1863 in Wales

← 1862 1861 1860 1863 in Wales → 1864 1865 1866
Centuries:	17th 18th 19th 20th 21st
Decades:	1840s 1850s 1860s 1870s 1880s
See also:	List of years in Wales 1863 in The United Kingdom Ireland Scotland

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1863 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

• Prince of Wales — The Prince Albert Edward, son of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom
• Princess of Wales — Alexandra of Denmark

Events

• 10 March — Marriage of Edward Albert, Prince of Wales, to Alexandra of Denmark. Alexandra becomes the first Princess of Wales since 1820.
• 23 October — Festiniog Railway introduces steam locomotives into general service, the first time this has been done anywhere in the world on a public railway of such a narrow gauge (2 ft (60 cm)).^[1]
• Founding of the Anglesey Central Railway.
• English church services are introduced for English-speaking minorities in Welsh-speaking areas.
• Sir Hugh Owen becomes an honorary secretary of the London committee formed to set up the University of Wales.
• Mesac Thomas becomes the first Bishop of Goulburn, New South Wales, Australia.
• Publication of The Bards of Wales, first written in 1857 by Hungarian poet János Arany, using the story of Edward I's conquest of Wales to disguise criticism of the Austro-Hungarian empire.
• Machynlleth born John Evans arrives in British Columbia, Canada, with a group of other Welsh miners. He subsequently becomes a major political figure in the province.
• Spa pump room built at Trefriw.
• Guest Memorial Library at Dowlais opened.

Arts and literature

Awards

• National Eisteddfod of Wales is held at Swansea.

New books

• John Ceiriog Hughes — Cant o Ganeuon
• John Jones (Ioan Emlyn) — Golud yr Oes
• David William Nash — The Pharaoh of the Exodus
• Ebenezer Thomas — Cyff Beuno

Music

• John Ceiriog Hughes — Cant O Ganeuon
• John Thomas (Pencerdd Gwalia) — Llewelyn (cantata)

Sport

• Cricket
  • 23 July — South Wales Cricket Club defeat MCC at Lord's.
  • 27 July — South Wales Cricket Club defeat Gentlemen of Kent at Cranbrook.

Births

• 15 January — James Webb, Wales rugby international (died 1913)
• 17 January — David Lloyd George, politician (died 1945)
• 3 March — Arthur Machen, writer (died 1947)
• 16 March — Dan Beddoe, operatic tenor (died 1937)
• 25 March — Owen Philipps, 1st Baron Kylsant (died 1937)
• 13 April — Walter E. Rees, Secretary of the Welsh Rugby Union (died 1949)
• May — William Rees Morgan Davies, politician (died 1939)
• 8 May — Charles Taylor Wales rugby international (died 1915)
• 18 May — Lewis Davies (Lewis Glyn Cynon), novelist and historian (died 1951)
• 21 May — William Jones Williams, civil servant (died 1949)
• 11 June — Llewellyn Henry Gwynne, first suffragan Bishop of Khartoum (died 1957)
• 18 June — George Essex Evans, Australian poet of Welsh parentage (died 1909)
• 2 July — Billy Douglas, Wales international rugby player (died 1943)
• 7 August — Edward Perkins Alexander, Wales international rugby player (died 1931)
• 8 August — John Herbert Roberts, Baron Clwyd of Abergele, politician (died 1955)
• 17 August — Joseph Harry, minister, writer and teacher (died 1950)
• 29 August — Sir Daniel Lleufer Thomas, magistrate (died 1940)
• 10 September — Walter Rice Evans, Wales international rugby player (died 1909)
• 7 November — Rowley Thomas, Wales international rugby player (died 1949)

Deaths

• 17 February — Ebenezer Thomas (Eben Fardd), poet, 60
• 28 February — David Williams (Alaw Goch), industrialist, 53
• 21 March — David Griffiths, missionary, 71
• 24 March — Thomas Powell, industrialist, 84
• 13 April — George Cornewall Lewis, statesman, 56
• May/June — David Bevan Jones (Dewi Elfed), Mormon leader, 55
• 15 July — Edward Pryce Owen, artist, 75
• 8 November — Joseph Hughes (Carn Ingli), poet, 60
• 13 December — Robert Saunderson, printer, 83

References

1. Ransom, P. J. G. (1996). Narrow Gauge Steam: its origins and world-wide development. Sparkford: Oxford Publishing Co. ISBN 0-86093-533-7.