1863 in Wales

Incumbents

• Lord Lieutenant of Anglesey – Henry Paget, 2nd Marquess of Anglesey
• Lord Lieutenant of Brecknockshire – John Lloyd Vaughan Watkins
• Lord Lieutenant of Caernarvonshire – Sir Richard Williams-Bulkeley, 10th Baronet
• Lord Lieutenant of Cardiganshire – Edward Pryse
• Lord Lieutenant of Carmarthenshire – John Campbell, 2nd Earl Cawdor
• Lord Lieutenant of Denbighshire – Robert Myddelton Biddulph
• Lord Lieutenant of Flintshire – Sir Stephen Glynne, 9th Baronet
• Lord Lieutenant of Glamorgan – Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot
• Lord Lieutenant of Merionethshire – Edward Lloyd-Mostyn, 2nd Baron Mostyn
• Lord Lieutenant of Monmouthshire – Benjamin Hall, 1st Baron Llanover
• Lord Lieutenant of Montgomeryshire – Thomas Hanbury-Tracy, 2nd Baron Sudeley ; Sudeley Hanbury-Tracy, 3rd Baron Sudeley
• Lord Lieutenant of Pembrokeshire – William Edwardes, 3rd Baron Kensington
• Lord Lieutenant of Radnorshire – John Walsh, 1st Baron Ormathwaite
• Bishop of Bangor – James Colquhoun Campbell
• Bishop of Llandaff – Alfred Ollivant
• Bishop of St Asaph – Thomas Vowler Short
• Bishop of St Davids – Connop Thirlwall

Events

• 10 March – Marriage of Edward Albert, Prince of Wales, to Alexandra of Denmark. Alexandra becomes the first Princess of Wales since 1820.
• 28 July – The Anglesey Central Railway Act 1863 brings about the foundation of the Anglesey Central Railway.
• 23 October – Festiniog Railway introduces steam locomotives into general service, the first time this has been done anywhere in the world on a public railway of such a narrow gauge.
• English church services are introduced for English-speaking minorities in Welsh-speaking areas.
• Sir Hugh Owen becomes an honorary secretary of the London committee formed to set up the University of Wales.
• Mesac Thomas becomes the first Bishop of Goulburn, New South Wales, Australia.
• Publication of The Bards of Wales, first written in 1857 by Hungarian poet János Arany, using the story of Edward I's conquest of Wales to disguise criticism of the Austro-Hungarian empire.
• Machynlleth born John Evans arrives in British Columbia, Canada, with a group of other Welsh miners. He subsequently becomes a major political figure in the province.
• Spa pump room built at Trefriw.
• Guest Memorial Library at Dowlais opened.

Arts and literature

Awards

• National Eisteddfod of Wales is held at Swansea.
• The Newdigate Prize is awarded to Thomas Llewellyn Thomas.

New books

• John Ceiriog Hughes – Cant o Ganeuon
• John Jones (Ioan Emlyn) – Golud yr Oes
• David William Nash – The Pharaoh of the Exodus
• Ebenezer Thomas – ''Cyff Beuno''

Music

• John Ceiriog Hughes – Cant O Ganeuon
• John Thomas (Pencerdd Gwalia) – ''Llewelyn''

Sport

• Cricket
• *23 July – South Wales Cricket Club defeat MCC at Lord's.
• *27 July – South Wales Cricket Club defeat Gentlemen of Kent at Cranbrook.

Births

• 15 January – James Webb, Wales rugby international
• 17 January – David Lloyd George, politician
• 3 March – Arthur Machen, writer
• 16 March – Dan Beddoe, operatic tenor
• 25 March – Owen Philipps, 1st Baron Kylsant
• 13 April – Walter E. Rees, Secretary of the Welsh Rugby Union
• May – William Rees-Davies (judge), politician and lawyer
• 8 May – Charles Taylor Wales rugby international
• 18 May – Lewis Davies (writer), novelist and historian
• 21 May – William Jones Williams, civil servant
• 11 June – Llewellyn Henry Gwynne, first suffragan Bishop of Khartoum
• 18 June – George Essex Evans, Australian poet of Welsh parentage
• 2 July – Billy Douglas, Wales international rugby player
• 7 August – Edward Perkins Alexander, Wales international rugby player
• 8 August – John Herbert Roberts, Baron Clwyd of Abergele, politician
• 17 August – Joseph Harry, minister, writer and teacher
• 29 August – Sir Daniel Lleufer Thomas, magistrate
• 10 September – Walter Rice Evans, Wales international rugby player
• 7 November – Rowley Thomas, Wales international rugby player
• probable – William Retlaw Williams, Welsh writer

Deaths

• 17 February – Ebenezer Thomas, poet, 60
• 19 February – Thomas Hanbury-Tracy, 2nd Baron Sudeley, Lord Lieutenant of Montgomeryshire, 62
• 28 February – David Williams (Alaw Goch), industrialist, 53
• 21 March – David Griffiths, missionary, 71
• 24 March – Thomas Powell, industrialist, 84
• 13 April – George Cornewall Lewis, statesman, 56
• May/June – David Bevan Jones, Mormon leader, 55
• 15 July – Edward Pryce Owen, artist, 75
• 8 November – Joseph Hughes (Carn Ingli), poet, 60
• 13 December – Robert Saunderson, printer, 83
• 28 December – Thomas Bevan, Archdeacon of St David's, 63