1909 in Wales

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1909 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

Events

January – Noah Ablett is a founding member of the Plebs' League at Ruskin College, Oxford.
1 January – John Ballinger becomes first librarian of the National Library of Wales which is being set up in Aberystwyth, initially in temporary premises in the former Assembly Rooms.
16 January – Edgeworth David is a member of the expedition which successfully reaches the Magnetic South Pole.
2 July – Thirty-six men are killed when a trench collapses during construction of the Alexandra Dock part of Newport Docks.
26 July–7 August - The National Pageant of Wales is held at Cardiff Castle.
30 August – calls at Fishguard.
October – Monthly rainfall of is measured at Llyn Llydaw, Snowdonia - a British record.
29 October – A mining accident at Darren Colliery, New Tredegar, kills 26 men.
December – Thomas "Toya" Lewis is awarded the Albert Medal by Edward VII for his heroism in rescuing survivors of the Newport Dock collapse on 2 July.
date unknown
*King's Dock, part of Swansea Docks, is opened.
*First coal raised from Penallta Colliery.
*The first mines rescue station in south Wales is opened at Aberaman.
*The Bryn Eglwys slate quarry, the Abergynolwyn estate and village and Talyllyn Railway are purchased by Henry Haydn Jones.
*Thomas Rees becomes principal of Bala-Bangor Theological College.
*Completion of Berw Bridge over the River Taff above Pontypridd, the longest reinforced concrete span in the U.K. at this date ; it is designed by L. G. Mouchel to Hennebique patents and built by Watkin Williams and Page.
*Clark's Pies originates in Cardiff.

Arts and literature

Awards

National Eisteddfod of Wales – held in London
*Chair – T. Gwynn Jones, "Gwlad y Bryniau"
*Crown – W. J. Gruffydd, "Yr Arglwydd Rhys"

New books

English language

John Gwenogvryn Evans – Facsimile of the Chirk Codex
Edward Thomas – The South Country
Arthur Wade-Evans – ''Welsh Mediaeval Law''

Welsh language

Emrys ap Iwan – Homilïau vol. 2
Hugh Brython Hughes – ''Tair Cwpan Aur''

Music

Evan Thomas Davies – ''Ynys y Plant''

Sport

Boxing
*23 August – Freddie Welsh wins the European lightweight title.
*8 November – Freddie Welsh wins the British lightweight title, and becomes the first boxer to be awarded a Lonsdale Belt.
*20 December – Thomas Thomas is awarded the first Lonsdale Belt at middleweight.
Sport of athletics
*23 August – Welshman Fred 'Tenby' Davies beats Irishman Bert Day to become world champion over the half-mile distance.
Rugby league
*Aberdare RLFC, Barry RLFC and Mid-Rhondda RLFC fold after just one season. The first Welsh League competition is won by Ebbw Vale.
Rugby union
*Wales win their second Grand Slam.

Births

4 January – Glyndwr Michael, vagrant whose body was used as Maj. William Martin, RM, in Operation Mincemeat
29 January – George Thomas, 1st Viscount Tonypandy
14 February – Harry Peacock, Wales rugby union player
20 February – Bill Roberts, Wales international rugby union player
5 March – Howard Thomas, radio and television producer
10 March – Glen Moody, boxer
30 March – Dai Thomas, Wales national rugby player
1 April – George Ewart Evans, folklorist and oral historian
11 May – Aneirin Talfan Davies, writer and publisher
11 June – Ronnie Boon, Wales rugby union player
12 June – Mansel Thomas, composer and conductor
16 July – Eddie Jenkins footballer
28 July – Jack Morley, Wales and British Lions rugby player
25 August – Arwel Hughes, composer
30 September – Arthur Probert, politician
1 October – Jim Lang, Wales rugby union player
24 October – Elwyn Jones, Baron Elwyn-Jones, politician
25 October – Walter Vickery, Wales national rugby player
7 November – Eirene White, politician
29 November – Goronwy Rees, journalist and academic
14 December – Ronald Welch, historical novelist
date unknown
*Isaac Davies, dramatist
*Evan Roberts, botanist

Deaths

3 January – Robert Bird, politician, 69
8 January – Frederick Courtenay Morgan, politician, 74
9 January – Erasmus Jones, Welsh-American minister and author, 91
5 February – W. R. M. Wynne, politician, landowner, collector of manuscripts, Lord Lieutenant of Merionethshire, 68
9 March – David Thomas (Dewi Hefin), poet, 80
29 March – Catherine Prichard, poet, 66
April – Ivor James, educationist
19 April – J. S. Pughe, Welsh-born American political cartoonist, 39
31 May – Thomas Price, Premier of South Australia, 57
9 June – Walter Rice Evans, Wales international rugby player
2 July – Sir Arthur Cowell-Stepney, landowner and politician, 74
1 August – General Sir Hugh Rowlands, VC recipient, 81
23 September – Thomas Edward Lloyd, politician, 89
17 October – Edward David Williams, politician in Australia, 67
22 October – David Rogers, politician in Canada, 79
9 November – Montague Guest, politician, son of Lady Charlotte Guest, 70
10 November – George Essex Evans, Welsh-Australian poet, 46
11 December – Ludwig Mond, industrialist, 70
13 December – Sir Alfred Lewis Jones, shipping magnate, 64