1868 in Wales

← 1867 1866 1865 1868 in Wales → 1869 1870 1871
Centuries:	17th 18th 19th 20th 21st
Decades:	1840s 1850s 1860s 1870s 1880s
See also:	List of years in Wales 1868 in The United Kingdom Ireland Scotland

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1868 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

• 22 January – Sixteen vessels are lost in a gale off the Burry estuary, with a total of thirty lives lost.
• 1 February – At the bridge over the Severn at Caersws an approach embankment, damaged by flood water, collapses under a train. The driver and fireman are killed.^[1]
• 14 August – Opening of the Bala and Dolgelly Railway, completing the Ruabon to Barmouth Line via Corwen and alongside Bala Lake.
• 20 August – 33 people die in a fire resulting from a collision between a mail train and a set of trucks at Llandulas station near Abergele, the greatest loss of life in a railway accident in Wales.
• October – Work begins on Nant-y-Ffrith reservoir.
• 2 December – The United Kingdom general election leaves Gladstone's Liberals the dominant party in Wales, with 21 seats.
  • Among the Conservative members who lose their seats are Crawshay Bailey and Henry Austin Bruce, the latter replaced by two MPs for the expanded constituency of Merthyr Tydfil: Richard Fothergill and Henry Richard.
  • Richard Davies becomes MP for Anglesey.
  • Love Jones-Parry wins Caernarvonshire from Douglas Pennant.
  • George Osborne Morgan is elected for the first time in Denbighshire.
  • Farmers in Cardiganshire are evicted for returning a Liberal MP, Thomas Lloyd.
• Norwegian Seamen's Church opens in Cardiff.
• John Crichton-Stuart, 3rd Marquess of Bute, sponsors restoration work at Caerphilly Castle.
• First publication of the Welsh-language periodical, Baner America, in the USA.
• Y Dydd is founded, with Samuel Roberts (S. R.) as editor.
• Iron Age crannog is discovered on an island in Llangorse Lake, near Brecon.

Arts and literature

Awards

• National Eisteddfod of Wales is held at Ruthin.

New books

• Robert Elis (Cynddelw) – Geiriadur Cymreig Cymraeg
• John Ceiriog Hughes – Oriau eraill
• Jabez Edmund Jenkins – Rhiangerdd – Gwenfron o'r Dyffryn
• Griffith Jones (Glan Menai) – Enwogion Sir Aberteifi
• Rhys Gwesyn Jones – Caru, Priodi, a Byw
• John Phillips (Tegidon) – Y Ddeilen ar y Traeth
• William Forbes Skene – The Four Ancient Books of Wales

Music

• William Lewis Barrett is appointed flautist at the Italian Opera of Lutz.
• Gŵyl Ardudwy music festival is founded by John Roberts (Ieuan Gwyllt).
• Publication of Llyfr Tonau ac Emynau, edited by Edward Stephen (Tanymarian) and Joseph David Jones.

Sport

• Cricket
  • May – A team from Cadoxton play the United South of England (including W. G. Grace) at The Gnoll, Neath.

Births

• 29 May – Sydney Nicholls, Wales rugby international player (d. 1946)
• 10 June
  • John Jones (Ioan Brothen), poet (d. 1940)
  • David Prosser, bishop (d. 1950)
• 2 August – Sir Alfred Edward Lewis, banker (d. 1940)
• 28 August – Thomas Charles Williams, minister (d. 1927)
• 28 November - Arthur Linton, cyclist (d. 1896)
• 29 December – William Owen Jones (Eos y Gogledd), musician (d. 1928)
• date unknown
  • Roger Doughty, footballer (d. 1914)
  • David Matthews, politician

Deaths

• 13 January – John Parry, Mormon convert, 79
• 22 June – Owain Meirion, poet, 65
• 17 August – William Nevill, 4th Earl of Abergavenny, 76
• 11 September – Maria James, poet, 74
• 24 November – Sir John Dorney Harding, lawyer, 59
• date unknown
  • Dafydd Jones (Dewi Dywyll), balladeer (born 1803)
  • John Vaughan, ironmaster

References

1. "Impact of scour and flood risk on railway structures" (PDF). Rail Safety and Standards Board. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 February 2006. Retrieved 18 May 2010.