1868 in Wales

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1868 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

Events

13 January – The brig Albion runs aground off Whitford Point and is abandoned by her seven crew members, all of whom drown.
22 January – Sixteen vessels are lost in a gale off the Burry estuary, with a total of thirty lives lost.
1 February – At the bridge over the Severn at Caersws an approach embankment, damaged by flood water, collapses under a train. The driver and fireman are killed.
July – Pastor Karl Herman Lunde begins fund-raising for the new Norwegian Seamen's Church in Cardiff.
4 August – Opening of the Bala and Dolgelly Railway, completing the Ruabon to Barmouth Line via Corwen and alongside Bala Lake.
20 August – Abergele rail disaster: 33 people die in a fire resulting from a collision between a mail train and a set of trucks at Llandulas station near Abergele, the greatest loss of life in a railway accident in Wales.
October – Work begins on Nant-y-Ffrith reservoir.
2 December – The United Kingdom general election leaves Gladstone's Liberals the dominant party in Wales, with 21 seats.
* Among the Conservative members who lose their seats are Crawshay Bailey and Henry Austin Bruce, the latter replaced by two MPs for the expanded constituency of Merthyr Tydfil: Richard Fothergill and Henry Richard.
* Richard Davies becomes MP for Anglesey.
* Love Jones-Parry wins Caernarvonshire from Douglas Pennant.
* George Osborne Morgan is elected for the first time in Denbighshire, winning the seat from the lord lieutenant, Robert Myddelton Biddulph.
* Farmers in Cardiganshire are evicted for returning a Liberal MP, Thomas Lloyd.
John Crichton-Stuart, 3rd Marquess of Bute, sponsors restoration work at Caerphilly Castle.
English manufacturer Frederick Walton, the inventor of linoleum, takes up residence on his father's Cwmllecoediog Estate near Aberangell, whose development he begins.
First publication of the Welsh-language periodical, Baner America, in the USA.Y Dydd is founded, with Samuel Roberts (S. R.) as editor.
Iron Age crannog is discovered on an island in Llangorse Lake, near Brecon.

Arts and literature

Awards

National Eisteddfod of Wales is held at Ruthin.

New books

English language

William Forbes Skene – ''The Four Ancient Books of Wales''

Welsh language

Robert Elis (Cynddelw) – Geiriadur Cymreig Cymraeg
John Ceiriog Hughes – Oriau eraill
Jabez Edmund Jenkins – Rhiangerdd – Gwenfron o'r Dyffryn
Griffith Jones (Glan Menai) – Enwogion Sir Aberteifi
Rhys Gwesyn Jones – Caru, Priodi, a Byw
John Phillips (Tegidon) – ''Y Ddeilen ar y Traeth''

Music

William Lewis Barrett is appointed flautist at the Italian Opera of Lutz.
Gŵyl Ardudwy music festival is founded by John Roberts (Ieuan Gwyllt).
Publication of Llyfr Tonau ac Emynau, edited by Edward Stephen and Joseph David Jones.

Sport

Cricket
* May – A team from Cadoxton play the United South of England at The Gnoll, Neath.

Births

13 April – Caradoc Rees, politician
29 May – Sydney Nicholls, Wales rugby international player
10 June
*John Jones (Ioan Brothen), poet
*David Prosser, bishop
2 August – Sir Alfred Edward Lewis, banker
28 August – Thomas Charles Williams, minister
28 November – Arthur Linton, cyclist
30 November – Ernest Newman, English-born music critic of Welsh parentage
29 December – William Owen Jones, musician
date unknown
*Roger Doughty, English-born footballer of Welsh maternity
*David Matthews, politician

Deaths

13 January – John Parry, Mormon convert, 79
25 April – Sarah Williams, English novelist of Welsh parentage, 30
22 June – Owain Meirion, poet, 65
3 August – Edward Welch, architect, 61/62
17 August – William Nevill, 4th Earl of Abergavenny, 76
11 September – Maria James, poet, 74
16 September – John Vaughan, English ironmaster, 68
24 November – Sir John Dorney Harding, lawyer, 59
date unknown – Dafydd Jones (Dewi Dywyll), balladeer