# 1880 in Wales

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This article is about the particular significance of the year 1880 to Wales and its people.

## Incumbents

* Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales – Clwydfardd
* Lord Lieutenant of Anglesey – William Owen Stanley
* 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 – Edward Lloyd-Mostyn, 2nd Baron Mostyn
* 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 – Alfred Ollivant
* Bishop of St Asaph – Joshua Hughes
* Bishop of St Davids – Basil Jones

## Events

* 25 February – The Resurgam, an early mechanically-powered submarine, sinks off Rhyl.
* 10 March – Six miners are killed in an accident at the Bedwellty Colliery, Tredegar.
* 29 April – At the United Kingdom general election, Wales elects 28 Liberal MPs. David Davies, Llandinam, is returned unopposed as member for Cardigan.
* 17 June – The rebuilt Holyhead railway station and inner harbour are officially opened by the Prince of Wales.
* 15 July – 120 miners are killed in an accident at the Risca Colliery.
* 3 August – Nine miners are killed in an accident at the Bersham Colliery in Wrexham.
* 10 December – 101 miners are killed in an accident at the Penygraig Colliery, Rhondda.

## Arts and literature

* Beriah Gwynfe Evans – Owain Glyndwr, one of the first full-length plays in the Welsh language, is first performed at Llanberis.

## Awards

National Eisteddfod of Wales held at Caernarfon (first "official" National Eisteddfod)
* Chair – W. B. Joseph, "Athrilyth"
* Crown – Ellis Roberts (Elis Wyn o Wyrfai)

### New books

* Sir William Boyd Dawkins – Early Man in Britain and his place in the Tertiary Period
* Amy Dillwyn – The Rebecca Rioter

### Music

* Joseph Parry – Emmanuel (cantata)

## Sport

* Football – The Druids of Rhiwabon win the Welsh Cup for the first time.
* Rugby union – Cwmbran RFC and Crumlin RFC are founded.
* Yachting – Penarth Yacht Club is founded as Penarth Boat Club.

## Births

* 31 January – Phil Hopkins, Wales international rugby player (died 1966)
* 12 February – William Joseph Rhys, writer (died 1967)
* 17 March – Harry Grindell Matthews, inventor (died 1941)
* 8 April – Thomas Thomas, boxing champion (died 1911)
* 19 April – Jack Jenkins, Wales international rugby player (died 1971)
* 30 April – George Maitland Lloyd Davies, pacifist (died 1949)
* 9 May – Thomas Scott-Ellis, 8th Baron Howard de Walden, patron of the arts (died 1946)
* 11 May – David Davies, 1st Baron Davies, politician (died 1944)
* 22 May
** Dr Teddy Morgan, Wales international rugby player (died 1947)
** Robert John Rowlands ('Meuryn'), journalist and poet (died 1967)
* 31 May – Edward Tegla Davies, author (died 1967)
* 22 June – Rhys Gabe, rugby player (died 1967)
* 27 July – Percy Baker, gymnast (died 1957)
* 2 September – Isaac Daniel Hooson, poet (died 1948)
* 15 September – William Charles Williams, VC recipient (died 1915)
* 20 September – Ernie Jenkins, Wales international rugby player (died 1958)

## Deaths

* 6 January – John Thomas ('Minimus'), minister and author, 71
* 12 February – John Whitehead Greaves, slate mine proprietor, 72
* 2 March – Charles Meredith, Tasmanian politician, 68
* 12 April – Thomas Joseph Brown, Roman Catholic bishop, 81
* 23 April – Robert Thomas ('Ap Vychan'), minister and writer, 70
* 10 May – David Charles II, hymn-writer, 76?
* 21 August – Evan Mathew Richards, politician, 68
* 30 August – Mordecai Jones, industrialist, 67
* 9 September – William Watkin Edward Wynne, politician and antiquarian, 78