1850 in Wales
This article is about the particular significance of the year 1850 to Wales and its people.
Incumbents
- Lord Lieutenant of Anglesey – Henry Paget, 1st Marquess of Anglesey
- Lord Lieutenant of Brecknockshire – John Lloyd Vaughan Watkins
- Lord Lieutenant of Caernarvonshire – Peter Drummond-Burrell, 22nd Baron Willoughby de Eresby
- Lord Lieutenant of Cardiganshire – William Edward Powell
- Lord Lieutenant of Carmarthenshire – George Rice, 3rd Baron Dynevor
- 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 – Capel Hanbury Leigh
- Lord Lieutenant of Montgomeryshire – Charles Hanbury-Tracy, 1st Baron Sudeley
- Lord Lieutenant of Pembrokeshire – Sir John Owen, 1st Baronet
- Lord Lieutenant of Radnorshire – John Walsh, 1st Baron Ormathwaite
- Bishop of Bangor – Christopher Bethell
- Bishop of Llandaff – Alfred Ollivant
- Bishop of St Asaph – Thomas Vowler Short
- Bishop of St Davids – Connop Thirlwall
Events
- 18 March – Opening of the Britannia Bridge.
- 3 April – G. T. Clark marries Ann Price Lewis, a descendant of one of the original partners in the Dowlais Ironworks.
- 18 June – Opening of the South Wales Railway between Chepstow and Swansea.
- October – The Merthyr Board of Health is founded, with John Josiah Guest as its first chairman.
- November – The first issue of the periodical Y Drych is printed, though not in circulation for another two months
- 14 December – 13 men are killed in a mining accident at New Duffryn Colliery, Mountain Ash.
- unknown dates
- *The Llanelli Board of Health is founded, with William Chambers as its first chairman.
- *Vaendre Hall in the village of St Mellons is completed, the home of the industrialist John Cory.
Arts and literature
New books
- Thomas Edwards (Caerfallwch) – Geirlyfr Saesoneg a Chymraeg, An English and Welsh Dictionary
- 'Elen Egryn' – Telyn Egryn
- Elijah Waring – Recollections and Anecdotes of Edward Williams
- Morris Williams (Nicander) – ''Y Psalmwyr''
Music
- September – North Wales Musical Festival is held at Rhuddlan Castle.
Births
- 1 January – Evan Rees (Dyfed), minister, poet and archdruid
- 4 January – Griffith J. Griffith, industrialist
- 16 April – Sidney Gilchrist Thomas, inventor
- 24 November – John Aeron Thomas, politician
- date unknown
- *Alfred Davies, footballer
- *John Evan Davies, minister and author
- *Owen Owen, teacher and schools inspector
Deaths
- 11 April
- *David Hughes, clergyman and writer, 64?
- *Edward Hughes (Y Dryw), poet, 77
- 18 April – John Richards, Welsh-born US politician, 85
- 19 April – Sir John Edwards of Garth, politician, 80
- 11 July – Robert Williams (Robert ap Gwilym Ddu), poet and hymn-writer, 83
- 28 July – David Lewis, Carmarthenshire priest and writer, 90?
- 2 September – Charles Williams-Wynn, politician, 74
- 19 December – George Williams, politician, 85