1859 in Wales

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1859 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

 * Lord Lieutenant of Anglesey – Henry Paget, 2nd Marquess of Anglesey
 * Lord Lieutenant of Brecknockshire – John Lloyd Vaughan Watkins
 * Lord Lieutenant of Caernarvonshire – Sir Richard Williams-Bulkeley, 10th Baronet
 * Lord Lieutenant of Cardiganshire – Edward Pryse
 * Lord Lieutenant of Carmarthenshire – John Campbell, 1st Earl Cawdor
 * Lord Lieutenant of Denbighshire – Robert Myddelton Biddulph
 * Lord Lieutenant of Flintshire – Sir Stephen Glynne, 9th Baronet
 * Lord Lieutenant of Glamorgan – Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot
 * Lord Lieutenant of Merionethshire – Robert Davies Pryce
 * Lord Lieutenant of Monmouthshire – Capel Hanbury Leigh
 * Lord Lieutenant of Montgomeryshire – Thomas Hanbury-Tracy, 2nd 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 (until 9 April); James Colquhoun Campbell (from 14 June)
 * Bishop of Llandaff – Alfred Ollivant
 * Bishop of St Asaph – Thomas Vowler Short
 * Bishop of St Davids – Connop Thirlwall

Events

 * January - Y Brython changes from weekly to monthly publication.
 * February - First race at Bangor-on-Dee racecourse.
 * 1 April - Opening of the Corris Railway.
 * 5 April - 27 men are killed by flooding at Neath Chain Colliery.
 * 31 May - U.K. general election. This is the last general election in which the Conservative Party's vote share in Wales exceeds that in England.
 * 29 June - Benjamin Hall is raised to the peerage as 1st Baron Llanover.
 * 15 October–17 October - Queen Victoria stays at Penrhyn Castle.
 * 25 October–26 October - 'Royal Charter Storm':
 * Steam clipper Royal Charter is wrecked off the north-east Anglesey coast, with the estimated loss of around 459 lives, the greatest loss of life in any maritime accident in Welsh waters.
 * St Brynach's Church, Cwm-yr-Eglwys, is destroyed.
 * Peak year for copper production in Wales.
 * The final stage of the East Bute Dock, Cardiff, is completed and opened.
 * Merger of Yr Amserau and Baner Cymru.
 * Religious revival led by Humphrey Jones.
 * The Cymanfa Ganu movement is launched in Aberdare.
 * Sir Charles Morgan, 3rd Baronet, is created Baron Tredegar.

Awards

 * Lewis William Lewis (Llew Llwyfo) wins the chair at the Merthyr Tydfil eisteddfod.

New books

 * Hugh Hughes (Tegai) - Y Drydedd Oruchwyliaeth
 * Nathaniel Jones - Fy Awenydd
 * Richard Parry (Gwalchmai) - Adgofion am John Elias
 * Thomas Stephens & Gweirydd ap Rhys - Orgraff yr Iaith Gymraeg
 * William Thomas (Gwilym Marles) - Prydyddiaeth

Music

 * John Roberts (Ieuan Gwyllt) - Llyfr Tonau Cynulleidfaol

Births

 * 11 January - Sir Joseph Alfred Bradney, historian (died 1933)
 * 29 January - Sir George Lockwood Morris, industrialist and Welsh international rugby player (died 1947)
 * 7 February - Frank Hancock, Wales international rugby union international (died 1943)
 * 16 February - T. E. Ellis, politician (died 1899)
 * 18 April - Sir Evan Davies Jones, 1st Baronet, civil engineer (died 1949)
 * 4 May - Sir Samuel Thomas Evans, politician and judge (died 1918)
 * 22 May - Jonathan Ceredig Davies, travel writer (died 1932)
 * 17 July - Ernest Rhys, writer (died 1946)
 * 11 Oct – Aneurin Williams, politician (died 1924)
 * 5 December - Edward John Lewis, Wales international rugby union player (died 1925)
 * 7 December - Leonard Watkins, Wales international rugby union player (died 1901)
 * 25 December - John Goulstone Lewis Wales international rugby union player (died 1935)
 * November - Richard Bell, politician (died 1930)

Deaths

 * 19 January - Charles Vachell, alderman and former mayor of Cardiff, 75
 * 19 April – Christopher Bethell, Bishop of Bangor, 85
 * 20 May - Thomas Penson the younger, county surveyor of Denbighshire, 69
 * 21 June - John Bowen, Bishop of Sierra Leone, 43 (yellow fever)
 * 8 July - John Thomas (Siôn Wyn o Eifion), poet, 78
 * 10 September - Sir John Hay Williams, landowner, 65
 * 24 September – Joseph Murray Ince, painter, 53
 * October - Evan Jones (Ifan y Gorlan), harpist