# 1909 in Wales

"none" is preferred when the title is sufficiently descriptive; see [[WP:SDNONE]]
This article is about the particular significance of the year 1909 to Wales and its people.

## Incumbents

* Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales – Dyfed
* Lord Lieutenant of Anglesey – Sir Richard Henry Williams-Bulkeley, 12th Baronet
* Lord Lieutenant of Brecknockshire – Joseph Bailey, 2nd Baron Glanusk
* Lord Lieutenant of Caernarvonshire – John Ernest Greaves
* Lord Lieutenant of Cardiganshire – Herbert Davies-Evans
* Lord Lieutenant of Carmarthenshire – Sir James Williams-Drummond, 4th Baronet
* Lord Lieutenant of Denbighshire – William Cornwallis-West
* Lord Lieutenant of Flintshire – Hugh Robert Hughes
* Lord Lieutenant of Glamorgan – Robert Windsor-Clive, 1st Earl of Plymouth
* Lord Lieutenant of Merionethshire – W. R. M. Wynne (until 25 February); Sir Osmond Williams, 1st Baronet (from 22 March)
* Lord Lieutenant of Monmouthshire – Godfrey Morgan, 1st Viscount Tredegar
* Lord Lieutenant of Montgomeryshire – Sir Herbert Williams-Wynn, 7th Baronet
* Lord Lieutenant of Pembrokeshire – Frederick Campbell, 3rd Earl Cawdor
* Lord Lieutenant of Radnorshire – Powlett Milbank
* Bishop of Bangor – Watkin Williams
* Bishop of Llandaff – Joshua Pritchard Hughes
* Bishop of St Asaph – A. G. Edwards (later Archbishop of Wales)
* Bishop of St Davids – John Owen

## Events

* January – Noah Ablett is a founding member of the Plebs' League at Ruskin College, Oxford.
* 1 January – John Ballinger becomes first librarian of the National Library of Wales which is being set up in Aberystwyth, initially in temporary premises in the former Assembly Rooms.
* 16 January – Edgeworth David is a member of the expedition which successfully reaches the Magnetic South Pole.
* 2 July – Thirty-six men are killed when a trench collapses during construction of the Alexandra Dock part of Newport Docks.
* 26 July–7 August - The National Pageant of Wales is held at Cardiff Castle.
* 30 August – RMS Mauretania (1906) calls at Fishguard.
* October – Monthly rainfall of 56.5 inches (1,440 mm) is measured at Llyn Llydaw, Snowdonia - a British record.
* 29 October – A mining accident at Darren Colliery, New Tredegar, kills 26 men.
* December – Thomas "Toya" Lewis is awarded the Albert Medal by Edward VII for his heroism in rescuing survivors of the Newport Dock collapse on 2 July.
* date unknown
** King's Dock, part of Swansea Docks, is opened.
** First coal raised from Penallta Colliery.
** The first mines rescue station in south Wales is opened at Aberaman.
** The Bryn Eglwys slate quarry, the Abergynolwyn estate and village and Talyllyn Railway are purchased by Henry Haydn Jones.
** Thomas Rees becomes principal of Bala-Bangor Theological College.
** Completion of Berw Bridge over the River Taff above Pontypridd, the longest reinforced concrete span in the U.K. at this date (116 feet (35 m)); it is designed by L. G. Mouchel to Hennebique patents and built by Watkin Williams and Page.
** Clark's Pies originates in Cardiff.

## Arts and literature
### Awards

* National Eisteddfod of Wales – held in London
** Chair – T. Gwynn Jones, "Gwlad y Bryniau"
** Crown – W. J. Gruffydd, "Yr Arglwydd Rhys"

### New books
#### English language

* John Gwenogvryn Evans (ed.) – Facsimile of the Chirk Codex
* Edward Thomas – The South Country
* Arthur Wade-Evans – Welsh Mediaeval Law

#### Welsh language

* Emrys ap Iwan – Homilïau vol. 2 (posthumous)
* Hugh Brython Hughes – Tair Cwpan Aur

### Music

* Evan Thomas Davies – Ynys y Plant

## Sport

* Boxing
** 23 August – Freddie Welsh wins the European lightweight title (at Mountain Ash).
** 8 November – Freddie Welsh wins the British lightweight title, and becomes the first boxer to be awarded a Lonsdale Belt (in London).
** 20 December – Thomas Thomas is awarded the first Lonsdale Belt at middleweight.
* Sport of athletics
** 23 August – Welshman Fred 'Tenby' Davies beats Irishman Bert Day to become world champion over the half-mile distance (at Pontypridd).
* Rugby league
** Aberdare RLFC, Barry RLFC and Mid-Rhondda RLFC fold after just one season. The first Welsh League competition is won by Ebbw Vale.
* Rugby union
** Wales win their second Grand Slam.

## Births

* 4 January – Glyndwr Michael, vagrant whose body was used as Maj. William Martin, RM, in Operation Mincemeat (died 1943)
* 29 January – George Thomas, 1st Viscount Tonypandy (died 1997)
* 14 February – Harry Peacock, Wales rugby union player (died 1996)
* 20 February – Bill Roberts, Wales international rugby union player (died 1969)
* 5 March – Howard Thomas, radio and television producer (died 1986)
* 10 March – Glen Moody, boxer (died 1989)
* 30 March – Dai Thomas, Wales national rugby player (date of death unknown)
* 1 April – George Ewart Evans, folklorist and oral historian (died 1988)
* 11 May – Aneirin Talfan Davies, writer and publisher (died 1980)
* 11 June – Ronnie Boon, Wales rugby union player (died 1998)
* 12 June – Mansel Thomas, composer and conductor (died 1986)
* 16 July – Eddie Jenkins footballer (died 2005)
* 28 July – Jack Morley, Wales and British Lions rugby player (died 1972)
* 25 August – Arwel Hughes, composer (died 1988)
* 30 September – Arthur Probert, politician (died 1975)
* 1 October – Jim Lang, Wales rugby union player (died 1991)
* 24 October – Elwyn Jones, Baron Elwyn-Jones, politician (died 1989)
* 25 October – Walter Vickery, Wales national rugby player (died 2000)
* 7 November – Eirene White, politician (died 1999)
* 29 November – Goronwy Rees, journalist and academic (died 1979)
* 14 December – Ronald Welch, historical novelist (died 1982)
* date unknown
** Isaac Davies (Eic Davies), dramatist (died 1993)
** Evan Roberts, botanist (died 1991)

## Deaths

* 3 January – Robert Bird, politician, 69
* 8 January – Frederick Courtenay Morgan, politician, 74
* 9 January – Erasmus Jones, Welsh-American minister and author, 91
* 5 February – W. R. M. Wynne, politician, landowner, collector of manuscripts, Lord Lieutenant of Merionethshire, 68
* 9 March – David Thomas (Dewi Hefin), poet, 80
* 29 March – Catherine Prichard, poet, 66
* April – Ivor James, educationist
* 19 April – J. S. Pughe, Welsh-born American political cartoonist, 39
* 31 May – Thomas Price, Premier of South Australia, 57
* 9 June – Walter Rice Evans, Wales international rugby player
* 2 July – Sir Arthur Cowell-Stepney, landowner and politician, 74
* 1 August – General Sir Hugh Rowlands, VC recipient, 81
* 23 September – Thomas Edward Lloyd, politician, 89
* 17 October – Edward David Williams, politician in Australia, 67
* 22 October – David Rogers, politician in Canada, 79
* 9 November – Montague Guest, politician, son of Lady Charlotte Guest, 70
* 10 November – George Essex Evans, Welsh-Australian poet, 46 (complications arising from gall bladder surgery)
* 11 December – Ludwig Mond, industrialist, 70
* 13 December – Sir Alfred Lewis Jones, shipping magnate, 64