1918 in Wales
Encyclopedia
This article is about the particular significance of the year 1918 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
- The beginning of an influenzaInfluenzaInfluenza, commonly referred to as the flu, is an infectious disease caused by RNA viruses of the family Orthomyxoviridae , that affects birds and mammals...
epidemic which lasts into the following year and kills about 10,000 people in Wales. - 26 January - An Irish steamship, the Cork, is torpedoed by a U-boatU-boat Campaign (World War I)The U-boat Campaign from 1914 to 1918 was the World War I naval campaign fought by German U-boats against the trade routes of the Entente Powers...
off Point LynasPoint Lynas LighthousePoint Lynas Lighthouse is located on the north coast of Anglesey in North Wales .-Construction:This unusual and distinctive lighthouse was designed by Jesse Hartley, engineer to the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board from 1824 to 1860, but with additions by G Lyster some twenty years later.It is a...
in AngleseyAngleseyAnglesey , also known by its Welsh name Ynys Môn , is an island and, as Isle of Anglesey, a county off the north west coast of Wales...
. Twelve crew are killed. - 29 January - The steamship Ethelinda is torpedoed by a U-boat off the Skerries. Twenty-six crew are killed.
- 4 February - The steamship Treveal is torpedoed by a U-boat off the Skerries. Thirty-three people are killed.
- 5 February - The steamship Mexico City is torpedoed by a U-boat off South StackSouth StackSouth Stack is an island situated just off Holy Island on the North West coast of Anglesey. It is famous as the location of one of Wales' most spectacular lighthouses.-South Stack Lighthouse:...
, HolyheadHolyheadHolyhead is the largest town in the county of Anglesey in the North Wales. It is also a major port adjacent to the Irish Sea serving Ireland....
. Twenty-nine crew are killed. - 7 March - The steamship Kenmare is torpedoed by a U-boat off the Skerries. Twenty-six crew are killed.
- 7 April - The steamship Boscastle is torpedoed by a U-boat off Strumble HeadStrumble HeadStrumble Head is a rocky headland in north Pembrokeshire, Wales.It gives its name to Strumble Head Lighthouse and Strumble VOR, a way point in many trans-atlantic flights....
. Eighteen crew are killed. - 21 April - The steamship Landonia is torpedoed by a U-boat off Strumble Head. Twenty-one crew are killed.
- 9 May - The steamships Baron Ailsa and Wileysike are torpedoed by a U-boat off PembrokeshirePembrokeshirePembrokeshire is a county in the south west of Wales. It borders Carmarthenshire to the east and Ceredigion to the north east. The county town is Haverfordwest where Pembrokeshire County Council is headquartered....
. Fourteen crew are killed. - 19 May - The German U-boat U-B 119 is sunk off Bardsey IslandBardsey IslandBardsey Island , the legendary "Island of 20,000 saints", lies off the Llŷn Peninsula in the Welsh county of Gwynedd. The Welsh name means "The Island in the Currents", although its English name refers to the "Island of the Bards", or possibly the island of the Viking chieftan, "Barda". It is ...
. - 15 June - The steamship Strathnairn is torpedoed by a U-boat off Bishops and ClerksBishops and ClerksThe Bishops and Clerks are a group of rocks and islets situated 1 to 2 miles west of Ramsey Island, Pembrokeshire, Wales.They include:*Carreg Rhoson*Carreg-trai*Cribog*Daufraich*Llechau-isaf*Llechau-uchaf*Maen Daufraich*Maen Rhoson*Moelyn...
, Pembrokeshire. Twenty-one crew are killed. - August - August is fixed as the annual month 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 :...
. - 22 August - The steamship Palmelia is torpedoed by a U-boat off South StackSouth StackSouth Stack is an island situated just off Holy Island on the North West coast of Anglesey. It is famous as the location of one of Wales' most spectacular lighthouses.-South Stack Lighthouse:...
, HolyheadHolyheadHolyhead is the largest town in the county of Anglesey in the North Wales. It is also a major port adjacent to the Irish Sea serving Ireland....
. Twenty-eight people are killed. - 16 September - The steamship Serula is torpedoed by a U-boat off Strumble Head. Seventeen crew are killed.
- 18 September - The 38th (Welsh) Division is involved in the Battle of EpéhyBattle of EpéhyThe Battle of Épehy was a World War I battle fought on 18 September 1918, involving the British Fourth Army against German outpost positions in front of the Hindenburg Line.- Prelude :...
. - 10 October - Three seamen are killed while returning to their ship by boat at Milford HavenMilford HavenMilford Haven is a town and community in Pembrokeshire, Wales. It is situated on the north side of the Milford Haven Waterway, a natural harbour used as a port since the Middle Ages. The town was founded in 1790 on the north side of the Waterway, from which it takes its name...
. - 14 October - The steamship Dundalk is torpedoed by a U-boat off the Skerries. Twenty-one crew are killed.
- 11 November - Armistice Day. Able Seaman Richard Morgan, serving aboard HMS GarlandHMS GarlandSeveral ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Garland. The name dates back to 1242, being the oldest confirmed ship name in the Royal Navy....
, is the last Welshman – and the last Briton – to be killed in action in the First World War, in the course of which over 40,000 Welsh people have lost their lives. - 14 December - United Kingdom general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 1918The United Kingdom general election of 1918 was the first to be held after the Representation of the People Act 1918, which meant it was the first United Kingdom general election in which nearly all adult men and some women could vote. Polling was held on 14 December 1918, although the count did...
:- For the first time, a woman stands as a parliamentary candidate stands in Wales: Millicent Mackenzie stands unsuccessfully for the University of WalesUniversity of WalesThe University of Wales was a confederal university founded in 1893. It had accredited institutions throughout Wales, and formerly accredited courses in Britain and abroad, with over 100,000 students, but in October 2011, after a number of scandals, it withdrew all accreditation, and it was...
, itself a new parliamentary seat. - Home Rule for Wales is included as a policy in the manifestoManifestoA manifesto is a public declaration of principles and intentions, often political in nature. Manifestos relating to religious belief are generally referred to as creeds. Manifestos may also be life stance-related.-Etymology:...
of the Labour Party. - William BraceWilliam BraceWilliam Brace was a Welsh trade unionist and Labour politician. Born in Risca, in the coal-mining district of Monmouthshire, he was one of six children of Thomas and Anne Brace. Brace briefly attended school before starting work at the local colliery, aged 12...
becomes Labour MP for AbertilleryAbertilleryAbertillery is a town in the county borough of Blaenau Gwent in South Wales, north-west of Newport, originally on the Great Western Railway. Its population rose steeply during the period of mining development in South Wales, being 10,846 in the 1891 census and 21,945 ten years later...
. - Alfred OnionsAlfred OnionsAlfred Onions was a Welsh Labour Party politician.He was elected as Member of Parliament for Caerphilly at the 1918 general election, but died in office in 1921. His successor was Morgan Jones.-References:...
becomes Labour MP for CaerphillyCaerphillyCaerphilly is a town in the county borough of Caerphilly, south Wales, located at the southern end of the Rhymney Valley, with a population of approximately 31,000. It is a commuter town of Cardiff and Newport, which are located some 7.5 miles and 12 miles away, respectively...
. - John Hugh EdwardsJohn Hugh EdwardsHugh Edwards was a British Liberal Party politician.Aberystwyth-born Edwards was an author, having written a history of Wales and three biographies of David Lloyd George. He was a governor of University College Aberystwyth and University College Cardiff...
becomes Liberal MP for NeathNeathNeath is a town and community situated in the principal area of Neath Port Talbot, Wales, UK with a population of approximately 45,898 in 2001...
, his previous constituency of Mid Glamorgan having been abolished. - Sir Robert Thomas, 1st BaronetSir Robert Thomas, 1st BaronetSir Robert John Thomas, 1st Baronet was a Welsh businessman and Liberal Party politician, who was twice elected to parliament. Thomas was a ship and insurance broker. He was Member of Parliament for Wrexham from 1918 to 1922, and for Anglesey from 1923 to 1929...
, becomes Liberal MP for WrexhamWrexhamWrexham is a town in Wales. It is the administrative centre of the wider Wrexham County Borough, and the largest town in North Wales, located in the east of the region. It is situated between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley close to the border with Cheshire, England...
.
- For the first time, a woman stands as a parliamentary candidate stands in Wales: Millicent Mackenzie stands unsuccessfully for the University of Wales
- Edward T. John (Liberal MP for East Denbighshire) defects to the Labour Party.
- David Alfred ThomasDavid Alfred ThomasDavid Alfred Thomas, 1st Viscount Rhondda PC , sometimes known as D. A. Thomas, was a Welsh industrialist and Liberal politician...
is created Viscount RhonddaViscount RhonddaViscount Rhondda, of Llanwern in the County of Monmouthshire, was a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1918 for the Welsh businessman and Liberal politician David Alfred Thomas, 1st Baron Rhondda, with special remainder to his daughter Margaret and her heirs male...
.
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 NeathNeathNeath is a town and community situated in the principal area of Neath Port Talbot, Wales, UK with a population of approximately 45,898 in 2001...
)
- National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair - John Thomas JobJohn Thomas JobJohn Thomas Job , was a Welsh minister, hymn-writer and poet.He was born at Llandybie in Carmarthenshire, and educated locally. He went on to Trefeca College to train as a Methodist minister. In 1894, he married Etta Davies, and they had three children...
- National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown - D. Emrys Lewis
Births
- 15 January - Billy LucasBilly LucasWilliam Henry "Billy" Lucas was a Welsh international football player in the late 1940s and 1950s. During his career, Lucas made over 400 appearances in The Football League during spells with Swindon Town, Swansea Town and Newport County and attained seven caps for Wales as well as eight wartime...
, international footballer (d.1998) - 7 May - Robert Davies, politician (died 1967)
- 9 May - Sir Kyffin WilliamsKyffin WilliamsSir John "Kyffin" Williams, KBE, RA was a Welsh landscape painter who lived at Pwllfanogl, Llanfairpwll on the Island of Anglesey...
, artist (died 2006) - 20 May - William David Ormsby-Gore, 5th Baron Harlech (died 1985)
- 6 June - Susan Williams-EllisSusan Williams-EllisSusan Williams-Ellis , a pottery designer and the eldest daughter of Clough Williams-Ellis, was best known for co-founding Portmeirion Pottery.-Background:...
, founder of Portmeirion PotteryPortmeirion PotteryPortmeirion is a British pottery company based in Stoke-on-Trent.-History:Portmeirion Pottery came into being in 1960 when the pottery designer Susan Williams-Ellis and her husband, Euan Cooper-Willis took over a small pottery decorating company in Stoke-on-Trent called A. E. Gray Ltd.. Susan... - 19 September - Penelope MortimerPenelope MortimerPenelope Ruth Mortimer , was a British journalist, biographer and novelist.-Early life:...
, writer (died 1999) - 3 November - Glyn WilliamsGlyn Williams (footballer)Glyndwr James John "Glyn" Williams is a Welsh former professional footballer.-Career:Born in Maesteg, Williams began his career playing for Caerau as an amateur, helping them win the Welsh Amateur Cup in 1946 and, despite only having played a handful of games, following the return of the Football...
, international footballer - date unknown - Dilys Elwyn Edwards, composer
Deaths
- 15 February - William EvansWilliam Evans (judge)-Life:Evans was the third son of James Evans of Merthyr Tydfil, south Wales. He matriculated at the University of Oxford in 1868 at the age of 21 as a non-collegiate student, transferring to Jesus College, Oxford in 1869. He obtained two BA degrees: Literae Humaniores in 1872 and Jurisprudence in...
, judge - 13 April
- Thomas Tannatt PryceThomas Tannatt PryceThomas Tannatt Pryce VC MC & Bar 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, 32 (killed in action) - David Ffrangcon DaviesDavid Ffrangcon DaviesDavid Ffrangcon-Davies, M.A. was a Welsh operatic baritone.-Early life and education:David Thomas Davies was born in Bethesda, Gwynedd. He later adapted the name Ffrangcon, an early variant spelling of the nearby valley Nant Ffrancon, as part of his new surname...
, baritone, 62
- Thomas Tannatt Pryce
- 3 July - David Alfred Thomas, 1st Viscount Rhondda, industrialist and politician, 62
- 13 September - Samuel Thomas EvansSamuel Thomas EvansSir Samuel Thomas Evans GCB PC QC , was a Welsh barrister, judge and Liberal politician.-Background and education:...
, MP, 59 - 21 September - Emily Charlotte TalbotEmily Charlotte TalbotEmily Charlotte Talbot was an heiress and industrialist of South Wales, the daughter of Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot.She was born in Belgrave Square, the centrepiece of Belgravia in London....
, heiress, 78 - 27 September - Morfydd Llwyn-Owen, composer, 26
- 15 October - William David PhillipsWilliam David PhillipsWilliam David Phillips was a Welsh international rugby union forward who played club rugby for Cardiff Rugby Football Club and international rugby for Wales...
, Wales international rugby player, 63 - 4 November - Wilfred OwenWilfred OwenWilfred Edward Salter Owen MC was an English poet and soldier, one of the leading poets of the First World War...
, poet from the Welsh borders, 25 (killed in action) - 25 November - William Griffith, mining engineer (with Cecil Rhodes)
- 1 December - John GriffithsJohn Griffiths (artist)John Griffiths was a British artist who worked in India. He was born in Llanfair Caereinion and trained in what became the Royal College of Art. He became a Professor of Art and moved to Bombay as the principal of the Sir Jamsetjee Jeejebhoy School of Art in Bombay...
, artist - 1 December - Fred PerrettFred PerrettFred Leonard Perrett was a Welsh international rugby union prop who played club rugby for Neath. He won five caps for Wales and in his first international game faced the touring South Africans.-Rugby career:...
, Welsh international rugby union, 27 (died of wounds received in action)