1868 in Wales

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1868 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

Events

*January 22 - Sixteen vessels are lost in a gale off the Burry estuary, with a total of thirty lives lost.
*August 20 - 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.
*December 2 - 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 Mission opens in Cardiff.
*Opening of the Bala Lake Railway.
*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.

port

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

Births

*June 10 - John Jones (Ioan Brothen), poet (d. 1940)
*August 2 - Sir Alfred Edward Lewis, banker (d. 1940)
*December 29 - William Owen Jones (Eos y Gogledd), musician (d. 1928)
*"date unknown" - David Matthews, politician

Deaths

*June 22 - Owain Meirion, poet, 65
*September 11 - Maria James, poet, 74
*November 24 - Sir John Dorney Harding, lawyer, 59
*"date unknown" - Dafydd Jones (Dewi Dywyll), balladeer (born 1803)