1897 in Wales

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1897 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

Events

January – Sir Owen Morgan Edwards founds the periodical Heddyw, published in Wrexham.
9 April – The Snowdon Mountain Railway resumes operation, a year after a fatal accident on its maiden run.
c. May – The Plynlimon and Hafan Tramway opens.
13 May – Guglielmo Marconi sends the first ever wireless communication over water, from Lavernock Point to Flat Holm.
2 June – The first Jubilee Bridge (Queensferry) across the River Dee is opened by William Gladstone.
20 June – Celebration of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee is muted in Nonconformist parts of Wales, as the date falls on a Sunday.
July – The Grand Theatre, Swansea, is opened by Adelina Patti.
30 September – Inauguration of Beacons Reservoir water supply to Cardiff.
9 October – Opening of the Tal-y-cafn Bridge across the River Conwy.
November – Four Customs officers are rescued from the River Usk, near Newport's Alexandra Dock pier-head after their boat capsizes.
12 November – Llanfyllin County School is opened by Mrs. John Marshall Dugdale and becomes the sixth Intermediate School in Montgomeryshire. Politician Clement Davies is one of the first pupils.
unknown dates
*A roller coaster erected on Barry Island, origin of Barry Island Pleasure Park.
*Construction work is completed on the Pierhead Building as offices for Cardiff Docks.
*Weaver's Mill, Swansea, a flour mill and corn storage depot, becomes the first building in the UK to be constructed from reinforced concrete, by L. G. Mouchel of Briton Ferry.
*Merthyr Tydfil is refused a town charter; it is eventually granted one in 1905.
*Opening of the Canterbury Building at St David's College, Lampeter.
*Edgeworth David leads the Royal Society's expedition to the coral atoll of Funafuti.

Arts and literature

Awards

National Eisteddfod of Wales – held at Newport

Chair – John Thomas Job, "Brawdgarwch"
Crown – Thomas Mafonwy Davies, "Arthur y Ford Gron"

New books

English language

Owen Rhoscomyl – The White Rose of Arno
John William Willis-Bund – The Celtic Church of Wales
Alfred Neobard Palmer – ''Owen Tanat''

Welsh language

Caniadau Cymru
John Cadvan Davies – Caneuon Cadvan
Ellis Pierce – ''Teulu'r Gilfach''

Graphic arts

5 August – French-born painter Alfred Sisley marries his long-time partner Eugénie Lescouezec at Cardiff Register Office. They stay at Penarth, where Sisley paints at least six oils of the sea and the cliffs. In mid-August they move to the Osborne Hotel at Langland Bay on the Gower Peninsula, where he produces at least eleven oil paintings in and around Langland Bay and Rotherslade. They return to France in October.

Music

Walford Davies – Overture in D minor
''Llyfr Hymnau a Thonau y Methodistiaid Calfinaidd''

Film

Arthur Cheetham begins making films in Wales.

Sport

Rugby Union – Due to an argument with the International Football Rugby Board the Welsh Rugby Union withdraws from the organisation and Wales do not play international rugby for 12 months.
Swimming – The Welsh Amateur Swimming Association is founded. The first Welsh championships take place, with events for men only.

Births

3 April – Frank Evans, dual-code international rugby player
5 April – Ness Edwards, politician
21 April – Albert Stock, Wales international rugby player
22 June – Kathleen Freeman, classical scholar
21 August – Victor Nash-Williams, archaeologist
28 September – Harry Beadles, Wales international footballer
15 November – Aneurin Bevan, politician
31 December – Rhys Williams, politician

Deaths

14 January – William Basil Jones, Bishop of St David's, 75
30 January – Sarah Thomas, centenarian, 109
3 February – David Pugh Evans, songwriter, 31
2 March – Evan Owen Phillips, Dean of St David's, 70
1 April – William Gwynn, Rugby union international
16 April – Thomas Lewis, Welsh-born Australian politician, 75
10 May – Walter Evans, footballer, about 30
12 May – Thomas Llewellyn Thomas, linguist, 56
June – Hugh Jones, Archdeacon of St Asaph, 81
1 September – John Griffiths, Archdeacon of Llandaff, 77
6 September – Thomas Rees Morgan, engineer, 63
8 September – James Milo Griffith, sculptor, 54
16 September – Edward Edwards, musician, 83
20 September – Hugh Morris, footballer, 25
15 October – Charles John Vaughan, former Dean of Llandaff, 81
12 November – Isaac Evans, trade union leader and politician, 49
24 November – Arthur James Herbert, Quartermaster-General, 77
2 December – Thomas Lewis, politician, 76
4 December – Griffith Rhys Jones, choral conductor, 62