 89^[35]
• 22 October – David Rogers, politician in Canada, 79
• 9 November – Montague Guest, politician, son of Lady Charlotte Guest, 70^[36]
• 10 November – George Essex Evans, Welsh-Australian poet, 46 (complications arising from gall bladder surgery)^[37]
• 11 December – Ludwig Mond, industrialist, 70^[38]
• 13 December – Sir Alfred Lewis Jones, shipping magnate, 64^[39]

References[]