1887 in Wales

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1887 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

Events

18 February – 39 miners are killed in an accident at Standard Colliery, Ynyshir.
June – The Riot Act is read at Mochdre in the Vale of Clwyd at the height of a "Tithe War".
24 May – The new Cardiff Metropolitan Cathedral, designed by Pugin, is opened.
24 August – Roath Dock opened in Cardiff Docks; the first sod of Roath Park is dug.
1 November – The Helvetia wrecked off Worms Head, Rhossili.
The Turner House Gallery, Penarth, is built to house the art collection of Major James Pyke Thompson.
Opening of Wrexham School of Science and Art, predecessor of Wrexham Glyndŵr University.
Lewis Llewelyn Dillwyn and Stuart Rendel affirm the Welsh Liberal Party's support of Irish Home Rule.
Richard John Lloyd Price establishes a Welsh whisky distillery on his Rhiwlas estate at Frongoch.

Arts and literature

Awards

National Eisteddfod of Wales – held at London

Chair – Robert Arthur Williams, "Y Frenhines Victoria"
Crown – John Cadfan Davies, "John Penry"

New books

English language

Amy Dillwyn – Jill and Jack
Daniel Silvan Evans – ''Dictionary of the Welsh Language ''

Welsh language

Owen Evans – Geiriau Olaf Iesu Grist
Thomas Levi – Crist a Gwroniaid y Byd Paganaidd
''The Text of the Mabinogion and Other Welsh Tales from the Red Book of Hergest''

Music

John Thomas (Pencerdd Gwalia) – ''Cambria’s Homage to our Empress Queen''

Sport

Football
*Chirk win the Welsh Cup for the first time.
*Knighton Town F.C. is founded.
Rugby union
*Ammanford RFC, Caerphilly RFC, Mumbles RFC, Newport RFC, Pontyclun RFC and Taffs Well RFC are established.
*Wales play their first international in Llanelli; though the original venue of Stradey Park is moved to a local cricket pitch due to a frozen pitch.

Births

13 January – Hedd Wyn, poet
27 February – James Dickson Innes, landscape painter
23 March – Percy Jones, Wales international rugby player
19 April – Bertrand Turnbull, Olympic hockey player
23 April – Len Trump, Wales international rugby player
13 July – Elizabeth Watkin-Jones, children's author
21 September – T. H. Parry-Williams, poet, author and academic
11 October – William Davies, national librarian
29 December – Jack Wetter, Wales international rugby union captain
date unknown
*Bessie Jones, singer
*Artie Moore, wireless operator

Deaths

25 January – Rowland Prichard, musician, 76
16 February – Richard Owen, preacher, 47
24 March – William Lucas Collins, priest and writer, 71
11 April – Samuel Bowen, Independent minister, 87
23 April – John Ceiriog Hughes, poet, 54
3 May – Robert Vivian, infantry officer, illegitimate member of the Vivian family, 84/5
21 May – Horace Jones, English architect who designed Cardiff Town Hall
28 May – Dan Isaac Davies, educationist, 48
19 July – Lewis Edwards, educationist, 77
1 August – Hugh Cholmondeley, 2nd Baron Delamere, politician, 75
11 August – Sir Richard Green-Price, 1st Baronet, politician, 83
7 November – Joshua T. Owen, Welsh-born educator, politician, and soldier in the Union army during the American Civil War, 66