1948 in Wales

← 1947 1946 1945 1944 1943 1948 in Wales → 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953
Centuries:	18th 19th 20th 21st
Decades:	1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s
See also:	List of years in Wales Timeline of Welsh history 1948 in The United Kingdom Scotland Elsewhere

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1948 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

For United Kingdom incumbents, see 1948 in the United Kingdom § Incumbents.

• Archbishop of Wales – David Prosser, Bishop of St David's
• Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales – Wil Ifan

Events

• 21 May – Hugh Dalton is appointed Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. ^[1]
• 24 June – Thomas Williams is created 1st Baron Williams of Ynyshir.
• 1 July – The National Museum of Wales opens the Welsh Folk Museum at St Fagans to the public, the first open-air museum in the UK (director: Iorwerth Peate).
• 19 October – Opening of the Hoover washing machine factory at Merthyr Tydfil.
• December – Plas Machynlleth given to the people of the town.
• Aneurin Bevan is instrumental in the passing of the Local Government Act and National Assistance Act.
• Ness Edwards joins the Privy Council.
• Creation of the Welsh Joint Education Committee.
• Beginning of nylon manufacture at Pontypool.
• Jim Griffiths becomes Chairman of the Labour Party.
• The Council for Wales and Monmouthshire is established as an advisory body.
• A residential Welsh-medium preparatory school for boys is founded at Llanilar in Cardiganshire.
• Elsie Joan Lewis is appointed as the first policewoman in Wales in modern times, in Glamorgan. ^[2]
• Physicist Rhisiart Morgan Davies publishes the results of his work on stress waves.

Arts and literature

• Kingsley Amis becomes a lecturer at the University of Wales, Swansea.

Awards

• National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Bridgend)
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair – D. Emrys James, ^[3]
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown – Euros Bowen, "O'r Dwyrain" ^[4]
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal – Robert Ivor Parry

New books

English language

• Sir Alfred Thomas Davies – The Lloyd George I Knew ^[5]
• Jack Jones – Some Trust in Chariots

Welsh language

• Ambrose Bebb – Gadael tir
• Aneirin Talfan Davies – Eliot, Pwshcin, Poe ^[6]
• William Eames & Megan Ellis – Melin y Ddôl ^[7]
• Griffith Wynne Griffith – Ffynnon Bethlehem ^[8]
• Robert David Griffith – Hanes Canu Cynulleidfaol Cymru
• Isaac Daniel Hooson – Y Gwin a Cherddi Eraill
• David James Jones (Gwenallt) – Bywyd a Gwaith Islwyn
• Griffith John Williams – Traddodiad Llenyddol Morgannwg

New drama

• Saunders Lewis – Blodeuwedd ^[9]

Music

• Arwel Hughes – String Quartet No. 1
• David Wynne – Sonata for violin and piano

Film

• Glynis Johns stars in Miranda.
• Hugh Griffith appears in London Belongs to Me
• Wandering Through Wales ^[10]

Broadcasting

• 1 March – Welsh Rarebit , previously broadcast during the Second World War, begins its run on the BBC Light Programme. ^[11]

Sport

• Athletics – Tom Richards finishes second in the marathon at the London Olympics, becoming the first Welshman to win an individual athletics medal at the Olympics. ^[12]
• Equestrianism
  • Harry Llewellyn is part of the team winning a bronze medal at the Olympic Games in London.
  • The only Welsh Grand National to be run at Caerleon is won by Bora's Cottage. ^[13]
• Rugby Union
  • 21 February – France beats Wales 3–11 at the St Helen's Ground in Swansea.

Births

• 11 January – Terry Williams, rock drummer
• 22 January – Roger Williams, politician ^[14]
• 1 March – Karl Johnson, actor
• 4 March – Shakin' Stevens, singer ^[15]
• 1 April
  • Dai Davies, footballer (d. 2021)
  • Peter Law, politician (d. 2006) ^[16]
  • J. J. Williams, Wales international rugby union player (died 2020) ^[17]
• 2 April – Tommy David, Wales international rugby union and league player
• 14 May – Albert Alan Owen, composer
• 18 May – Keith Jarrett, rugby player
• 26 May (in London) – Jenny Randerson, politician
• 4 June (in Glasgow) – Jeff Cuthbert, politician
• 14 June – Ffred Ffransis, political activist
• 16 June – Elan Closs Stephens, educator and broadcasting executive
• 2 August – Andy Fairweather-Low, musician
• 9 August – Jackie Lawrence, politician
• 12 September (in Jamaica) – Neville Meade, heavyweight boxer (in Jamaica; died 2010) ^[18]
• 24 October – Phil Bennett, rugby player (died 2022) ^[19]
• 14 November (in London) – Charles III (Prince of Wales, 1958–2022)
• 25 November – Paul Murphy, politician ^[20]
• 26 December – Steve Curtis, boxer (d. 1994)
• 28 December – Terry Morgan, civil engineer ^[21]
• date unknown
  • Alan Llwyd, poet ^[22]
  • Manon Rhys, writer
  • Howard Thomas, plant scientist (died 2022)
  • Randolph Thomas, Anglican clergyman

Deaths

• 12 January – Wilfred Bailey, 3rd Baron Glanusk, 56 ^[23]
• 19 January – Frederick Phillips, hockey player, 63
• 11 February – Evan Davies, politician in Australia, 58 ^[24]
• 21 February – Tom Pook, Wales international rugby union player, 78
• 8 March – Charlie Thomas, Wales international rugby player
• 9 April – John Daniel Davies, 74 ^[25]
• 25 April – Arthur Boucher, Wales international rugby union player, 77
• 30 April – David Daniel, Wales international rugby union player, 77
• 17 May – David Evans, organist and composer, 74 ^[26]
• 22 May – David Delta Evans (Dewi Hiraddug), journalist, author, and Unitarian minister, 82 ^[27]
• 9 June – Len Trump, Wales international rugby player, 61
• 18 July – John Tywi Jones, Baptist minister and journalist, 78 ^[28]
• 31 July – Herbert Millingchamp Vaughan, historian, 78 ^[29]
• 20 August – David John de Lloyd, composer, 65 ^[30]
• 28 August – Charles Evans Hughes, American politician of Welsh descent, 86
• 4 October – Arthur Whitten Brown, British aviator, in Swansea, 62 ^[31]
• 18 October – Isaac Daniel Hooson, poet, 68 ^[32]
• 17 November – B. B. Mann, Wales international rugby union player, 90

References

1. Baines, Edward (1836). The History of the County Palatine and Duchy of Lancaster. Vol. I. London, Paris, and New York: Fisher, Son, & Co.
2. Display in National Emergency Services Museum.
3. "Winners of the Chair". National Eisteddfod of Wales. 17 November 2019.
4. "Winners of the Crown". National Eisteddfod of Wales. 17 November 2019.
5. Morgan, Kenneth O. (1981). Rebirth of a Nation: Wales, 1880-1980 . Oxford University Press. pp.  431. ISBN   978-0-19-821736-7.
6. Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion (London, England) (1967). The Transactions of the Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion. The Society. p. 7.
7. National Library of Wales (1944). Bibliotheca celtica. The Library. p. 211.
8. Morgan Roberts, Gomer. "GRIFFITH, GRIFFITH WYNNE (1883-1967), minister (Presb.) and author". Dictionary of Welsh Biography . National Library of Wales . Retrieved 4 September 2018.
9. Milling, Jane; Kershaw, Baz; Thomson, Peter (9 December 2004). The Cambridge History of British Theatre. Cambridge University Press. pp. 274–. ISBN   978-0-521-65132-5.
10. McCarty, Clifford (2000). Film Composers in America: A Filmography, 1911-1970. Oxford University Press. p. 524. ISBN   978-0-19-511473-7.
11. Davies, John; Jenkins, Nigel (2008). The Welsh Academy Encyclopaedia of Wales. Cardiff: University of Wales Press. ISBN   978-0-7083-1953-6.
12. Eldon, Stan (17 June 2015). Life on the Run. Andrews UK Limited. p. 116. ISBN   978-0-7223-4553-5.
13. Oakley, Robin (9 May 2017). Sixty Years of Jump Racing: From Arkle to McCoy. Bloomsbury USA. p. 121. ISBN   978-1-4729-3509-0.
14. Dod, Charles Roger; Dod, Robert Phipps (2009). Dod's Parliamentary Companion. Dod's Parliamentary Companion Limited. p. 355. ISBN   978-0-905702-79-7.
15. Nite, Norm N. (1 September 1985). Rock on: the illustrated encyclopedia of rock n' roll : the video revolution, 1978-present . Harper & Row. p.  338. ISBN   978-0-06-181644-4.
16. Heath, Tony (26 April 2006). "Peter Law". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 October 2019.
17. "JJ Williams, former Wales and Lions great, dies aged 72". The Guardian . 29 October 2020. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
18. Moon, Paul (31 March 2010). "Boxing Scene pays tribute to Wales' son, Neville Meade". boxingscene.com. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
19. "Rugby union pays tribute to Phil Bennett, who has died aged 73". The Guardian . 12 June 2022. Retrieved 14 June 2022.
20. Gillespie, Gordon (24 September 2009). The A to Z of the Northern Ireland Conflict. Scarecrow Press. p. 171. ISBN   978-0-8108-7045-1.
21. "Terence Keith MORGAN". Companies House. Retrieved 19 October 2019.
22. Crowe, Thomas Rain (1997). Writing the wind: a Celtic resurgence : the new Celtic poetry . New Native Press. p.  46.
23. Price, Watkin William. "Bailey family, of Glanusk Park". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
24. "Mr Evan Alexander DAVIES (1889 – 1948)". Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 19 October 2019.
25. Jones, John William. "Davies, John Daniel (1874-1948), editor and author". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales. Retrieved 19 October 2018.
26. Jones, John William. "Evans, David (1874-1948), musician". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales. Retrieved 19 October 2018.
27. Martin, Aubrey John. "EVANS, DAVID DELTA ('Dewi Hiraddug'; 1866-1948 ), journalist, author and Unitarian minister". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
28. Jenkins, David. "JONES, JOHN TYWI (1870-1948 ), Baptist minister and journalist". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
29. Davies, William Llewelyn. "Vaughan, Herbert Millingchamp (1870-1948), historian and author". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales. Retrieved 19 October 2018.
30. Jones, Selwyn. "De Lloyd, David John (1883-1948), musician". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
31. "Atlantic Flight Pioneer". Nottingham Evening Post . 4 October 1948. p. 4. Retrieved 20 June 2023. – via britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk (subscription required)
32. Parry, Thomas; Lloyd Hughes, Arwyn. "Hooson, Isaac Daniel (1880-1948), solicitor and poet". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales. Retrieved 15 October 2019.

See also

• 1948 in Northern Ireland