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)