1850 in Wales

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1850 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

 * Lord Lieutenant of Anglesey – Henry Paget, 1st Marquess of Anglesey
 * Lord Lieutenant of Brecknockshire – John Lloyd Vaughan Watkins
 * Lord Lieutenant of Caernarvonshire – Peter Drummond-Burrell, 22nd Baron Willoughby de Eresby
 * Lord Lieutenant of Cardiganshire – William Edward Powell
 * Lord Lieutenant of Carmarthenshire – George Rice, 3rd Baron Dynevor
 * Lord Lieutenant of Denbighshire – Robert Myddelton Biddulph
 * Lord Lieutenant of Flintshire – Sir Stephen Glynne, 9th Baronet
 * Lord Lieutenant of Glamorgan – Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot (from 4 May)
 * Lord Lieutenant of Merionethshire – Edward Lloyd-Mostyn, 2nd Baron Mostyn
 * Lord Lieutenant of Monmouthshire – Capel Hanbury Leigh
 * Lord Lieutenant of Montgomeryshire – Charles Hanbury-Tracy, 1st Baron Sudeley
 * Lord Lieutenant of Pembrokeshire – Sir John Owen, 1st Baronet
 * Lord Lieutenant of Radnorshire – John Walsh, 1st Baron Ormathwaite
 * Bishop of Bangor – Christopher Bethell
 * Bishop of Llandaff – Alfred Ollivant
 * Bishop of St Asaph – Thomas Vowler Short
 * Bishop of St Davids – Connop Thirlwall

Events

 * 18 March – Opening of the Britannia Bridge.
 * 3 April – G. T. Clark marries Ann Price Lewis, a descendant of one of the original partners in the Dowlais Ironworks.
 * 18 June – Opening of the South Wales Railway between Chepstow and Swansea.
 * October – The Merthyr Board of Health is founded, with John Josiah Guest as its first chairman.
 * November – The first issue of the periodical Y Drych is printed, though not in circulation for another two months
 * 14 December – 13 men are killed in a mining accident at New Duffryn Colliery, Mountain Ash.
 * unknown dates
 * The Llanelli Board of Health is founded, with William Chambers as its first chairman.
 * Vaendre Hall in the village of St Mellons is completed, the home of the industrialist John Cory.

New books

 * Thomas Edwards (Caerfallwch) – Geirlyfr Saesoneg a Chymraeg, An English and Welsh Dictionary
 * 'Elen Egryn' (Elin Evans) – Telyn Egryn (poems)
 * Elijah Waring – Recollections and Anecdotes of Edward Williams
 * Morris Williams (Nicander) – Y Psalmwyr

Music

 * September – North Wales Musical Festival is held at Rhuddlan Castle.

Births

 * 1 January – Evan Rees (Dyfed), minister, poet and archdruid (died 1923)
 * 4 January – Griffith J. Griffith, industrialist (died 1919)
 * 16 April – Sidney Gilchrist Thomas, inventor (died 1885)
 * 24 November – John Aeron Thomas, politician (died 1935)
 * date unknown
 * Alfred Davies, footballer (died 1891)
 * John Evan Davies, minister and author (died 1929)
 * Owen Owen, teacher and schools inspector (died 1920)

Deaths

 * 11 April
 * David Hughes, clergyman and writer, 64?
 * Edward Hughes (Y Dryw), poet, 77
 * 18 April – John Richards, Welsh-born US politician, 85
 * 19 April – Sir John Edwards of Garth, politician, 80
 * 11 July – Robert Williams (Robert ap Gwilym Ddu), poet and hymn-writer, 83
 * 28 July – David Lewis, Carmarthenshire priest and writer, 90?
 * 2 September – Charles Williams-Wynn, politician, 74
 * 19 December – George Williams, politician, 85