1850s in Wales

This article is about the particular significance of the decade 1850 - 1859 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

*Prince of Wales - Edward Albert, son of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom
*Princess of Wales - "vacant"

Events

*1850
*1851
*1852
*1853
*1854
*1855
*1856
*1857
*1858
*1859

Arts and literature

Awards

National Eisteddfod of Wales
*1853 - "Islwyn" wins the crown at the Abergavenny eisteddfod.
*1858 - "Great Eisteddfod" at Llangollen; early appearance of Gorsedd ceremony.

New books

*Anne Beale - "Gladys of Harlech" (1858)
*John Blackwell (Alun) - "Ceinion Alun" (1851;posthumously published)
*B. B. Davies - "The History of Wales" (1853)
*Samuel Evans (Gomerydd) - "Y Gomerydd" (1854)
*John Ceiriog Hughes - "Gohebiaethau Syr Meurig Crynswth" (vol. 1) (1856)
*Aneurin Jones - "Tafol y Beirdd"(1852)
**John Jones (Talhaiarn) - "Gwaith Talhaiarn", vol. 1 (1855)
*Owen Wynne Jones
**"Fy Oriau Hamddenol" (1854)
**"Dafydd Llwyd" (1857)
**"Lleucu Llwyd" (1858)
*Robert Parry (Robyn Ddu Eryri) - "Teithiau a Barddoniaeth Robyn Ddu Eryri" (1857)
*William Rees (Gwilym Hiraethog)
**"Aelwyd F'Ewythr Robert" (1852)
**"Gweithiau Barddonol Gwilym Hiraethog" (1855)
*William Thomas (Islwyn) - "Barddoniaeth" (1854)
*William Thomas (Gwilym Marles) - "Prydyddiaeth" (1859)
*Morris Williams (Nicander) - "Y Psalmwyr" (1850)
*William Williams (Creuddynfab) - "Y Barddoniadur" (1855)

Music

*"Y Blwch Cerddorol" (collection of hymns and anthems) (1854)
*Thomas Jones (Gogrynwr) - "Gweddi Habacuc" (cantata) (1851)
*J. Ambrose Lloyd - "Teyrnasoedd y Ddaear" (1852)
*Edward Stephen (Tanymarian) - "Ystorm Tiberias" (oratorio) (1852)

*January 1856 - The Welsh national anthem, "Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau", is composed by James James with lyrics by his father Evan James.

Births

*1850
**January 4 - Griffith J. Griffith, industrialist (died 1919)
**April 16 - Sidney Gilchrist Thomas, inventor (died 1885)
*1851
**March 24 - Robert Ambrose Jones (Emrys ap Iwan) (d. 1906)
**July 8 - Sir Arthur Evans, archaeologist (d. 1941)
**December 27 - Percy Gilchrist, industrialist
**"date unknown" - Elizabeth Phillips Hughes, promoter of women's education (died 1925)
*1852
**March 20 - John Gwenogvryn Evans, palaeographer (died 1930)
**April 26 - William Eilir Evans, journalist (died 1910)
**April 28 - Sir Francis Edwards, 1st Baronet, Liberal politician (died 1927)
**May 11 - Sir David Saunders Davies, MP (died 1934)
**November 25 - Sir Evan Vincent Evans, Eisteddfod supporter (died 1934)
**December - Alice Gray Jones (Ceridwen Peris), writer (died 1943)
*1855
**"date unknown" - Jeremiah Jones, poet (died 1902)
*1856
**March 26 - David Alfred Thomas, politician (died 1918)
*1858
**January 28 - Edgeworth David, explorer (died 1934)
**December 28 - Josiah Towyn Jones, politician
*1859
**February 16 - T. E. Ellis, politician (died 1899)
**July 17 - Ernest Rhys, writer (died 1946)

Deaths

*1850
**September 2 - Charles Watkin Williams-Wynn, politician (born 1775)
*1851
**April 6 - William Morgan Kinsey, travel writer (born 1788)
**June 30 - Thomas Phillips, founder of Llandovery College (born 1760)
*1852
**February 23 - Evan Jones (Ieuan Gwynedd), minister and journalist, 31
**May 2 - John Jones (Ioan Tegid), poet (born 1792)
**November 26 - John Josiah Guest, engineer, entrepreneur and politician, 77
*1853
**"date unknown" - William Roberts, preacher (b. 1809)
*1854
**April 3 - Edward Lloyd, 1st Baron Mostyn, politician (born 1768)
**April 29 - Henry Paget, 1st Marquess of Anglesey, soldier and politician (born 1768)
*1855
**June 28 - FitzRoy Somerset, 1st Baron Raglan (born 1788)
**"date unknown"
**Sir John Morris, 1st Baronet, industrialist
**John Henry Vivian, industrialist (born 1785)
*1857
**February 10 - David Thompson, explorer (born to Welsh parents 1770)
**August 12 - William Daniel Conybeare, dean of Llandaff (born 1787)
**August 16 - John Jones (Talysarn), leading non-conformist minister (born 1796)
*1858
**November 17 - Robert Owen, founder of the Co-operative Society (born 1771)
**November 20 - Sir Joseph Bailey, 1st Baronet, ironmaster (born 1783)
**December 18 - John Salusbury Piozzi Salusbury, nephew of Hester Thrale (born 1793)