1865 in Wales

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1865 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

Events

5 January — The Festiniog Railway officially opens to passengers, the first narrow gauge railway in the British Isles to do so.
14 January — American Confederate paddle steamer Lelia sinks off the north Wales coast with the loss of eighteen lives.
1 February — The Vale of Neath Railway is amalgamated with the Great Western Railway.
14 April
*Opening of the Royal Pier, Aberystwyth, built by Eugenius Birch at a cost of £13,600.
*Paddle steamer Great Empress collides with Beaumaris Pier.
May
*Opening of Talyllyn Railway.
*A branch of The Philanthropic Order of True Ivorites Friendly Society is established and registered at Colwinston.
28 May — The Mimosa sets sail with emigrants for Patagonia.
10 June — Opening of Penarth Dock.
3 July — Opening of Barmouth Junction on the Aberystwith and Welsh Coast Railway.
28 July — The town of Puerto Madryn and the Patagonian colony is founded by Michael D. Jones.
2 August — The Wales memorial to the late Prince Albert at Tenby, sculpted by John Evan Thomas, is unveiled by Albert and Victoria's 3rd son, 15-year-old Prince Arthur on his first public engagement.
9 September — First of fifteen deaths in the only outbreak of yellow fever ever to occur in Britain, at Swansea.
21 October — Opening of Howells (department store) in Cardiff as a drapery.
29 November — Two men die when a coal train falls into the North Dock at Swansea.
1 December — Llandrindod Wells is linked to the rail network for the first time.
20 December — Gethin Pit disaster, Abercanaid: the second of two firedamp explosions at this colliery near Merthyr Tydfil kills 34 miners.
Francis Kilvert becomes curate of Clyro in Radnorshire.
Sale of the Pwyllycrochan estate, leading to the development of Colwyn Bay.
John Crichton-Stuart, Marquess of Bute, meets architect and designer William Burges.
Robert Jones Derfel retires from the ministry and sets up a Welsh bookshop and press in Manchester.

Arts and literature

Awards

National Eisteddfod of Wales is held at Aberystwyth. The chair is won by Lewis William Lewis.

New books

Morris Davies — Cofiant Ann Griffiths
John Evans (I. D. Ffraid) — Coll Gwynfa
John Ceiriog Hughes — Y Bardd a'r Cerddor
John Jones (Mathetes) — Pregeth i Fyfyrwyr Coleg Hwlffordd...
John Thomas (Ifor Cwmgwys) — ''Diferion Meddyliol''

Music

Thomas Gruffydd Jones — ''Gwarchae Harlech''

Sport

Cricket
*17 July — South Wales Cricket Club travels to Gravesend to play the Gentlemen of Kent.
*August — Morriston Cricket Club is founded.

Births

2 February — Henry Davies, cricketer
28 February — Arthur Symons, poet and critic
7 March — Martyn Jordan, Wales international rugby player
30 April — Max Nettlau, German historian and Welsh learner
3 June — Prince George, second son of the Prince and Princess of Wales and himself Prince of Wales 1901–1910
6 August — Lewis Cobden Thomas, Wales international rugby player
22 August — Stephen Thomas Wales international rugby player
8 September — David Williams, Swansea politician
23 September — William Brace, politician
20 October — Sir Rhys Rhys-Williams, 1st Baronet, judge
26 October — Hugh Ingledew, Wales international rugby player
October — Jack Doughty, footballer
16 December — George Rowles, footballer
December — Richard Bagnall-Oakeley, Olympic archer
date unknown
*Dickie Garrett, rugby player
*Albert Hybart, rugby player
*George Owen, footballer
*Robert Roberts, footballer

Deaths

21 February — Stapleton Cotton, military leader, 91
26 April — William Williams, MP, 77
29 April — Thomas Evans (Telynog), poet, 24
18 June — William Parker Foulke, Welsh-descended American geologist, 49
10 August — Hugh Pugh, mariner, 71
28 September — John Lloyd Vaughan Watkins, politician, Lord Lieutenant of Brecknockshire, 63
20 November — Rees Howell Gronow, soldier, politician and memoirist, 70