1885 in Wales
Encyclopedia
This article is about the particular significance of the year 1885 to Wales
and its people
.
— held at Aberdare
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...
.
Incumbents
- Prince of WalesPrince of WalesPrince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
— The Prince Albert EdwardEdward VII of the United KingdomEdward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910...
, son of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom - Princess of WalesPrincess of WalesPrincess of Wales is a British courtesy title held by the wife of The Prince of Wales since the first "English" Prince of Wales in 1283.Although there have been considerably more than ten male heirs to the throne, there have been only ten Princesses of Wales. The majority of Princes of Wales...
— Alexandra of DenmarkAlexandra of DenmarkAlexandra of Denmark was the wife of Edward VII of the United Kingdom... - ArchdruidArchdruidThe Archdruid is the title used by the presiding official of the Gorsedd.The Archdruid presides over the most important ceremonies at the National Eisteddfod of Wales including the Crowning of the Bard, The Award of the Prose Medal and Chairing of the Bard. From 1932 only former winners of the...
of the National Eisteddfod of WalesNational Eisteddfod of WalesThe National Eisteddfod of Wales is the most important of several eisteddfodau that are held annually, mostly in Wales.- Organisation :...
— Clwydfardd
Events
- 24 November — The United Kingdom general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 1885-Seats summary:-See also:*List of MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1885*Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885–1918*Representation of the People Act 1884*Redistribution of Seats Act 1885-References:...
is the first in which the Liberal Party has a candidate in every Welsh constituency. The Liberals win 30 of the 34 available seats. - 24 December — 81 miners are killed in an accident at the MaerdyMaerdyMaerdy is a village and community in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, and within the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan, Wales, lying at the head of the Rhondda Fach Valley.- History :...
Colliery, Rhondda. - The world's first passenger-carrying ropewayRopewayA ropeway is a form of naval lifting device used to transport light stores and equipment across rivers or ravines. It comprises a jackstay, slung between two sheers or gyns, one at either end, from which is suspended a block and tackle, that is free to travel along the rope and hauled back and...
comes into use over the River AeronRiver AeronThe River Aeron is a small river in Ceredigion, Wales, that flows into Cardigan Bay at Aberaeron. It is also referred to on some older maps as the River Ayron.- Source :...
at AberaeronAberaeronAberaeron |Aeron]] being a Welsh god of war) is a seaside resort town in Ceredigion, Wales. Situated between Aberystwyth and Cardigan, it is home to the headquarters of Ceredigion County Council. The population was 1520 in 2001.-History and design:...
. - Opening of steelworks at BrymboBrymboBrymbo is a local government community, the lowest tier of local government, part of Wrexham County Borough in Wales. It is a village situated in the hilly country to the west of Wrexham town, largely surrounded by farmland....
. - By order of the AdmiraltyAdmiraltyThe Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
, only Welsh coal is to be used on ships of the Royal NavyRoyal NavyThe Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
. - Three people are killed when fire breaks out at the University of Wales, AberystwythUniversity of Wales, AberystwythAberystwyth University is a university located in Aberystwyth, Wales. Aberystwyth was a founding Member Institution of the former federal University of Wales. As of late 2006, the university had over 12,000 students spread across seventeen academic departments.The university was founded in 1872 as...
. - Frances HogganFrances HogganFrances Elizabeth Hoggan MD was the first British woman to receive a doctorate in medicine from a university in Europe, and the first female doctor to be registered in Wales....
is the first woman doctor registered in Wales. - Opening of the first local authority secondary school in Cardiff.
- Under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885Redistribution of Seats Act 1885The Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was a piece of electoral reform legislation that redistributed the seats in the House of Commons, introducing the concept of equally populated constituencies, in an attempt to equalise representation across...
, the constituencies of DenbighshireDenbighshire (UK Parliament constituency)Denbighshire was a county constituency in Denbighshire, in north Wales, from 1542 to 1885.- History :From 1542, it returned one Member of Parliament , traditionally known as the knight of the shire, to the House of Commons of the Parliament of England until 1707, then to the Parliament of Great...
, GlamorganshireGlamorganshire (UK Parliament constituency)Glamorganshire was a parliamentary constituency in Wales, returning two Members of Parliament to the British House of Commons. The Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 divided it into five new constituencies: East Glamorganshire, South Glamorganshire, Mid Glamorganshire, Gower and Rhondda.- MPs...
, NorthNorth Monmouthshire (UK Parliament constituency)Northern Monmouthshire was a parliamentary constituency in Monmouthshire. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.-History:...
and South MonmouthshireSouth Monmouthshire (UK Parliament constituency)Southern Monmouthshire was a parliamentary constituency in Monmouthshire. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.-History:...
are among those disestablished.
Awards
National Eisteddfod of WalesNational Eisteddfod of Wales
The National Eisteddfod of Wales is the most important of several eisteddfodau that are held annually, mostly in Wales.- Organisation :...
— held at Aberdare
Aberdare
Aberdare is an industrial town in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Dare and Cynon. The population at the census was 31,705...
- Chair — Watkin Hezekiah Williams
- Crown — Griffith Tecwyn Parry
New books
- Daniel James (Gwyrosydd)Daniel James (Gwyrosydd)Daniel James , also known by his bardic name of Gwyrosydd, was a Welsh poet and hymn-writer, best known for writing the words to the popular hymn, "Calon Lân".-Early life:Daniel James came from Treboeth in Swansea...
— Caneuon Gwyrosydd - Daniel OwenDaniel OwenDaniel Owen was a Welsh novelist, generally regarded as the foremost Welsh-language novelist of the 19th century.-Early life:...
— Rhys LewisRhys LewisRhys Lewis is a novel by Daniel Owen, written in the Welsh language and first published in 1885. Its full title is Hunangofiant Rhys Lewis, Gweinidog Bethel...
Sport
- FootballFootball (soccer)Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
— Druids win the Welsh CupWelsh CupThe Welsh Cup is a knock-out football competition contested annually by teams from Wales.The Football Association of Wales is the organising body of this competition, which has been run every year since its inception in 1877-78...
for the fourth time in its eight-year history. - Rugby unionRugby unionRugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
- Cross Keys RFCCross Keys RFCCross Keys RFC is a rugby union club located in the Welsh village of Crosskeys. The club is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union and is a feeder club for the Newport Gwent Dragons.- History :...
, London Welsh RFC, Neyland RFCNeyland RFCNeyland Rugby Football Club is a rugby union team from the village of Neyland in West Wales. The club is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union and is a feeder club for the Llanelli Scarlets....
and Risca RFCRisca RFCRisca Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union club based in Risca, Monmouthshire. The club is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union and is a feeder club for the Newport Gwent Dragons.-Club history:...
are founded. - Arthur Gould plays his first international match for Wales.
- Cross Keys RFC
Births
- 21 May — William DowellWilliam DowellWilliam Dowell was a Welsh international, dual-code rugby player who played rugby union for Newport and Pontypool and rugby league with Warrington RLFC...
, Welsh dual-code rugby player (died 1949) - 26 June — David John Williams, writer and politician (died 1970)
- 2 August — Clarence Bruce, 3rd Baron AberdareClarence Bruce, 3rd Baron AberdareClarence Napier Bruce, 3rd Baron Aberdare, GBE , styled The Honourable from 1895 to 1929, was a British military officer, cricketer, tennis player, and also an excellent golfer...
(died 1957) - 5 September — Jenkin Alban DaviesJenkin Alban DaviesJenkin Alban Davies was a Welsh international rugby union player.-Life:Davies was born in Aberaeron, Wales. He was educated at Jesus College, Oxford but did not win a "Blue". He first played for Swansea RFC in 1910. Davies played for the Wales national rugby union team on seven occasions in the...
, Welsh international rugby captain (died 1976) - 21 November — Robert EvansRobert Evans (footballer born 1885)Robert "Bobby" Ernest Evans was an English professional footballer, who played as a left-winger for Aston Villa and Sheffield United . He won the FA Cup with Sheffield United in 1915 and played international football for both Wales and England.-Career:Evans was born in Chester, England of Welsh...
, footballer (died 1965) - date unknown
- Ernest EvansErnest Evans (politician)Ernest Evans was a Liberal Party politician from Wales.-Family and education:Ernest Evans was born at Aberystwyth, the son of Evan Evans, the Clerk to the Cardiganshire County Council and his wife Annie Davies...
, politician (died 1965)
- Ernest Evans
Deaths
- 21 January — John Gwyn JeffreysJohn Gwyn JeffreysJohn Gwyn Jeffreys was a British conchologist and malacologist.He was born in Swansea into a propertied Welsh family and educated at Swansea Grammar School. He went to London to qualify as a barrister, which he did. His greater passion however was for conchology...
, conchologist, 76 - 15 March — Jane Williams (Ysgafell)Jane Williams (Ysgafell)Jane Williams , was a Welsh writer, often known by her bardic name of Ysgafell. She is sometimes confused with her contemporary, Maria Jane Williams....
, writer, 79 - 1 May — Henry Brinley RichardsHenry Brinley RichardsHenry Brinley Richards was a Welsh composer.Richards was born in Hall Street, Carmarthen, his father being organist at St Peter's Church in the town and an organiser of local musical events. Richards won a prize at the Gwent-Morgannwg Eisteddfod of 1834, held at Cardiff, for his arrangement of...
, composer, 67 - 10 May — Edward StephenEdward StephenEdward Jones Stephen , often known by his bardic name of Tanymarian, was a Welsh musician, singer and composer, mainly of hymns and songs....
, composer, 62 - 27 July — Penry WilliamsPenry WilliamsPenry Williams was a Liberal Party politician in England.He was elected at the January 1910 as Member of Parliament for the usually-Liberal Middlesbrough constituency in the North Riding of Yorkshire...
, artist - 1 August — Sidney Gilchrist ThomasSidney Gilchrist ThomasSidney Gilchrist Thomas was an English inventor.-Life:Thomas was born at Canonbury, London and was educated at Dulwich College....
, inventor, 34 - 24 September — Samuel Roberts, political and economic writer, 85