1862 in Wales

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1862 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, 2nd 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 – Edward Lloyd-Mostyn, 2nd Baron Mostyn
 * Lord Lieutenant of Monmouthshire – Benjamin Hall, 1st Baron Llanover
 * Lord Lieutenant of Montgomeryshire – Thomas Hanbury-Tracy, 2nd Baron Sudeley
 * Lord Lieutenant of Pembrokeshire – William Edwardes, 3rd Baron Kensington
 * Lord Lieutenant of Radnorshire – John Walsh, 1st Baron Ormathwaite
 * Bishop of Bangor – James Colquhoun Campbell
 * Bishop of Llandaff – Alfred Ollivant
 * Bishop of St Asaph – Thomas Vowler Short
 * Bishop of St Davids – Connop Thirlwall

Events

 * 1 January – South Wales Railway leased to Great Western Railway prior to merger.
 * 19 February – Gethin Pit disaster, Abercanaid: the first of two firedamp explosions at this colliery near Merthyr Tydfil kills 47 men and boys.
 * 5 May – Henry Austin Bruce, 1st Baron Aberdare, makes an important speech on the subject of education in Wales. He is later appointed vice-president of the Committee of Council on Education.
 * 2 June – Llangollen is linked to the rail network for the first time.
 * 4 July – Sarah Edith Wynne, noted soprano, makes her London début.
 * c. August – First train through the Brecon and Merthyr Tydfil Junction Railway's Torpantau Tunnel.
 * 7 August – Ferry from Porthmadog to Talsarnau sinks with the loss of 8 lives.
 * 28 October – The incomplete Moel Famau Jubilee Tower collapses in a storm.
 * 1 December – Great Orme's Head lighthouse at Llandudno, erected by the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board, is first illuminated.
 * Guillermo Rawson, Interior Minister of Argentina, meets Love Jones-Parry and Lewis Jones to discuss the Welsh colonisation of Patagonia.
 * The Clogau mine begins producing gold.
 * Snowdon Mill, a steam-powered flour mill, is opened at Porthmadog.

Arts and literature

 * "Religion", by Joseph Edwards, and "The Tinted Venus" by John Gibson are among sculptures shown at the Great Exhibition.

Awards

 * National Eisteddfod of Wales is held at Caernarfon. The chair is won by Rowland Williams (Hwfa Môn).

English language

 * George Borrow – Wild Wales
 * Rees Howell Gronow – Reminiscences of Captain Gronow
 * Jane Williams (Ysgafell) – Celtic Fables, Fairy Tales and Legends versified

Welsh language

 * John Ceiriog Hughes – Oriau'r Bore

Music

 * Henry Brinley Richards – "God Bless the Prince of Wales"
 * Ebenezer Thomas (Eben Fardd) – Hymnau

Sport

 * Cricket
 * 21 July – South Wales Cricket Club defeat Surrey at The Oval.
 * 24 July – South Wales Cricket Club defeat MCC at Lord's.

Births

 * 5 January – John Fisher, Celtic scholar (d. 1930)
 * 16 January – Leifchild Jones, 1st Baron Rhayader, politician (d. 1939)
 * 17 January – Buckley Roderick, Wales international rugby player (d. 1908)
 * 23 January – Evan Richards, Wales international rugby player (d. 1931)
 * 1 February – Thomas Pryce-Jenkins, Wales international rugby player (d. 1922)
 * 16 February
 * Llewellyn John Montfort Bebb, academic (d. 1915)
 * Philip Tanner, folk singer (d. 1950)
 * 22 March – Edward Treharne, Wales international rugby player (d. 1904)
 * 11 April – Charles Evans Hughes, American politician of Welsh parentage (d. 1948)
 * 27 April – Sir Hugh Vincent, solicitor and Wales international rugby player (d. 1931)
 * 28 April – William Norton, Wales international rugby player (d. 1898)
 * 17 May – Sir William Rice Edwards, surgeon (d. 1923)
 * 5 August - Robert Mills-Roberts, footballer (d. 1935)
 * 16 September – Thomas Baker Jones, Wales international rugby player (d. 1959)
 * 27 October – Sir Hugh Evan-Thomas, admiral (d. 1928)
 * 16 November – Sir David Rocyn-Jones, medical practitioner and President of the WRU (d. 1953)
 * 7 December – Humphrey Jones, footballer (d. 1946)
 * 9 December – John John Evans, journalist (d. 1942)
 * date unknown
 * John Daniel Evans, Patagonia settler (d. 1943)
 * Seth Powell, footballer (d. 1945)

Deaths

 * 3 January – Dan Jones, Mormon missionary, 51
 * 8 February - Hans Busk, poet, 89
 * 25 March – Timothy Davies, clergyman
 * 1 May – Frederick Richard West, politician, 62/63
 * 28 May – James Henry Cotton, Dean of Bangor, 82
 * 2 August – Anthony Hill, industrialist, 78
 * 27 August – John Williams (Ab Ithel), antiquary, 51
 * 9 December – Edward Hughes (Eos Maldwyn), harpist, age unknown (tuberculosis)
 * 31 December – Daniel Jones, Baptist minister, 74
 * date unknown – Robert Edwards, hymn writer, 66?