# 1865 in Wales

"none" is preferred when the title is sufficiently descriptive; see [[WP:SDNONE]]
This article is about the particular significance of the year 1865 to Wales and its people.

## Incumbents

* Lord Lieutenant of Anglesey – Henry Paget, 2nd Marquess of Anglesey
* Lord Lieutenant of Brecknockshire – John Lloyd Vaughan Watkins (until 28 September) George Pratt, 2nd Marquess Camden (from 4 November)
* 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 – Sudeley Hanbury-Tracy, 3rd Baron Sudeley
* 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

* 5 January — The Festiniog Railway officially opens to passengers, the first narrow gauge railway in the British Isles to do so.
* 14 January — American Confederate paddle steamer Lelia sinks off the north Wales coast with the loss of eighteen lives.
* 1 February — The Vale of Neath Railway is amalgamated with the Great Western Railway.
* 14 April
** Opening of the Royal Pier, Aberystwyth, built by Eugenius Birch at a cost of £13,600.
** Paddle steamer Great Empress collides with Beaumaris Pier.
* May
** Opening of Talyllyn Railway.
** A branch of The Philanthropic Order of True Ivorites Friendly Society is established and registered at Colwinston.
* 28 May — The Mimosa sets sail with emigrants for Patagonia.
* 10 June — Opening of Penarth Dock.
* 3 July — Opening of Barmouth Junction on the Aberystwith and Welsh Coast Railway.
* 28 July — The town of Puerto Madryn and the Patagonian colony is founded by Michael D. Jones.
* 2 August — The Wales memorial to the late Prince Albert at Tenby, sculpted by John Evan Thomas, is unveiled by Albert and Victoria's 3rd son, 15-year-old Prince Arthur on his first public engagement.
* 9 September — First of fifteen deaths in the only outbreak of yellow fever ever to occur in Britain, at Swansea.
* 21 October — Opening of Howells (department store) in Cardiff as a drapery.
* 29 November — Two men die when a coal train falls into the North Dock at Swansea.
* 1 December — Llandrindod Wells is linked to the rail network for the first time.
* 20 December — Gethin Pit disaster, Abercanaid: the second of two firedamp explosions at this colliery near Merthyr Tydfil kills 34 miners.
* Francis Kilvert becomes curate of Clyro in Radnorshire.
* Sale of the Pwyllycrochan estate, leading to the development of Colwyn Bay.
* John Crichton-Stuart, Marquess of Bute, meets architect and designer William Burges.
* Robert Jones Derfel retires from the ministry and sets up a Welsh bookshop and press in Manchester.

## Arts and literature
### Awards

* National Eisteddfod of Wales is held at Aberystwyth. The chair is won by Lewis William Lewis (Llew Llwyfo).

### New books

* Morris Davies — Cofiant Ann Griffiths
* John Evans (I. D. Ffraid) — Coll Gwynfa (translation of Milton's Paradise Lost)
* John Ceiriog Hughes — Y Bardd a'r Cerddor
* John Jones (Mathetes) — Pregeth i Fyfyrwyr Coleg Hwlffordd ...
* John Thomas (Ifor Cwmgwys) — Diferion Meddyliol

### Music

* Thomas Gruffydd Jones (Tafalaw Bencerdd) — Gwarchae Harlech (cantata)

## Sport

* Cricket
** 17 July — South Wales Cricket Club travels to Gravesend to play the Gentlemen of Kent.
** August — Morriston Cricket Club is founded.

## Births

* 2 February — Henry Davies, cricketer (died 1934)
* 28 February — Arthur Symons, poet and critic (died 1945)
* 7 March — Martyn Jordan, Wales international rugby player (died 1902)
* 30 April — Max Nettlau, German historian and Welsh learner (died 1944)
* 3 June — Prince George, second son of the Prince and Princess of Wales and himself Prince of Wales 1901–1910 (later King George V of the United Kingdom; died 1936)
* 6 August — Lewis Cobden Thomas, Wales international rugby player (died 1928)
* 22 August — Stephen Thomas Wales international rugby player (died 1937)
* 8 September — David Williams, Swansea politician (died 1941)
* 23 September — William Brace, politician (died 1947)
* 20 October — Sir Rhys Rhys-Williams, 1st Baronet, judge (died 1955)
* 26 October — Hugh Ingledew, Wales international rugby player (died 1937)
* October — Jack Doughty, footballer (died 1937)
* 16 December — George Rowles, footballer (died 1922)
* December — Richard Bagnall-Oakeley, Olympic archer (died 1947)
* date unknown
** Dickie Garrett, rugby player (died 1908)
** Albert Hybart, rugby player (died 1945)
** George Owen, footballer (died 1922)
** Robert Roberts, footballer (died 1945)

## Deaths

* 21 February — Stapleton Cotton, military leader, 91
* 26 April — William Williams, MP, 77
* 29 April — Thomas Evans (Telynog), poet, 24
* 18 June — William Parker Foulke, Welsh-descended American geologist, 49
* 10 August — Hugh Pugh, mariner, 71
* 28 September — John Lloyd Vaughan Watkins, politician, Lord Lieutenant of Brecknockshire, 63
* 20 November — Rees Howell Gronow, soldier, politician and memoirist, 70