# 1870s in Wales

This article is about the particular significance of the decade 1870–1879 to Wales and its people.

## Incumbents

* Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales – Clwydfardd (from 1876)

## Events

* 1870
* 1871
* 1872
* 1873
* 1874
* 1875
* 1876
* 1877
* 1878
* 1879

## Arts and literature
### Awards

National Eisteddfod of Wales – no National Eisteddfod officially took place during this decade. 1872 – William Thomas (Islwyn) wins a bardic chair at Rhyl. 1874 – Islwyn wins a bardic chair at Caerphilly. 1877 – Islwyn wins a bardic chair at Treherbert.

### New books

* R. D. Blackmore – The Maid of Sker (1872)
* Rhoda Broughton – Nancy (1873)
* Richard Davies (Mynyddog)
** Yr Ail Gynnig (1870)
** Y Trydydd Cynnig (1877)
* Robert Elis (Cynddelw) – Manion Hynafiaethol (1873)
* Beriah Gwynfe Evans – Owain Glyndwr (play) (1879)
* Daniel Silvan Evans – Celtic Remains (1878)
* John Ceiriog Hughes – Oriau'r Haf (1870)
* William Rees (Gwilym Hiraethog)
** Helyntion Bywyd Hen Deiliwr (1877)
** Llythyrau 'Rhen Ffarmwr (1878)
* Thomas Thomas (minister) – Hynodion Hen Bregethwyr Cymru (1872)

### Music

* 1873
** Henry Brinley Richards – Songs of Wales

## Sport

* 1873 – Major Walter Wingfield of Nantclwyd Hall patents nets for the game of lawn tennis, which he calls "sphairistike".

## Births

* 1870
** 18 August – William Cope, 1st Baron Cope, politician (died 1946)
** 27 September – Thomas Jones (T. J.), civil servant (died 1955)
** 20 December – Sir Sir David Davies, politician (died 1958)
* 1871
** 6 April – Prince Alexander John of Wales, youngest son of the Prince and Princess of Wales (died 7 April 1871)
* 1872
** 18 May – Bertrand Russell, philosopher (died 1970)
** 27 August – Charles Stewart Rolls, aviator (died 1910)
** 8 October – John Cowper Powys, Anglo-Welsh writer (died 1963)
* 1873
** 23 April – Sir Robert Thomas, 1st Baronet, politician (died 1951)
* 1874
** 6 February – David Evans, composer (died 1948)
** 3 October – James Henry Thomas, politician (died 1949)
** December – Nantlais Williams, poet and religious leader (died 1959)
** date unknown – Albert Bethel, politician (died 1935)
* 1875
** 10 September – John Evans, Welsh politician (died 1961)
* 1876
** 22 June – Gwen John, artist (died 1939)
** 18 September – Charles Kemeys-Tynte, 8th Baron Wharton (died 1934)
* 1877
** 19 August – John Evans, supercentenarian (died 1990)
** 26 September – Edmund Gwenn, actor (died 1959) (long believed to have been born in Wales, but birth certificate proves otherwise)
* 1878
** 4 January – Augustus John, painter (died 1961)
** 3 March – Edward Thomas, poet (died 1917)
** 16 April – Owen Thomas Jones, geologist (died 1967)
** 26 May – Abel J. Jones, writer (died 1949)
** 28 June – Evan Roberts preacher (died 1951)
** 31 December – Caradoc Evans, writer (died 1945)
* 1879
** 4 September – Eliot Crawshay-Williams, politician and writer (died 1962)
** 2 October – Idris Bell, papyrologist (died 1967)

## Deaths

* 1872
** 3 August – William Davies Evans, chess player (born 1790)
* 1874
** 19 April – Owen Jones, architect (born 1809)
* 1875
** 27 July – Connop Thirlwall, bishop (born 1797)
* 1876
** 19 July – George E. Pugh, Welsh-American politician (born 1822)
* 1877
** 24 June – Robert Dale Owen, Welsh-American politician (born 1801)
** 14 July – Richard Davies (Mynyddog), poet (born 1833)
** 5 August – Robert Williams (Trebor Mai), poet (born 1830)
* 1878
** 3 January – Morris Williams (Nicander), writer (born 1809)
** 30 September – Evan James, poet, lyricist of the Welsh national anthem (born 1809)
** 20 November – William Thomas (Islwyn), poet (born 1832)
* 1879
** 23 September – Francis Kilvert, diarist (born 1840)