1908 in Wales

← 1907 1906 1905 1908 in Wales → 1909 1910 1911
Centuries:	18th 19th 20th 21st
Decades:	1880s 1890s 1900s 1910s 1920s
See also:	List of years in Wales 1908 in The United Kingdom Ireland Scotland

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1908 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

• Prince of Wales - George, Prince of Wales, son of Edward VII
• Princess of Wales - Princess Mary
• Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales - Dyfed

Events

• 3 January - Formal opening of the residence at St Deiniol's Library.
• 22 January - J. Lloyd Williams delivers his paper on Welsh National Melodies and Folk-Songs to the Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion.
• 28 January - In a colliery explosion at Ammanford, David Rees Griffiths is seriously injured. His brother is one of two men killed.
• March - Frank Mason, editor of the Tenby Observer, challenges the local council's right to ban him from their meetings. The Admission of the Press Act, 1908 is passed as a result.
• 26 February - In the West Carmarthenshire by-election, the sitting Liberal MP, John Lloyd Morgan, retains the seat in the absence of any other candidates. ^[1][2]
• 5 March - Edgeworth David leads the party attempting the ascent of Mount Erebus in the Antarctic.
• 18 June - A giant turtle weighing half a ton is pulled from the sea at Pwllheli.
• 16 July - In the Pembrokeshire by-election, brought about by elevation to the peerage of the incumbent Liberal MP, John Wynford Philipps, the seat is retained for the Liberals by Walter Francis Roch.^[3]
• 1 September - The barque Amazon sinks off Margam Sands, with the loss of 18 crew.
• November – The North and South Wales Bank is absorbed into the London City and Midland Bank, bringing an end to banknote issue in Wales.
• The South Wales Miners' Federation becomes affiliated to the Labour Party.
• The Coal Mines Regulation Act 1908 ("Eight Hours Act") limits the amount of time spent by coal miners underground.
• John Ballinger becomes first librarian of the National Library of Wales.
• A factory for making artificial silk opens at Greenfield in north-east Wales.
• Construction of the lighthouse at Strumble Head.
• Spa pump room built at Caergwrle.
• The Welsh Border Mounted Brigade is founded as part of the Territorial Force of the British Army.

Arts and literature

• Sydney Curnow Vosper completes his iconic watercolour of Welsh piety, Salem.

Awards

• National Eisteddfod of Wales - held in Llangollen
  • Chair - John James Williams
  • Crown - Hugh Emyr Davies

New books

English language

• W. H. Davies - Autobiography of a Super-Tramp
• W. Jenkyn Thomas - The Welsh Fairy Book

Welsh language

• Silyn Roberts - Y Blaid Lafur Anibynnol, ei Hanes a'i Hamcan
• Gwyneth Vaughan - Plant y Gorthrwm
• Eliseus Williams (Eifion Wyn) - Telynegion Maes a Môr

Music

• David Evans becomes professor of the Music department at University of Wales, Cardiff.
• Harry Evans - Dafydd ap Gwilym

Sport

• Boxing
  • 24 February - Jim Driscoll wins the Commonwealth featherweight title.
• Olympics
  • October - At the postponed 1908 Summer Olympics, Thomas Scott-Ellis, 8th Baron Howard de Walden, competes unsuccessfully in the motorboat racing.
• Rugby league
  • 1 January - The first-ever international match is held at Aberdare, where Wales defeat New Zealand 9 - 8. The match was won by a last minute try from former Welsh rugby union international Dai Jones.
  • Aberdare RLFC, Barry RLFC, Mid-Rhondda RLFC and Treherbert RLFC are formed, joining Ebbw Vale and Merthyr Tydfil in competing for the Welsh League, the first Welsh rugby league competition.
• Rugby union
  • Wales win their first Grand Slam and fifth Triple Crown.
  • The selection of players for the 1908 British Lions tour to New Zealand and Australia results in a comment by the Welsh Rugby Union that players for future tours should be chosen '...irrespective of the social position of the players.'^[4]

Births

• 22 March – Martin Davies, art historian (d. 1978)
• 8 May – Bert Day, Wales international rugby union player (d. 1977)
• 29 May – Diana Morgan, playwright and screenwriter (d. 1996)
• 5 July – Francis Jones, heraldic expert (d. 1993)
• 10 July – Donald Peers, singer (d. 1973)
• 12 July - Bill Roberts, footballer (d. 1976)
• 15 August – Wynford Vaughan-Thomas, journalist (d. 1987)
• 14 December – Claude Davey, Wales international rugby union player (d. 2001)

Deaths

• 1 February – Buckley Roderick, Wales international rugby player, 46
• 27 February – Norman Biggs, Wales international rugby player, 37
• 7 March – Richard Edwards, Welsh American educator, 85
• 21 June – Allen Raine, novelist, 71
• 4 September – Thomas Judson, Wales international rugby player
• 9 November – Solomon Andrews, entrepreneur, 73
• 1 December – Howell Jones, Wales international rugby player, 26
• date unknown
  • David John, Mormon leader
  • Caroline Elizabeth Williams, author

References