1859 in Wales

← 1858 1857 1856 1859 in Wales → 1860 1861 1862
Centuries:	17th 18th 19th 20th 21st
Decades:	1830s 1840s 1850s 1860s 1870s
See also:	List of years in Wales 1859 in The United Kingdom Ireland Scotland

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1859 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

• Prince of Wales – The Prince Albert Edward, son of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom
• Princess of Wales – vacant

Events

The clipper Royal Charter, wrecked off Anglesey on 26 October

• January - Y Brython changes from weekly to monthly publication.
• February - First race at Bangor-on-Dee racecourse.
• 1 April - Opening of the Corris Railway.
• 5 April - 27 men are killed by flooding at Neath Chain Colliery.
• 31 May - U.K. general election. This is the last general election in which the Conservative Party's vote share in Wales exceeds that in England.
• 29 June - Benjamin Hall is raised to the peerage as 1st Baron Llanover.
• 15 October–17 October - Queen Victoria stays at Penrhyn Castle.
• 25 October–26 October - 'Royal Charter Storm':
  • Steam clipper Royal Charter is wrecked off the north-east Anglesey coast, with the estimated loss of around 459 lives, the greatest loss of life in any maritime accident in Welsh waters.
  • St Brynach's Church, Cwm-yr-Eglwys, is destroyed .
• Peak year for copper production in Wales.
• Opening of the East Bute Dock, Cardiff.
• Merger of Yr Amserau and Baner Cymru.
• Religious revival led by Humphrey Jones.
• The Cymanfa Ganu movement is launched in Aberdare.
• Sir Charles Morgan, 3rd Baronet, is created Baron Tredegar.

Arts and literature

Awards

• Lewis William Lewis (Llew Llwyfo) wins the chair at the Merthyr Tydfil eisteddfod.

New books

• Nathaniel Jones - Fy Awenydd
• Richard Parry (Gwalchmai) - Adgofion am John Elias
• Thomas Stephens & Gweirydd ap Rhys - Orgraff yr Iaith Gymraeg
• William Thomas (Gwilym Marles) - Prydyddiaeth

Music

• John Roberts (Ieuan Gwyllt) - Llyfr Tonau Cynulleidfaol

Births

• 11 January - Sir Joseph Alfred Bradney, historian (died 1933)
• 29 January - Sir George Lockwood Morris, industrialist and Welsh international rugby player (died 1947)
• 7 February - Frank Hancock, Wales international rugby union international (died 1943)
• 16 February - T. E. Ellis, politician (died 1899)
• 18 April - Sir Evan Davies Jones, 1st Baronet, civil engineer (died 1949)
• 4 May - Sir Samuel Thomas Evans, politician and judge (died 1918)
• 22 May - Jonathan Ceredig Davies, travel writer (died 1932)
• 17 July - Ernest Rhys, writer (died 1946)
• 11 Oct – Aneurin Williams, politician (died 1924)
• 5 December - Edward John Lewis, Wales international rugby union player (died 1925)
• 7 December - Leonard Watkins, Wales international rugby union player (died 1901)
• 25 December - John Goulstone Lewis Wales international rugby union player (died 1935)
• November - Richard Bell, politician (died 1930)

Deaths

• 19 April - Christopher Bethell, Bishop of Bangor, 85?
• 21 June - John Bowen, Bishop of Sierra Leone, 43 (yellow fever)
• 8 July - John Thomas (Siôn Wyn o Eifion), poet, 78
• 10 September - Sir John Hay Williams, landowner, 65
• 24 September – Joseph Murray Ince, painter, 53
• October - Evan Jones (Ifan y Gorlan), harpist