1909 in Wales

← 1908 1907 1906 1909 in Wales → 1910 1911 1912
Centuries:	18th 19th 20th 21st
Decades:	1880s 1890s 1900s 1910s 1920s
See also:	List of years in Wales 1909 in The United Kingdom Ireland Scotland

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1909 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

• 1 January - John Ballinger becomes first librarian of the National Library of Wales which is being set up in Aberystwyth, initially in temporary premises in the former Assembly Rooms.
• 16 January - Edgeworth David is a member of the expedition which successfully reaches the Magnetic South Pole.
• 2 July - Thirty-six men are killed when a trench collapses during construction of the Alexandra Dock part of Newport Docks.
• 26 July–7 August - The National Pageant of Wales is held at Cardiff Castle.
• August - Noah Ablett is a founding member of the Plebs' League at Ruskin College, Oxford.
• October - Monthly rainfall of 56.5 inches (1,440 mm) is measured at Llyn Llydaw, Snowdonia - a British record.
• 29 October - A mining accident at Darren Colliery, New Tredegar, kills 26 men.
• December - Thomas "Toya" Lewis is awarded the Albert Medal by Edward VII for his heroism in rescuing survivors of the Newport Dock collapse on 2 July.^[1]
• King's Dock, part of Swansea Docks, is opened.
• Thomas Rees becomes principal of Bala-Bangor Theological College.
• The first mines rescue station in south Wales is opened at Aberaman.
• The Bryn Eglwys slate quarry, the Abergynolwyn estate and village and Talyllyn Railway are purchased by Henry Haydn Jones.
• Approximate date
  • Completion of Berw Bridge over the River Taff above Pontypridd, the longest reinforced concrete span in the U.K. at this date (116 feet (35 m)); it is designed by L. G. Mouchel to Hennebique patents and built by Watkin Williams and Page.^[2]
  • Clark's Pies originated in Cardiff.

Arts and literature

Awards

• National Eisteddfod of Wales - held in London
  • Chair - T. Gwynn Jones
  • Crown - W. J. Gruffydd

New books

• Emrys ap Iwan - Homilïau vol. 2 (posthumous)
• Hugh Brython Hughes - Tair Cwpan Aur
• Edward Thomas - The South Country

Music

• Evan Thomas Davies - Ynys y Plant

Sport

• Boxing
  • 23 August - Freddie Welsh wins the European lightweight title.
  • 8 November - Freddie Welsh wins the British lightweight title, and becomes the first Welshman to be awarded a Lonsdale Belt.
  • Thomas Thomas is awarded the first Lonsdale Belt at middleweight.
• Athletics (track and field)
  • 23 August - Welshman Fred 'Tenby' Davies beats Irishman Bert Day at Pontypridd to become world champion over the half-mile distance.
• Rugby league
  • Aberdare RLFC, Barry RLFC and Mid-Rhondda RLFC fold after just one season. The first Welsh League competition is won by Ebbw Vale.
• Rugby union
  • Wales win their second Grand Slam.

Births

• 4 January - Glyndwr Michael, vagrant whose body is used as Maj. William Martin, RM, in Operation Mincemeat (died 1943)
• 29 January - George Thomas, 1st Viscount Tonypandy (died 1997)
• 14 February - Harry Peacock, Wales rugby union player (died 1996)
• 30 March - Dai Thomas, Wales national rugby player (date of death unknown)
• 1 April - George Ewart Evans, folklorist and oral historian (died 1988)
• 11 May - Aneirin Talfan Davies, writer and publisher (died 1980)
• 11 June - Ronnie Boon, Wales rugby union player (died 1998)
• 12 June - Mansel Thomas, composer and conductor (died 1986)
• 28 July - Jack Morley, Wales and British Lions rugby player (died 1972)
• 25 August - Arwel Hughes, composer (died 1988)
• 30 September - Arthur Probert, politician (died 1975)
• 1 October - Jim Lang, Wales rugby union player (died 1991)
• 24 October - Elwyn Jones, Baron Elwyn-Jones, politician (died 1989)
• 25 October - Walter Vickery, Wales national rugby player (died 2000)
• 7 November - Eirene White, politician (died 1999)
• 29 November - Goronwy Rees, journalist and academic (died 1979)
• 14 December - Ronald Welch, historical novelist (died 1982)
• date unknown
  • Isaac Davies (Eic Davies), dramatist (died 1993)
  • Evan Roberts, botanist (died 1991)
  • Howard Thomas, radio and television producer (died 1986)

Deaths

• 9 January - Frederick Courtenay Morgan, politician, 74
• 9 March - David Thomas (Dewi Hefin), poet, 80
• 31 May - Thomas Price, Prime Minister of South Australia
• 9 June - Walter Rice Evans, Wales international rugby player
• 1 August - Hugh Rowlands, VC recipient
• 22 October - David Rogers, politician in Canada, 79
• 10 November - George Essex Evans, Welsh-Australian poet, 46 (complications arising from gall bladder surgery)
• 11 December - Ludwig Mond, industrialist
• 13 December - Sir Alfred Lewis Jones, shipping magnate, 64
• date unknown
  • Robert Bird, Welsh politician
  • Ivor James, educationist
  • Catherine Prichard, poet

References