1917 in Wales
Encyclopedia
This article is about the particular significance of the year 1917 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...
.
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...
- Edward, Prince of WalesEdward VIII of the United KingdomEdward VIII was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth, and Emperor of India, from 20 January to 11 December 1936.Before his accession to the throne, Edward was Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall and Rothesay...
, son of King George V of the United KingdomGeorge V of the United KingdomGeorge V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936.... - 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...
- vacant - 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 :...
- DyfedEvan Rees (Dyfed)Evan Rees , known by the bardic name Dyfed, was a Calvinistic Methodist minister, poet, and Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales.-Early life:...
Events
- February - Psychoanalyst Ernest JonesErnest JonesAlfred Ernest Jones was a British neurologist and psychoanalyst, and Sigmund Freud’s official biographer. Jones was the first English-speaking practitioner of psychoanalysis and became its leading exponent in the English-speaking world where, as President of both the British Psycho-Analytical...
marries composer Morfydd Llwyn-Owen. - 6 July - AqabaAqabaAqaba is a coastal city in the far south of Jordan, the capital of Aqaba Governorate at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba. Aqaba is strategically important to Jordan as it is the country's only seaport. Aqaba is best known today as a diving and beach resort, but industrial activity remains important...
falls to a joint force of Arab irregulars and the supporters of Auda Abu Tayi, largely thanks to the efforts of T. E. LawrenceT. E. LawrenceLieutenant Colonel Thomas Edward Lawrence, CB, DSO , known professionally as T. E. Lawrence, was a British Army officer renowned especially for his liaison role during the Arab Revolt against Ottoman Turkish rule of 1916–18...
. - 17 July - Prince Louis of Battenberg is created Marquess of Milford HavenMarquess of Milford HavenMarquess of Milford Haven is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1917 for Prince Louis of Battenberg, the former First Sea Lord, and a relation to the British Royal family, who amidst the anti-German sentiments of the First World War abandoned the use of his German...
. - August - At the Birkenhead eisteddfod, the announcement is made that the winner of the chair, Hedd WynHedd WynHedd Wyn was a Welsh language poet who was killed during the Battle of Passchendaele in World War I. He was posthumously awarded the bard's chair at the 1917 National Eisteddfod...
, has been killed in battle. Contralto Laura Evans-Williams sings I Blas Gogerddan instead of the traditional chairing song. - 25 August - The steamship Cymrian is torpedoed by a German U-boat off PorthcawlPorthcawlPorthcawl is a town on the south coast of Wales in the county borough of Bridgend, 25 miles west of the capital city, Cardiff and 19 miles southeast of Swansea...
, resulting in the deaths of 10 crew. - September - Hugh Evan-ThomasHugh Evan-ThomasVice Admiral Sir Hugh Evan-Thomas GCB, KCMG, MVO was a British Royal Navy officer.During World War I he commanded the 5th Battle Squadron of the Grand Fleet, flying his flag in HMS Barham, and fought at the Battle of Jutland on 31 May – 1 June 1916.-Background:Evan-Thomas' family came from...
is promoted to vice-admiral. - 28 October - The steamship Eskmere is torpedoed by a German U-boat in St Bride's BaySt Bride's BaySt Brides Bay is a rocky bay inlet in western Pembrokeshire, West Wales.Either Skomer Island or the mainland extremity of Wooltack Point at the western end of the Marloes Peninsula marks the southern limit of the bay whilst its northern limit is marked by Ramsey Island off St Davids Head...
, resulting in the deaths of 20 crew. - 7 December - The steamship Earl of Elgin is torpedoed by a German U-boat in CaernarfonCaernarfonCaernarfon is a Royal town, community and port in Gwynedd, Wales, with a population of 9,611. It lies along the A487 road, on the east banks of the Menai Straits, opposite the Isle of Anglesey. The city of Bangor is to the northeast, while Snowdonia fringes Caernarfon to the east and southeast...
Bay, resulting in the deaths of 18 crew. - 15 December - The steamship Formby is torpedoed by a German U-boat in CaernarfonCaernarfonCaernarfon is a Royal town, community and port in Gwynedd, Wales, with a population of 9,611. It lies along the A487 road, on the east banks of the Menai Straits, opposite the Isle of Anglesey. The city of Bangor is to the northeast, while Snowdonia fringes Caernarfon to the east and southeast...
Bay, resulting in the deaths of 15 crew. - 27 December - The steamship Adela is torpedoed by a German U-boat off the Skerries, AngleseyThe Skerries, AngleseyThe Skerries are a group of sparsely-vegetated rocky islets, with a total area of about , lying 3 km offshore from Carmel Head at the northwest corner of Anglesey, Wales...
, resulting in the deaths of 24 crew. - The Rotary Club opens its first branches in Wales, at 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...
and LlanelliLlanelliLlanelli , the largest town in both the county of Carmarthenshire and the preserved county of Dyfed , Wales, sits on the Loughor estuary on the West Wales coast, approximately west-north-west of Swansea and south-east of the county town, Carmarthen. The town is famous for its proud rugby...
. - Launch of the first submarineSubmarineA submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
built in PembrokePembroke DockPembroke Dock is a town in Pembrokeshire, south-west Wales, lying north of Pembroke on the River Cleddau. Originally a small fishing village known as Paterchurch, the town was greatly expanded from 1814 onwards following the construction of a Royal Naval Dockyard...
. - Josiah Towyn JonesJosiah Towyn JonesJosiah Towyn Jones was a Welsh clergyman and Liberal Party politician. He was Member of Parliament for Carmarthenshire East and later for Llanelly....
becomes a Junior Lord of the Treasury and government Whip. - Jimmy ThomasJames Henry ThomasJames Henry "Jimmy" Thomas was a British trade unionist and Labour politician. He was involved in a political scandal involving budget leaks.-Early career and Trade Union activities:...
is instrumental in forming the National Union of RailwaymenNational Union of RailwaymenThe National Union of Railwaymen was a trade union of railway workers in the United Kingdom. It an industrial union founded in 1913 by the merger of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants , the United Pointsmen and Signalmen's Society and the General Railway Workers' Union .The NUR...
. - Margaret Haig Thomas becomes Director of the Women's Department of the Ministry of National Service.
- St Winefride's WellSt Winefride's WellSt Winefride's Well is a holy well located in Holywell, in Flintshire in North Wales. It is the oldest continually visited pilgrimage site in Great Britain....
at HolywellHolywellHolywell is the fifth largest town in Flintshire, North Wales, lying to the west of the estuary of the River Dee.-History:The market town of Holywell takes its name from the St Winefride's Well, a holy well surrounded by a chapel...
temporarily dries up as a result of mining activity. - Trade unionist Ness EdwardsNess EdwardsOnesimus Edwards was a Welsh Labour Party politician.A trade unionist, Ness Edwards was imprisoned in 1917 as a conscientious objector to the conscription of the First World War. He was elected Member of Parliament for Caerphilly at a by-election in 1939 following the death of Labour MP and...
is imprisoned as a conscientious objectorConscientious objectorA conscientious objector is an "individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service" on the grounds of freedom of thought, conscience, and/or religion....
.
Awards
- 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 :...
(held in BirkenheadBirkenheadBirkenhead is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral in Merseyside, England. It is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the west bank of the River Mersey, opposite the city of Liverpool...
)
- National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair - Hedd WynHedd WynHedd Wyn was a Welsh language poet who was killed during the Battle of Passchendaele in World War I. He was posthumously awarded the bard's chair at the 1917 National Eisteddfod...
- National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown - William Evans (Wil Ifan)William Evans (Wil Ifan)William Evans , better known by his bardic name of Wil Ifan, was a Welsh poet who served as Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales from 1947 to 1950....
New books
- A. G. Prys-Jones - Welsh Poets
- MoelonaMoelonaMoelona was the pen-name of Elizabeth Mary Jones , a Welsh novelist and translator who wrote novels for children and other works in Welsh....
- Bugail y Bryn - Mary Edith Nepean - Gwyneth of the Welsh Hills
Sport
- BoxingBoxingBoxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
- 28 May: Freddie WelshFreddie WelshFreddie Welsh was a Welsh lightweight boxing champion. Born in Pontypridd, Wales, and christened Frederick Hall Thomas, he was nicknamed the "Welsh Wizard". Brought up in a tough mining community, Welsh left a middle-class background to make a name for himself in America...
is knocked out at the Manhattan Athletic Club, losing his world lightweight title after three years as champion.
Births
- 9 January - Haydn TannerHaydn TannerHaydn Tanner was a Welsh international rugby union player who also played for the British and Irish Lions and the Barbarians....
, Wales rugby international and captain - 21 January - Stan RichardsStan Richards (footballer)Stanley Verdun "Stan" Richards was a Welsh professional footballer and Wales international.-Career:Although he was born in Cardiff, Stan Richards began his career playing amateur football in London before joining his hometown team in 1946...
, footballer (died 1987) - 21 April - Megs JenkinsMegs JenkinsMuguette Mary "Megs" Jenkins was an English character actress who appeared in British films and television programmes.-Life and career:...
, actress (died 1998) - 10 May - Bill TamplinBill TamplinWilliam Ewart 'Bill' Tamplin was a Welsh international rugby union lock who played club rugby for Cardiff. He won seven caps for Wales and captained his country in their victory over the 1947 touring Australian team....
, Wales rugby international and captain (died 1989) - 10 June - Meredith EdwardsMeredith Edwards (actor)Gwilym Meredith Edwards was a Welsh character actor and writer.He was born in Rhosllannerchrugog, Denbighshire, Wales, the son of a collier. He became an actor in 1938, first with the Welsh National Theatre Company, then the Liverpool Playhouse...
, actor (died 1999) - 8 October - Ronnie JamesRonnie JamesRonnie James , former British Lightweight boxing champion. Born in Swansea, Wales, James had over 130 professional bouts winning 114 of them, 61 through knockout...
, British champion boxer (died 1977) - 27 October - Dylan ThomasDylan ThomasDylan Marlais Thomas was a Welsh poet and writer, Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 11 January 2008. who wrote exclusively in English. In addition to poetry, he wrote short stories and scripts for film and radio, which he often performed himself...
, poet (died 1953) - 26 November - Gerald JamesGerald JamesGerald James was a British actor best known for his character actor roles in British television productions such as The Sandbaggers, The Professionals, Secret Army, Sapphire and Steel and The Pickwick Papers. He also appeared on stage with the Royal Shakespeare Company.-External links:...
, actor (died 2006) - 3 December - Esyllt T. Lawrence, feminist writer (died 1995)
Deaths
- 31 January - Henry BracyHenry BracyHenry Bracy was a Welsh tenor who is notable as the creator of the role of Prince Hilarion in the Gilbert and Sullivan comic opera Princess Ida. Bracy was often a lead tenor within the operettas in which he appeared. He was married to actress Clara T. Bracy, the sister of Lydia Thompson...
, tenor, 71 - 28 February - Richard Lloyd, uncle of Lloyd George, 82
- 2 April - Bryn LewisBryn LewisMajor Brinley 'Bryn' Lewis was a Welsh international rugby union wing who played club rugby for Newport and Cambridge University. He is one of twelve Welsh internationals to have died in active duty during World War I....
, Wales international rugby player, 26 (killed in action) - 9 April - Edward ThomasEdward Thomas (poet)Philip Edward Thomas was an Anglo-Welsh writer of prose and poetry. He is commonly considered a war poet, although few of his poems deal directly with his war experiences. Already an accomplished writer, Thomas turned to poetry only in 1914...
, Anglo-Welsh poet (born 1878) (killed in action) - 1 May - William Knox D'ArcyWilliam Knox D'ArcyWilliam Knox D'Arcy was one of the principal founders of the oil and petrochemical industry in Persia .-Early life:...
, industrialist (born 1849) - 8 June - George DobsonGeorge DobsonGeorge Alexander Dobson was a Welsh rugby union forward who played club rugby for Cardiff and international rugby for Wales...
, Wales international rugby union player - 9 June - Thomas McKenny HughesThomas McKenny HughesThomas McKenny Hughes was a Welsh geologist. He was Woodwardian Professor of Geology at Cambridge University.-Private life:...
, geologist, 84 - 31 July
- Ellis Humphrey Evans ("Hedd WynHedd WynHedd Wyn was a Welsh language poet who was killed during the Battle of Passchendaele in World War I. He was posthumously awarded the bard's chair at the 1917 National Eisteddfod...
"), poet, 30 (killed in action) - James Llewellyn DaviesJames Llewellyn DaviesJames Llewellyn Davies VC was a Welsh recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces....
, VC recipient, 31 (killed in action)
- Ellis Humphrey Evans ("Hedd Wyn
- 21 November - Rhys Jones Huws, poet, 55
- 25 November - John Williams, choirmaster, 61
- 14 December - Phil WallerPhil WallerPhil Waller was an English-born international rugby union forward who played club rugby for Newport and Johannesburg. He won six caps for Wales and also played for the British Isles in their 1910 tour of South Africa....
, Wales and British Lions rugby player, 28 (killed in action) - 25 December - Richard Jones Berwyn, colonist and writer, 54
- date unknown - Frederick William Harris, industrialist