1923 in Wales

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1923 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

Events

1 January – All major railways in Great Britain are amalgamated into the "Big Four" companies under terms of the Railways Act 1921. The Cambrian Railways and a number of smaller lines and their docks in south Wales are merged into the Great Western Railway and the London and North Western Railway and Midland Railway become part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway.
13 February – The British Broadcasting Company makes its first broadcast in Wales, from "Station 5WA" in Cardiff. Mostyn Thomas opens the programme, singing Dafydd y Garreg Wen and Gwilym Davies becomes the first speaker to broadcast in the Welsh language.
7 April – At an Anglesey by-election, Sir Robert Thomas returns to the seat he had previously lost.
26 April – In a mining accident at Trimsaran, nine coal miners are killed.
1 June – The final stage of the Welsh Highland Railway re-opens.
6 August – Ynysangharad War Memorial Park in Pontypridd is dedicated by Field Marshal Viscount Allenby.
14 September – Edward Bevan is enthroned as the first Bishop of the new Anglican Diocese of Swansea & Brecon.
6 December – In the United Kingdom general election:
*Ellis Davies returns to Parliament as Liberal MP for Denbigh.
*David Grenfell is elected unopposed for Labour in Gower.
*Rhys Hopkin Morris gains Ceredigion for the Independent Liberals.
*Thomas Henry Parry retains Flintshire for the Liberals with an increased majority.
December – Agnes Twiston Hughes becomes the first Welsh woman to qualify as a solicitor.
date unknown
*Maurice Jones succeeds Gilbert Joyce as Principal of St David's University College, Lampeter.
*Sir William Henry Hoare Vincent becomes a member of the Council of India.
*Coal production at Llay Main Colliery in the North Wales Coalfield begins.

Arts and literature

5 February – W. H. Davies marries Helen Payne, an ex-prostitute thirty years his junior, at East Grinstead.
30 May – BBC Cardiff broadcasts the first full performance of a new orchestral opera.
6 June – Charles Langbridge Morgan marries Hilda Vaughan.
W. S. Gwynn Williams becomes Director of Music for the Gorsedd of Bards.

Awards

National Eisteddfod of Wales
National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair – D. Cledlyn Davies, "Dychweliad Arthur"
National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown – Albert Evans Jones, "Yr Ynys Unig"

New books

English language

Graham John – A Century of Welsh Music
Thomas Richards – ''Religious Developments in Wales ''

Welsh language

Edward Tegla Davies – Gŵr Pen y Bryn
John Owen – ''Gwybodaeth y Sanctaidd''

Music

W. S. Gwynn Williams brings out a new edition of Folk Songs from Anglesey With Pianoforte Accompaniment, with English words by Robert Bryan.

Film

14 September - G.A. Cheetham, son of cinema pioneer Arthur Cheetham, films the unveiling of the war memorial at Aberystwyth and other scenes of the life of the town, to be shown in local cinemas.
Ivor Novello appears in The Man Without Desire, The White Rose and Bonnie Prince Charlie.

Sport

Boxing
*18 June – Jimmy Wilde loses his world flyweight title and retires from the sport.
Football
*5 March – Wales draw 2–2 in their British Home Championship match against England, played at Ninian Park, Cardiff.
Rugby union
*7 December – Old Penarthians RFC is founded.

Births

22 February – Bleddyn Williams, rugby player
28 February – John Gwilliam, rugby player
3 April – John Ormond, poet and journalist
21 April – Ronald Cass, film composer
25 April – Paul Whitsun-Jones, actor
26 July – Bernice Rubens, novelist
19 August – Dill Jones, pianist
3 September – Robin Williams, broadcaster and essayist
22 September – Dannie Abse, poet
30 September – Donald Swann, musician
1 October – Trevor Ford, footballer
5 October – Glynis Johns, actress
13 October – Les Pearce, rugby league player and coach
6 November – Donald Houston, actor
13 November – Alf Sherwood, footballer
21 November – Harry Greene, television D-I-Y expert
30 November – John James, historical novelist
8 December – Gwilym Prys Davies, Baron Prys-Davies, politician
11 December – Denis Brian, Welsh journalist and author
19 December – Elwyn Jones, television writer

Deaths

9 January – Richard John Lloyd Price, squire of Rhiwlas, 79
22 February – John Jenkins, Prime Minister of South Australia, of Welsh parentage, 71
6 March
*General Sir Owen Thomas, politician, 64
*Robert Windsor-Clive, 1st Earl of Plymouth, Lord Lieutenant of Glamorgan, 65
19 March – Evan Rees (Dyfed), poet, 73
1 April – Georgiana Rolls, Baroness Llangattock, socialite, benefactor and collector, 86
4 May – J. Brynach Davies, poet, 49
27 May – Charles Lewis, rugby player, 70
18 July – Thomas Arthur Lewis, teacher, lawyer and politician, 41
12 October – John Cadvan Davies, poet and hymn-writer, 77
date unknown – Edward Bowen, footballer, 64/65