1897 in Wales

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1897 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

*Prince of Wales - Edward Albert, son of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom
*Princess of Wales - Alexandra of Denmark
*Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales - Hwfa Môn

Events

*May 13 - Guglielmo Marconi sends the first ever wireless communication over water, from Lavernock Point to Flat Holm.
*June 20 - Celebration of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee is muted in Nonconformist parts of Wales, as the date falls on a Sunday.
*November - Four Customs officers are rescued from the River Usk, near Newport's Alexandra Dock pier-head after their boat capsizes.
*Opening of the Tal-y-cafn Bridge across the River Conwy.
*Launch of the first Welsh-language Socialist newspaper, "Llais Llafur".
*Opening of the Grand Theatre, Swansea.
*Merthyr Tydfil is refused a town charter; it was eventually granted one in 1905.
*Opening of the Canterbury Building at St David's College, Lampeter (demolished in 1971).
*Edgeworth David leads the Royal Society 's expedition to the coral atoll of Funafuti.
*Opening of Llanfyllin County School. Politician Clement Davies is one of the first pupils.
*Sir Owen Morgan Edwards founds the periodical "Heddyw".
*The Plynlimon and Hafan Tramway opens

Arts and literature

Awards

National Eisteddfod of Wales – held at Newport, Monmouthshire
*Chair - John Thomas Job
*Crown - Thomas Mafonwy Davies

New books

*"Caniadau Cymru" (anthology)
*John Cadvan Davies - "Caneuon Cadvan"
*Alfred Neobard Palmer - "Owen Tanat"
*Ellis Pierce - "Teulu'r Gilfach"
*Owen Rhoscomyl - "The White Rose of Arno"
*John Willis-Bund - "The Celtic Church of Wales"

Music

*Walford Davies - "Overture in D minor"
*"Llyfr Hymnau a Thonau y Methodistiaid Calfinaidd" (collection of hymns)

Film

*Arthur Cheetham begins making films in Wales.

port

*Rugby Union - Due to an argument with the International Football Rugby Board the Welsh Rugby Union withdraws from the organisation and Wales do not play international rugby for 12 months.
*Swimming - The Welsh Amateur Swimming Association is founded. The first Welsh championships take place, with events for men only.

Births

*April 5 - Ness Edwards, politician (died 1968)
*June 22 - Kathleen Freeman, classical scholar (died 1959)
*November 15 - Aneurin Bevan, politician (died 1960)

Deaths

*January 14 - William Basil Tickell Jones, Bishop of St David's, 75
*February 3 - David Pugh Evans, songwriter, 31
*April 1 - William Gwynn, Rugby union international
*May 12 - Thomas Llewelyn Thomas, linguist, 56
*September 6 - Thomas Rees Morgan, engineer, 63
*September 8 - James Milo Griffiths, sculptor, 54
*September 16 - Edward Edwards (Pencerdd Ceredigion), musician, 83
*October 15 - Charles John Vaughan, former Dean of Llandaff, 81