1803 in Wales

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1803 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

 * Lord Lieutenant of Anglesey – Henry Paget
 * Lord Lieutenant of Brecknockshire and Monmouthshire – Henry Somerset, 5th Duke of Beaufort (until 11 October); Henry Somerset, 6th Duke of Beaufort (from 4 November)
 * Lord Lieutenant of Caernarvonshire – Thomas Bulkeley, 7th Viscount Bulkeley
 * Lord Lieutenant of Cardiganshire – Thomas Johnes
 * Lord Lieutenant of Carmarthenshire – John Vaughan
 * Lord Lieutenant of Denbighshire – Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, 5th Baronet
 * Lord Lieutenant of Flintshire – Robert Grosvenor, 1st Marquess of Westminster
 * Lord Lieutenant of Glamorgan – John Stuart, 1st Marquess of Bute
 * Lord Lieutenant of Merionethshire - Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, 5th Baronet
 * Lord Lieutenant of Montgomeryshire – vacant until 1804
 * Lord Lieutenant of Pembrokeshire – Richard Philipps, 1st Baron Milford
 * Lord Lieutenant of Radnorshire – Thomas Harley


 * Bishop of Bangor – William Cleaver
 * Bishop of Llandaff – Richard Watson
 * Bishop of St Asaph – Lewis Bagot (until 4 June); Samuel Horsley
 * Bishop of St Davids – Lord George Murray (until 3 June); Thomas Burgess (from 24 July)

Events

 * 26 June - First public assembly of the South Wales Unitarian Association.
 * Robert Saunderson of Liverpool settles at Bala and becomes official printer to the Calvinistic Methodist Society, working for Thomas Charles.
 * 17 July - Thomas Burgess is consecrated Bishop of St David's.
 * September - A new company, the Union Iron World Company, is formed to run Rhymney ironworks, after Benjamin Hall takes it over.
 * date unknown
 * Rhys Davies (Y Glun Bren) preaches from the mounting-block in front of the Black Lion Inn at Talybont in Cardiganshire, beginning Independent Methodist activity there.
 * Pascoe Grenfell contracts to trade in copper in the Swansea area.
 * Thomas Johnes sets up a private printing press to publish translations of French medieval chronicles.
 * Dunraven Castle is built, near Southerndown.
 * Benjamin Heath Malkin begins his travels in South Wales.
 * Paeonia mascula is discovered growing on the island of Steep Holm - the only species of peony native to the British Isles.

New books

 * J. T. Barber - A Tour Throughout South Wales and Monmouthshire
 * Robert Davies (Bardd Nantglyn) - Barddoniaeth
 * William Owen Pughe - Geiriadur Cymraeg-Saesneg

Births

 * 10 May - Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot, landowner, industrialist and politician, owner of Margam Castle (died 1890)
 * 29 June - Peter Maurice, priest and writer (died 1878)
 * 15 September - Charles Octavius Swinnerton Morgan, politician, historian and antiquary (died 1888)
 * 17 October - Samuel Holland, industrialist (died 1892)
 * 18 October - Sir Richard Green-Price, 1st baronet, Liberal politician (died 1887)
 * 23 November - Edward Edwards, zoologist (died 1879)
 * 25 December - Sir Hugh Owen Owen, 2nd Baronet (died 1891).
 * date unknown
 * Dafydd Jones (Dewi Dywyll), balladeer (died 1868)
 * Owain Meirion, balladeer (died 1868)

Deaths

 * 2 January - Sir Richard Perryn, judge, 79
 * 29 April - Thomas Jones, landscape painter, 60
 * 3 June - Lord George Murray, Bishop of St David's and developer of the UK's first optical telegraph, 42
 * 28 September - Ralph Griffiths, editor and publisher, 83?
 * 11 October - Henry Somerset, 5th Duke of Beaufort, Lord Lieutenant of Brecknockshire and Monmouthshire, 58
 * date unknown - Thomas Evans, London bookseller, 64