1778 in Wales

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1778 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

 * Lord Lieutenant of Anglesey - Sir Nicholas Bayly, 2nd Baronet
 * Lord Lieutenant of Brecknockshire and Monmouthshire – Charles Morgan of Dderw
 * Lord Lieutenant of Caernarvonshire - Thomas Wynn
 * Lord Lieutenant of Cardiganshire – Wilmot Vaughan, 1st Earl of Lisburne
 * Lord Lieutenant of Carmarthenshire – George Rice
 * Lord Lieutenant of Denbighshire - Richard Myddelton
 * Lord Lieutenant of Flintshire - Sir Roger Mostyn, 5th Baronet
 * Lord Lieutenant of Glamorgan – John Stuart, Lord Mountstuart
 * Lord Lieutenant of Merionethshire - Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, 4th Baronet
 * Lord Lieutenant of Montgomeryshire – George Herbert, 2nd Earl of Powis
 * Lord Lieutenant of Pembrokeshire – Sir Hugh Owen, 5th Baronet
 * Lord Lieutenant of Radnorshire – Edward Harley, 4th Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer


 * Bishop of Bangor – John Moore
 * Bishop of Llandaff – Shute Barrington
 * Bishop of St Asaph – Jonathan Shipley
 * Bishop of St Davids – James Yorke

Events

 * 9 September - Benjamin Millingchamp, is appointed chaplain on board the flagship of Admiral Sir Edward Hughes.
 * date unknown
 * A furnace is built at Sirhowy by Thomas Atkinson and William Barrow of London. This is the first stage of the Tredegar ironworks.
 * Elizabeth Baker leaves her job as secretary to Hugh Vaughan at Hengwrt to live in the adjoining house of Doluwcheogryd.
 * Claiming himself as a prophet, watchmaker James Birch founds his own religious sect, the "Birchites", in Pembrokeshire.

New books

 * Thomas Jones - Traethiadau ar Gatecism Eglwys Loegr: gyda phregeth ar Gonffirmasiwn (translation)
 * Thomas Pennant - Tour in Wales
 * David William - Gorfoledd ym Mhebyll Seion
 * Nathaniel Williams - Dialogus

Music

 * Blind harpist John Parry and his son David play Handel's choruses on two Welsh harps at the court of King George III of Great Britain.

Births

 * 21 August - Lewis Weston Dillwyn, porcelain manufacturer, naturalist and politician (died 1855)
 * September - William Howels, preacher (died 1832)
 * 29 September - Benjamin Hall, industrialist and politician (died 1817)
 * 20 November - Thomas Williams (Gwilym Morgannwg), poet (died 1835)
 * 24 November - Salusbury Pryce Humphreys, admiral (died 1845)
 * date unknown - David Rowlands, naval surgeon (died 1846)

Deaths

 * 25 April - James Relly, Methodist minister, 56?
 * 6 October - William Worthington, priest and author, 74
 * date unknown - William Owen, Royal Navy officer, 40/41