1912 in Wales

← 1911 1910 1909 1912 in Wales → 1913 1914 1915
Centuries:	18th 19th 20th 21st
Decades:	1890s 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s
See also:	List of years in Wales 1912 in The United Kingdom Ireland Scotland

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1912 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

• Prince of Wales - Edward
• Princess of Wales - vacant
• Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales - Dyfed

Events

• 1 March - National miners' strike, led in Wales by Vernon Hartshorn and Noah Ablett among others.
• 15 April - Wireless operator Artie Moore of Gelligroes near Blackwood, hears a distress signal from RMS Titanic.
• 22 April - Denys Corbett Wilson leaves Goodwick, Pembrokeshire, to make the first manned flight fully across the Irish Sea in a time of 1 hour 40 minutes.
• 26 April - Vivian Hewitt of Bodfari in Denbighshire makes a manned flight across the Irish Sea, from Holyhead to Dublin.
• 28 May - A major demonstration in favour of disestablishment takes place in Swansea.
• 1 August - Chemist Humphrey Owen Jones marries a colleague, Muriel Gwendolen Edwards. A fortnight later the couple, both keen climbers, are killed in a fall while on their honeymoon in the Alps.
• 17 September - Welsh immigrant workers play a major part in organizing the coal miners' strike in Vancouver Island, Canada.
• The Welsh Health Service Insurance Commission is established.
• Sir David Brynmor Jones becomes a member of the Privy Council.
• Alfred Thomas is created Baron Pontypridd.
• The foundation stone of the National Museum Cardiff is laid. (It does not open to the public until 1927.)
• Dan yr Ogof caves are discovered by brothers Jeff and Tommy Morgan.
• George V and Queen Mary visit Merthyr Tydfil amid much controversy.
• Sir Ellis Ellis-Griffith becomes chairman of the Welsh Parliamentary Liberal Party.
• Clough Williams-Ellis receives his first major architectural commission, for the remodelling of Llangoed Hall.
• A drill hall is built in the Pen-dre area of Tywyn for the Territorial Army (the 7th Battalion the Royal Welsh Fusiliers). The hall, subsequently known as Neuadd Pendre, was renovated 100 years after its construction, with grants from various sources,^[1] and houses a 3-manual 9-rank Wurlitzer Organ originally installed in a cinema in Woolwich.^[2]

Arts and literature

• The Welsh colony in Chubut launches its own newspaper.

Awards

• National Eisteddfod of Wales - held in Wrexham
  • Chair and Crown - T. H. Parry-Williams (the first time both major prizes were won by the same person)

New books

English language

• Stanley Bligh - The Art of Conversation
• Rhoda Broughton - Between Two Stools
• Alfred George Edwards - Landmarks in the History of the Welsh Church
• Miners' Unofficial Reform Committee - The Miners' Next Step
• T. M. Rees - Welsh Painters
• Bertha Thomas - Stranger Within The Gates (collection of short stories)

Welsh language

• Edward Tegla Davies - Hunangofiant Tomi
• Thomas Williams (Brynfab) - Pan Oedd Rhondda'n Bur

Music

• Thomas Carrington - Concwest Calfari
• Sir Henry Walford Davies - Song of St Francis (cantata)
• David Vaughan Thomas - A Song for St. Cecilia's Day

Film

• The Belle of Bettws-y-Coed
• The Smuggler's Daughter of Anglesea
• The Witch of the Welsh Mountains

Sport

• Boxing:
  • January - Freddie Welsh dislocates his neck in a bout of wrestling, rendering him unable to compete.
  • 3 June - Jim Driscoll wins the European featherweight title.
  • 16 December - Freddie Welsh wins the Commonwealth lightweight title.
• Football
  • Cardiff City F.C. win the Welsh Cup - the first time a club from south Wales has done so.
  • Swansea Town play their first match at the Vetch Field.
• Rugby league - Ebbw Vale RLFC fold after five seasons, ending the first attempt to bring rugby league to Wales.
• Rugby union
  • 14 December - The South African touring team defeats Wales 3-0 at Cardiff Arms Park.
  • 26 December - Swansea RFC defeat the South African touring team 3-0 at St Helen's, Swansea.

Births

• 27 March - James Callaghan (died 2005)
• 29 April - Elvet Jones, Wales and British Lions rugby international (died 1989)
• 30 May - Hugh Griffith, actor (died 1980)
• 8 June - Billy Bassett, Welsh footballer (died 1977)
• 16 June - Enoch Powell, Welsh-speaking politician (died 1998)
• 29 June - Valerie Davies, swimmer (died 2001)
• 1 September - Gwynfor Evans, politician (died 2005)
• 20 October - William R. P. George, solicitor and poet (died 2006)
• 15 November - Arthur Granville, footballer (died 1987)
• 20 November
  • Arthur Rees - Wales rugby international and police Chief Constable (died 1998)
  • Wilf Wooller - Wales rugby international and Glamorgan cricket captain. (died 1997)
• 12 December - Daniel Jones, composer (died 1993)
• 13 December - Garfield Hopkin Hughes, academic (died 1969)
• 20 December - Sir Morien Morgan, aeronautics engineer (died 1978)
• date unknown - Brenda Chamberlain, artist and poet (died 1971)

Deaths

• 29 January - Dai Evans, Wales international rugby player
• 17 February - Edgar Evans, explorer, 35
• 6 April - Eleazar Roberts, writer and musician, 87
• 18 April - Walter Clopton Wingfield, lawn tennis inventor, 78
• 25 July – Griffith John, missionary, 80
• 12 August - Humphrey Owen Jones, chemist, 34 (climbing accident)
• 29 August (in Haslemere) - James Cholmeley Russell, railway entrepreneur, 71
• 24 September – John Rolls, 1st Baron Llangattock, politician, 75
• 18 November - Edward Thomas (Cochfarf), local politician, 59

References