1789 in Wales

Incumbents

• Lord Lieutenant of Anglesey - Henry Paget
• Lord Lieutenant of Brecknockshire and Monmouthshire – Henry Somerset, 5th Duke of Beaufort
• Lord Lieutenant of Caernarvonshire - Thomas Bulkeley, 7th Viscount Bulkeley
• Lord Lieutenant of Cardiganshire – Wilmot Vaughan, 1st Earl of Lisburne
• Lord Lieutenant of Carmarthenshire – John Vaughan
• Lord Lieutenant of Denbighshire - Richard Myddelton
• Lord Lieutenant of Flintshire - Sir Roger Mostyn, 5th Baronet
• Lord Lieutenant of Glamorgan – John Stuart, Lord Mountstuart
• Lord Lieutenant of Merionethshire - Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, 4th Baronet ; Watkin Williams
• Lord Lieutenant of Montgomeryshire – George Herbert, 2nd Earl of Powis
• Lord Lieutenant of Pembrokeshire – Richard Philipps, 1st Baron Milford
• Lord Lieutenant of Radnorshire – Edward Harley, 4th Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer
• Bishop of Bangor – John Warren
• Bishop of Llandaff – Richard Watson
• Bishop of St Asaph – Samuel Hallifax
• Bishop of St Davids – Samuel Horsley

Events

• July–August - Bread riots break out in North Wales.
• 23 October - Christmas Evans marries Catherine Jones at Bryncroes chapel in Llŷn, shortly after his own ordination.
• 8 November - Port Penrhyn opens.
• unknown date - Blaenavon Ironworks begins production.

Arts and literature

• 12 May - Thomas Jones organises an eisteddfod at the New Inn in Corwen, where for the first time the public are admitted.

New books

• Jenkin Lewis - Memoirs of Prince William Henry, Duke of Gloucester
• Iolo Morganwg - Barddoniaeth Dafydd ab Gwilym, incorporating probable forgeries by Morganwg
• Richard Price - ''Love for our Country''

Births

• 22 April - Richard Roberts, engineer
• 24 May - Betsi Cadwaladr, Crimea nurse

Deaths

• 28 June - John Walters, priest and poet, 29
• 24 July - Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, 4th Baronet, politician, 39
• 7 August - William Edwards, minister and bridge-builder, 70
• 26 November - Elizabeth Baker, diarist, 70?