1880s in Wales

1870s | 1890s | Other years in Wales

Other events of the decade

This article is about the particular significance of the decade 1880–1889 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

• Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales – Clwydfardd

Events

• 1880
• 1881
• 1882
• 1883
• 1884
• 1885
• 1886
• 1887
• 1888
• 1889

Arts and literature

Awards

National Eisteddfod of Wales

• 1880 – Caernarfon
• 1881 – Merthyr Tydfil
  • Chair – Evan Rees ("Dyfed") ^[1]
  • Crown – Watkin Hezekiah Williams ^[2]
• 1882 – Denbigh
  • Chair – withheld
  • Crown – Dafydd Rees Williams
• 1883 – Cardiff
  • Chair – withheld
  • Crown – Anna Walter Thomas ^[3]
• 1884 – Liverpool
  • Chair – Evan Rees ("Dyfed")
  • Crown – Edward Foulkes
• 1885 – Aberdare
  • Chair – Watkin Hezekiah Williams
  • Crown – Griffith Tecwyn Parry
• 1886 – Caernarfon
  • Chair – Richard Davies
  • Crown – John Cadfan Davies
• 1887 – London
  • Chair – Robert Arthur Williams
  • Crown – John Cadfan Davies
• 1888 – Wrexham
  • Chair – Thomas Tudno Jones
  • Crown – Howell Elvet Lewis
• 1889 – Brecon
  • Chair – Evan Rees
  • Crown – Howell Elvet Lewis

New books

• Rhoda Broughton – Doctor Cupid (1886)
• Richard Davies (Mynyddog) – Pedwerydd Llyfr Mynyddog (1882)
• Amy Dillwyn
  • The Rebecca Rioter (1880)
  • Jill and Jack(1887)
• Daniel Silvan Evans – Dictionary of the Welsh Language (Geiriadur Cymraeg) (1887)
• Frances Hoggan – Education for Girls in Wales (1882)
• Daniel Owen
  • Y Dreflan (1881)
  • Rhys Lewis (1885)
• Robert Williams (Trebor Mai) – Gwaith Barddonol Trebor Mai (1883)

Sport

• 1881 – Welsh Rugby Union is formed.
• 1884 – The Cardiff Arms Park hosts its first rugby international (between Wales and Ireland).
• 1889 – In a football match between Wales and Scotland at Wrexham, the referee allows the injured Welsh goalkeeper to be replaced – the first ever substitution in a soccer match.

Births

• 1880
  • 30 April – George Maitland Lloyd Davies, pacifist (died 1949)
  • 9 May – Thomas Scott-Ellis, 8th Baron Howard de Walden, patron of the arts (died 1946)
  • 11 May – David Davies, 1st Baron Davies, politician (died 1944)
  • 22 June – Rhys Gabe, rugby player (died 1967) ^[4]
  • 2 September – Isaac Daniel Hooson, poet (died 1948)
  • 15 September – William Charles Williams, VC recipient (died 1915)
  • date unknown
    • Edward Tegla Davies, author (died 1967)
    • Harry Grindell Matthews, inventor (died 1941)
• 1881
  • 3 January – Lewis Pugh Evans, VC recipient (died 1962)
  • 14 February – William John Gruffydd, academic and politician (died 1954)
  • 16 April – Ifor Williams, academic (died 1965)
  • 5 May – Rupert Price Hallowes, VC recipient (died 1915)
  • 16 June – David Grenfell, politician (died 1968)
  • 20 June – John Crichton-Stuart, 4th Marquess of Bute, landowner (died 1947)
  • August – John Lewis, footballer (died 1954)
  • 30 September – Philip Lewis Griffiths, lawyer (died 1945)
  • 28 October – Edward Evans, 1st Baron Mountevans, explorer (died 1957)
  • December – George Hall, politician (died 1965)
  • date unknown
    • David Thomas ("Afan"), composer (died 1928)
    • Robert Williams, trade union leader
• 1882
  • 24 July – Reginald Clarry, politician (died 1945)
  • 6 November – David Rees Griffiths, poet (died 1953)
  • 16 December – Cyril Fox, archaeologist (died 1967)
  • date unknown – Ivor Lewis, artist (died 1958)
• 1883
  • 30 April – David John de Lloyd, composer (died 1948)
  • 28 May – Clough Williams-Ellis, architect (died 1978)
  • 13 September – Percy Thomas, architect (died 1969)
  • date unknown
    • John Jones (Tydu), poet (died 1968)
    • James Walker, politician
• 1884
  • 19 February – Clement Davies, politician (died 1962)
  • 24 November – Jack Jones, novelist (died 1970)
  • date unknown
    • Arthur Jenkins, politician (died 1946)
    • Thomas Jones, footballer (died 1958)
• 1885
  • 2 August – Clarence Bruce, 3rd Baron Aberdare (died 1957)
  • 21 November – Robert Evans, footballer (died 1965)
  • date unknown
    • Ernest Evans, politician (died 1965)
    • David John Williams, writer and politician (died 1970)
• 1886
  • 3 May – Morgan Jones, Welsh politician (died 1939)
  • 29 September – Jack Williams, VC recipient (died 1953)
• 1887
  • 13 January – Hedd Wyn, poet (died 1917)
  • 27 February – James Dickson Innes, painter (died 1914)
  • date unknown
    • Huw Menai, poet (died 1961)
• 1888
  • 21 May – William Cove, politician (died 1963)
  • 16 August – T. E. Lawrence, writer and war hero (died 1935)
  • 19 October – Peter Freeman, politician (died 1956)
  • 5 September – Rhys Hopkin Morris, politician (died 1956)
• 1889
  • 1 February – John Lewis, philosopher (died 1976)
  • 11 December – Cedric Morris, artist (died 1982)

References

1. Rhys, James Ednyfed (1959). "Rees, Evan (Dyfed; 1850–1923), Calvinistic Methodist minister, poet, and archdruid of Wales". Dictionary of Welsh Biography . National Library of Wales. Retrieved 15 December 2025.
2. Lee, Sidney, ed. (1912). "Williams, Watkin Hezekiah"  . Dictionary of National Biography (2nd supplement). Vol. 3. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
3. "Crown Winners". Eisteddfod. Retrieved 15 December 2025.
4. "GABE, RHYS THOMAS (REES THOMAS GAPE; 1880 - 1967), rugby player". Dictionary of Welsh Biography . Retrieved 5 December 2025.