1873 in Wales

← 1872 1871 1870 1873 in Wales → 1874 1875 1876
Centuries:	17th 18th 19th 20th 21st
Decades:	1850s 1860s 1870s 1880s 1890s
See also:	List of years in Wales 1873 in The United Kingdom Ireland Scotland

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1873 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

• 1 March — The sailing ship Chacabuco sinks off the Great Orme with the loss of 24 lives.
• 9 October — The first recorded sheepdog trial in the UK takes place at Bala.
• 2 December — In a mining accident at Hafod Colliery, Rhiwabon, five men are killed.
• Construction of the Holyhead breakwater (the longest in the world) is completed after 28 years.
• Work begins on the Severn tunnel.
• The Glyn Valley Tramway opens, carrying slate from Glyn Ceiriog to Chirk.
• Construction of the Morriston Tabernacle chapel, the biggest in Wales at the time.
• Construction of lighthouse on Ynys Llanddwyn.

Arts and literature

New books

• Rhoda Broughton — Nancy
• Robert Elis (Cynddelw) — Manion Hynafiaethol
• Ebenezer Thomas - Gweithiau Barddonol Eben Fardd (posthumously published)

Music

• Henry Brinley Richards — Songs of Wales

Sport

• December — Major Walter Wingfield of Nantclwyd Hall at Llanelidan designs a game for the amusement of his visitors. Wingfield soon patents nets for the game of lawn tennis, which he calls "sphairistike".

Births

• 7 January — Christopher Williams, Welsh artist (died 1934)
• 16 January — Ivor Guest, 1st Viscount Wimborne, politician (died 1939)
• 7 April
  • John Dyfnallt Owen, poet and Archdruid (died 1956)
  • Charles Butt Stanton, politician (died 1946)
• 23 April — Sir Robert Thomas, 1st Baronet, politician (died 1951)
• 1 May — Harry Evans, musician (died 1914)
• 2 June — Anna Eliza Williams, supercentenarian (died 1987)
• 5 June — Ben Davies, Wales international rugby player (died 1930)
• date unknown — Arthur Tysilio Johnson ("The Perfidious Welshman") (died 1956)

Deaths

• January — John Emlyn Jones, poet (born 1818)
• 27 January — Josiah Thomas Jones, publisher (born 1799)
• 29 March — David Jones, merchant in Australia (born 1793)
• 17 May — Lord William Paget, soldier and politician (born 1803)
• 9 October — John Evan Thomas, sculptor (born 1810)
• 31 October — William Ambrose (Emrys), poet (born 1813)
• 10 November — Maria Jane Williams, musician (born 1795)
• date unknown — William Jones, Chartist leader