# 1859 in Wales

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This article is about the particular significance of the year 1859 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, 1st 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 – Robert Davies Pryce
* Lord Lieutenant of Monmouthshire – Capel Hanbury Leigh
* Lord Lieutenant of Montgomeryshire – Thomas Hanbury-Tracy, 2nd Baron Sudeley
* Lord Lieutenant of Pembrokeshire – Sir John Owen, 1st Baronet
* Lord Lieutenant of Radnorshire – John Walsh, 1st Baron Ormathwaite
* Bishop of Bangor – Christopher Bethell (until 9 April); James Colquhoun Campbell (from 14 June)
* Bishop of Llandaff – Alfred Ollivant
* Bishop of St Asaph – Thomas Vowler Short
* Bishop of St Davids – Connop Thirlwall

## Events

* January - Y Brython changes from weekly to monthly publication.
* February - First race at Bangor-on-Dee racecourse.
* 1 April - Opening of the Corris Railway.
* 5 April - 27 men are killed by flooding at Neath Chain Colliery.
* 31 May - U.K. general election. This is the last general election in which the Conservative Party's vote share in Wales exceeds that in England.
* 29 June - Benjamin Hall is raised to the peerage as 1st Baron Llanover.
* 15 October–17 October - Queen Victoria stays at Penrhyn Castle.
* 25 October–26 October - 'Royal Charter Storm':
** Steam clipper Royal Charter is wrecked off the north-east Anglesey coast, with the estimated loss of around 459 lives, the greatest loss of life in any maritime accident in Welsh waters.
** St Brynach's Church, Cwm-yr-Eglwys, is destroyed.
* Peak year for copper production in Wales.
* The final stage of the East Bute Dock, Cardiff, is completed and opened.
* Merger of Yr Amserau and Baner Cymru.
* Religious revival led by Humphrey Jones.
* The Cymanfa Ganu movement is launched in Aberdare.
* Sir Charles Morgan, 3rd Baronet, is created Baron Tredegar.

## Arts and literature
### Awards

* Lewis William Lewis (Llew Llwyfo) wins the chair at the Merthyr Tydfil eisteddfod.

### New books

* Hugh Hughes (Tegai) - Y Drydedd Oruchwyliaeth
* Nathaniel Jones - Fy Awenydd
* Richard Parry (Gwalchmai) - Adgofion am John Elias
* Thomas Stephens & Gweirydd ap Rhys - Orgraff yr Iaith Gymraeg
* William Thomas (Gwilym Marles) - Prydyddiaeth

### Music

* John Roberts (Ieuan Gwyllt) - Llyfr Tonau Cynulleidfaol

## Births

* 11 January - Sir Joseph Alfred Bradney, historian (died 1933)
* 29 January - Sir George Lockwood Morris, industrialist and Welsh international rugby player (died 1947)
* 7 February - Frank Hancock, Wales international rugby union international (died 1943)
* 16 February - T. E. Ellis, politician (died 1899)
* 18 April - Sir Evan Davies Jones, 1st Baronet, civil engineer (died 1949)
* 4 May - Sir Samuel Thomas Evans, politician and judge (died 1918)
* 22 May - Jonathan Ceredig Davies, travel writer (died 1932)
* 17 July - Ernest Rhys, writer (died 1946)
* 11 Oct – Aneurin Williams, politician (died 1924)
* 5 December - Edward John Lewis, Wales international rugby union player (died 1925)
* 7 December - Leonard Watkins, Wales international rugby union player (died 1901)
* 25 December - John Goulstone Lewis Wales international rugby union player (died 1935)
* November - Richard Bell, politician (died 1930)

## Deaths

* 19 January - Charles Vachell, alderman and former mayor of Cardiff, 75
* 19 April – Christopher Bethell, Bishop of Bangor, 85
* 20 May - Thomas Penson the younger, county surveyor of Denbighshire, 69
* 21 June - John Bowen, Bishop of Sierra Leone, 43 (yellow fever)
* 8 July - John Thomas (Siôn Wyn o Eifion), poet, 78
* 10 September - Sir John Hay Williams, landowner, 65
* 24 September – Joseph Murray Ince, painter, 53
* October - Evan Jones (Ifan y Gorlan), harpist