# 1885 in Wales

"none" is preferred when the title is sufficiently descriptive; see [[WP:SDNONE]]
This article is about the particular significance of the year 1885 to Wales and its people.

## Incumbents

* Lord Lieutenant of Anglesey – Richard Davies
* Lord Lieutenant of Brecknockshire – Joseph Bailey, 1st Baron Glanusk
* Lord Lieutenant of Caernarvonshire – Edward Douglas-Pennant, 1st Baron Penrhyn
* Lord Lieutenant of Cardiganshire – Edward Pryse
* Lord Lieutenant of Carmarthenshire – John Campbell, 2nd Earl Cawdor
* Lord Lieutenant of Denbighshire – William Cornwallis-West
* Lord Lieutenant of Flintshire – Hugh Robert Hughes
* Lord Lieutenant of Glamorgan – Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot
* Lord Lieutenant of Merionethshire – Robert Davies Pryce
* Lord Lieutenant of Monmouthshire – Henry Somerset, 8th Duke of Beaufort
* Lord Lieutenant of Montgomeryshire – Edward Herbert, 3rd Earl of Powis
* Lord Lieutenant of Pembrokeshire – William Edwardes, 4th Baron Kensington
* Lord Lieutenant of Radnorshire – Arthur Walsh, 2nd Baron Ormathwaite
* Bishop of Bangor – James Colquhoun Campbell
* Bishop of Llandaff – Richard Lewis
* Bishop of St Asaph – Joshua Hughes
* Bishop of St Davids – Basil Jones
* Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales – Clwydfardd

## Events

* October – Keswick House, predecessor of Aberdare Hall, in Cardiff opens, allowing women to study for degrees through the University College of South Wales and Monmouthshire.
* 24 November – The United Kingdom general election is the first in which the Liberal Party has a candidate in every Welsh constituency. The Liberals win 30 of the 34 available seats.
* 23 December – 81 miners are killed in an accident at the Maerdy Colliery, Rhondda.
* The world's first passenger-carrying ropeway comes into use over the River Aeron at Aberaeron.
* Opening of steelworks at Brymbo.
* By order of the Admiralty, only Welsh coal is to be used on ships of the Royal Navy.
* Three people are killed when fire breaks out at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth.
* Frances Hoggan is the first woman doctor registered in Wales.
* Opening of the first local authority secondary school in Cardiff.
* Under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, the constituencies of Denbighshire, Glamorganshire, North and South Monmouthshire are among those disestablished.

## Arts and literature
### Awards

National Eisteddfod of Wales – held at Aberdare
* Chair – Watkin Hezekiah Williams, "Y Gwir yn Erbyn y Byd"
* Crown – Griffith Tecwyn Parry

### New books

* Daniel James (Gwyrosydd) – Caneuon Gwyrosydd
* Daniel Owen – Hunangofiant Rhys Lewis, Gweinidog Bethel, the first long novel written in Welsh

### Music

* 5 August – Queen Victoria's harpist John Thomas (Pencerdd Gwalia) marries a former student, Joan Francis Denny.

## Sport

* Football – Druids win the Welsh Cup for the fourth time in its eight-year history.
* Golf – Course at Borth opens.
* Rugby union
** Cross Keys RFC, London Welsh RFC, Neyland RFC and Risca RFC are founded.
** Arthur Gould plays his first international match for Wales.

## Births

* 21 May – William Dowell, Welsh dual-code rugby player (died 1949)
* 26 June – David John Williams, writer and politician (died 1970)
* 2 August – Clarence Bruce, 3rd Baron Aberdare (died 1957)
* 5 September – Jenkin Alban Davies, Welsh international rugby captain (died 1976)
* 21 November – Robert Evans, footballer (died 1965)
* date unknown
** Ernest Evans, politician (died 1965)
** James Grey West, architect (died 1951, in Beer, Devon)

## Deaths

* 21 January – John Gwyn Jeffreys, conchologist, 76
* 15 March – Jane Williams (Ysgafell), writer, 79
* 1 May – Henry Brinley Richards, composer, 67
* 10 May – Edward Stephen, composer, 62
* 27 July – Penry Williams, artist, 82
* 1 August – Sidney Gilchrist Thomas, metallurgist and inventor, 34
* 24 September – Samuel Roberts, political and economic writer, 85