1840 in Wales
Encyclopedia
This article is about the particular significance of the year 1840 to Wales
and its people
.
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
and its people
Welsh people
The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...
.
Events
- January 1 - Trial of John FrostJohn Frost (Chartist)John Frost was a prominent Welsh leader of the British Chartist movement in the Newport Rising....
, Zephaniah WilliamsZephaniah WilliamsZephaniah Williams was born near Argoed, Sirhowy Valley, Monmouthshire, with much of his childhood spent near the then village of Blackwood, also living for some periods in Caerphilly and Nantyglo...
and William JonesWilliam Jones (Chartist)William Jones was a political Radical and Chartist, who was a former actor, working as a watchmaker at Pontypool in Monmouthshire and was also keeping a beer house....
opens at Monmouth before Lord Chief Justice Tindal. This was the first trial where proceedings were recorded in shorthandShorthandShorthand is an abbreviated symbolic writing method that increases speed or brevity of writing as compared to a normal method of writing a language. The process of writing in shorthand is called stenography, from the Greek stenos and graphē or graphie...
. - January 16 - Frost, Williams and Jones are all found guilty of high treasonHigh treasonHigh treason is criminal disloyalty to one's government. Participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to overthrow its government, spying on its military, its diplomats, or its secret services for a hostile and foreign power, or attempting to kill its head of state are perhaps...
for their part in the Chartist riots, and are sentenced to death - the last time the sentence of hanging, drawing and quartering was passed in the UK. (The sentence was commuted to transportation.) - October 8 - Opening of Crockherbtown station, now Cardiff Queen Street railway stationCardiff Queen Street railway stationCardiff Queen Street railway station is Wales' second busiest railway station in Cardiff, Wales. It is one of 20 stations in the city and two in the city centre, the other being Cardiff Central...
- October 9 - Taff Vale RailwayTaff Vale RailwayThe Taff Vale Railway is a railway in Glamorgan, South Wales, and is one of the oldest in Wales. It operated as an independent company from 1836 until 1922, when it became a constituent company of the Great Western Railway...
is opened, the first major railway in Wales, running from CardiffCardiffCardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
to AbercynonAbercynonAbercynon is a small village in the Cynon Valley in Mid Glamorgan, Wales. The unitary authority is now known as Rhondda Cynon Taff. It is composed of the village of Abercynon itself,Carnetown,Glancynon,Park View and Pontcynon. However, in recent years the sign to show motorists they are entering...
. - November 18 - A paddle steamer, City of Bristol, is wrecked at LlangennithLlangennithLlangennith is a village in Gower, in the City and County of Swansea, south Wales. It sits at a crossroads in northwest Gower: Moor Lane leads westwards to a caravan park near Rhossili Bay; while Burrows Lane leads northwards to a caravan park overlooking Broughton Bay. The village has a...
, Gower, drowning about 22 people. - Thomas Joseph BrownThomas Joseph BrownThomas Joseph Brown, O.S.B. was a bishop of the Roman Catholic Church. He served for two ecclesiastical jurisdictions, first as the Vicar Apostolic of the Welsh District from 1840 to 1850, then as Bishop of Newport and Menevia from 1850 to 1880....
is consecrated "Vicar Apostolic" of the Roman Catholic District of Wales.
New books
- Evan Davies (Eta Delta) - Y Weinidogaeth a'r Eglwysi
- Sir John Hanmer, 3rd BaronetSir John Hanmer, 3rd BaronetSir John Hanmer, 3rd Baronet was a Welsh politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1659 and 1690.Hanmer was the son of Sir Thomas Hanmer, 2nd Baronet of Hanmer and his first wife Elizabeth Baker. In 1659, he was elected Member of Parliament for Flint in the Third...
- Memorials of the Parish and Family of Hanmer - William LloydWilliam Lloyd (mountaineer)Sir William Lloyd was a Welsh military commander, and was one of the first Europeans to ascend a Himalayan peak....
- The Narrative of a Journey from Cawnpoor to the Boorendo Pass - David Price (Dewi Dinorwig) - Y Catechism Cyntaf
- Taliesin Williams - Hynafiaeth ac Awdurdodaeth Coelbren y Beirdd
Births
- February 26 - John Cynddylan Jones, theologian (died 1930)
- April 14 - Evan JonesEvan JonesEvan Jones may refer to:*Evan John Jones , U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania*Evan Jones , American actor*Evan Jones , Canadian interactive producer...
(Gurnos), poet and musician (died 1903) - June 21 - Sir John RhŷsJohn RhysSir John Rhys was a Welsh scholar, fellow of the British Academy, celticist and the first Professor of Celtic at Oxford University.-Early years and education:...
, educationist (died 1915) - September 16 - Alfred Thomas, 1st Baron PontypriddAlfred Thomas, 1st Baron PontypriddAlfred Thomas, 1st Baron Pontypridd , was a Welsh Liberal Party politician.-Background and education:Born in Penylan, Cardiff, Wales, Thomas was educated at Weston School, near Bath...
(died 1927) - November 29 - Rhoda BroughtonRhoda BroughtonRhoda Broughton was a novelist.-Life:Rhoda Broughton was born in Denbigh in North Wales on 29 November 1840. She was the daughter of the Rev. Delves Broughton youngest son of the Rev. Sir Henry Delves-Broughton, 8th baronet. She developed a taste for literature, especially poetry, as a young girl...
, novelist (died 1920) - December 3 - Francis KilvertFrancis KilvertRobert Francis Kilvert , always known as Francis, or Frank, was born at The Rectory, Hardenhuish Lane, near Chippenham, Wiltshire, to the Rev. Robert Kilvert, Rector of Langley Burrell, Wiltshire, and Thermuthis, daughter of Walter Coleman and Thermuthis Ashe...
, diarist (died 1879) - December 5 - John E. JonesJohn E. JonesJohn Edward Jones was an American politician. He was the 8th Governor of Nevada. He was a member of the Silver Party.-Biography:Jones was born in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, however his family moved to Iowa in 1856...
, governor of Nevada (died 1896) - December 17 - Matthew Vaughan-Davies, 1st Baron YstwythMatthew Vaughan-Davies, 1st Baron YstwythMatthew Lewis Vaughan-Davies, 1st Baron Ystwyth was a Welsh Liberal Party politician.-Background and education:Vaughan-Davies was born at Tan-y-Bwlch, Cardiganshire. He went to Harrow School, but only stayed for a year....
, politician (died 1935) - December 24 - Jabez Edmund Jenkins, poet (died 1903)
Deaths
- January 6 - Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, 5th BaronetSir Watkin Williams-Wynn, 5th BaronetSir Watkin Williams-Wynn, 5th Baronet was a Welsh politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1794 to 1840....
, politician and soldier, 67 - March 12 - John William Thomas, mathematician, 34?
- March 17 - William Williams of WernWilliam Williams of WernWilliam Williams of Wern was an Independent minister in Wales, the promoter of the "General Union" movement of 1834. He was one of three "giants of the Welsh pulpit", along with John Elias and Christmas Evans....
, 58 - May 19 - John Blackwell (Alun)John Blackwell (Alun)John Blackwell , who used the bardic name Alun, was a Welsh language poet, born near Mold, Flintshire, in north Wales. He was educated at Jesus College, Oxford.-External links:*...
, poet, 42? - date unknown - Thomas GeorgeThomas GeorgeThomas George MP JP is an Australian politician and member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly. Thomas George was educated at St Mary's Primary and Marist Brothers College in Casino. He has worked as a bank officer, a stock and station agent, a real estate agent and a publican...
, miniaturist