1885 in Wales

← 1884 1883 1882 1885 in Wales → 1886 1887 1888
Centuries:	17th 18th 19th 20th 21st
Decades:	1860s 1870s 1880s 1890s 1900s
See also:	List of years in Wales 1885 in The United Kingdom Ireland Scotland

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1885 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

• Prince of Wales — Albert Edward
• Princess of Wales — Alexandra
• Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales — Clwydfardd

Events

• 5 August - Queen Victoria's harpist John Thomas (Pencerdd Gwalia) marries a former student, Joan Francis Denny in 1885.^[1]
• 24 November — The United Kingdom general election is the first in which the Liberal Party has a candidate in every Welsh constituency. The Liberals win 30 of the 34 available seats.
• 24 December — 81 miners are killed in an accident at the Maerdy Colliery, Rhondda.
• The world's first passenger-carrying ropeway comes into use over the River Aeron at Aberaeron.
• Opening of steelworks at Brymbo.
• By order of the Admiralty, only Welsh coal is to be used on ships of the Royal Navy.
• Three people are killed when fire breaks out at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth.
• Frances Hoggan is the first woman doctor registered in Wales.
• Opening of the first local authority secondary school in Cardiff.
• Under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, the constituencies of Denbighshire, Glamorganshire, North and South Monmouthshire are among those disestablished.

Arts and literature

Sport

• Football — Druids win the Welsh Cup for the fourth time in its eight-year history.
• Golf — Course at Borth opens.
• Rugby union
  • Cross Keys RFC, London Welsh RFC, Neyland RFC and Risca RFC are founded.
  • Arthur Gould plays his first international match for Wales.

Births

• 21 May — William Dowell, Welsh dual-code rugby player (died 1949)
• 26 June — David John Williams, writer and politician (died 1970)
• 2 August — Clarence Bruce, 3rd Baron Aberdare (died 1957)
• 5 September — Jenkin Alban Davies, Welsh international rugby captain (died 1976)
• 21 November — Robert Evans, footballer (died 1965)
• date unknown
  • Ernest Evans, politician (died 1965)

Deaths

• 21 January — John Gwyn Jeffreys, conchologist, 76
• 15 March — Jane Williams (Ysgafell), writer, 79
• 1 May — Henry Brinley Richards, composer, 67
• 10 May — Edward Stephen, composer, 62
• 27 July — Penry Williams, artist
• 1 August — Sidney Gilchrist Thomas, inventor, 34
• 24 September — Samuel Roberts, political and economic writer, 85

References