# 1863 in Wales

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This article is about the particular significance of the year 1863 to Wales and its people.

## Incumbents

* Lord Lieutenant of Anglesey – Henry Paget, 2nd Marquess of Anglesey
* Lord Lieutenant of Brecknockshire – John Lloyd Vaughan Watkins
* Lord Lieutenant of Caernarvonshire – Sir Richard Williams-Bulkeley, 10th Baronet
* Lord Lieutenant of Cardiganshire – Edward Pryse
* Lord Lieutenant of Carmarthenshire – John Campbell, 2nd Earl Cawdor
* Lord Lieutenant of Denbighshire – Robert Myddelton Biddulph
* Lord Lieutenant of Flintshire – Sir Stephen Glynne, 9th Baronet
* Lord Lieutenant of Glamorgan – Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot
* Lord Lieutenant of Merionethshire – Edward Lloyd-Mostyn, 2nd Baron Mostyn
* Lord Lieutenant of Monmouthshire – Benjamin Hall, 1st Baron Llanover
* Lord Lieutenant of Montgomeryshire – Thomas Hanbury-Tracy, 2nd Baron Sudeley (until 19 February); Sudeley Hanbury-Tracy, 3rd Baron Sudeley (from 21 April)
* Lord Lieutenant of Pembrokeshire – William Edwardes, 3rd Baron Kensington
* Lord Lieutenant of Radnorshire – John Walsh, 1st Baron Ormathwaite
* Bishop of Bangor – James Colquhoun Campbell
* Bishop of Llandaff – Alfred Ollivant
* Bishop of St Asaph – Thomas Vowler Short
* Bishop of St Davids – Connop Thirlwall

## Events

* 10 March – Marriage of Edward Albert, Prince of Wales, to Alexandra of Denmark. Alexandra becomes the first Princess of Wales since 1820.
* 28 July – The Anglesey Central Railway Act 1863 (26 & 27 Vict. c.cxxviii) brings about the foundation of the Anglesey Central Railway.
* 23 October – Festiniog Railway introduces steam locomotives into general service, the first time this has been done anywhere in the world on a public railway of such a narrow gauge (2 ft (60 cm)).
* English church services are introduced for English-speaking minorities in Welsh-speaking areas.
* Sir Hugh Owen becomes an honorary secretary of the London committee formed to set up the University of Wales.
* Mesac Thomas becomes the first Bishop of Goulburn, New South Wales, Australia.
* Publication of The Bards of Wales, first written in 1857 by Hungarian poet János Arany, using the story of Edward I's conquest of Wales to disguise criticism of the Austro-Hungarian empire.
* Machynlleth born John Evans arrives in British Columbia, Canada, with a group of other Welsh miners. He subsequently becomes a major political figure in the province.
* Spa pump room built at Trefriw.
* Guest Memorial Library at Dowlais opened.

## Arts and literature
### Awards

* National Eisteddfod of Wales is held at Swansea.
* The Newdigate Prize is awarded to Thomas Llewellyn Thomas.

### New books

* John Ceiriog Hughes – Cant o Ganeuon
* John Jones (Ioan Emlyn) – Golud yr Oes
* David William Nash – The Pharaoh of the Exodus
* Ebenezer Thomas – Cyff Beuno

### Music

* John Ceiriog Hughes – Cant O Ganeuon
* John Thomas (Pencerdd Gwalia) – Llewelyn (cantata)

## Sport

* Cricket
** 23 July – South Wales Cricket Club defeat MCC at Lord's.
** 27 July – South Wales Cricket Club defeat Gentlemen of Kent at Cranbrook.

## Births

* 15 January – James Webb, Wales rugby international (died 1913)
* 17 January – David Lloyd George, politician (died 1945)
* 3 March – Arthur Machen, writer (died 1947)
* 16 March – Dan Beddoe, operatic tenor (died 1937)
* 25 March – Owen Philipps, 1st Baron Kylsant (died 1937)
* 13 April – Walter E. Rees, Secretary of the Welsh Rugby Union (died 1949)
* May – William Rees-Davies (judge), politician and lawyer (died 1939)
* 8 May – Charles Taylor Wales rugby international (died 1915)
* 18 May – Lewis Davies (writer), novelist and historian (died 1951)
* 21 May – William Jones Williams, civil servant (died 1949)
* 11 June – Llewellyn Henry Gwynne, first suffragan Bishop of Khartoum (died 1957)
* 18 June – George Essex Evans, Australian poet of Welsh parentage (died 1909)
* 2 July – Billy Douglas, Wales international rugby player (died 1943)
* 7 August – Edward Perkins Alexander, Wales international rugby player (died 1931)
* 8 August – John Herbert Roberts, Baron Clwyd of Abergele, politician (died 1955)
* 17 August – Joseph Harry, minister, writer and teacher (died 1950)
* 29 August – Sir Daniel Lleufer Thomas, magistrate (died 1940)
* 10 September – Walter Rice Evans, Wales international rugby player (died 1909)
* 7 November – Rowley Thomas, Wales international rugby player (died 1949)
* probable – William Retlaw Williams, Welsh writer (died 1944)

## Deaths

* 17 February – Ebenezer Thomas (Eben Fardd), poet, 60
* 19 February – Thomas Hanbury-Tracy, 2nd Baron Sudeley, Lord Lieutenant of Montgomeryshire, 62
* 28 February – David Williams (Alaw Goch), industrialist, 53
* 21 March – David Griffiths, missionary, 71
* 24 March – Thomas Powell, industrialist, 84
* 13 April – George Cornewall Lewis, statesman, 56
* May/June – David Bevan Jones (Dewi Elfed), Mormon leader, 55
* 15 July – Edward Pryce Owen, artist, 75
* 8 November – Joseph Hughes (Carn Ingli), poet, 60
* 13 December – Robert Saunderson, printer, 83
* 28 December – Thomas Bevan, Archdeacon of St David's, 63