1863 in Wales

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1863 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 (until 19 February); Sudeley Hanbury-Tracy, 3rd Baron Sudeley (from 21 April)
 * 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

 * 10 March – Marriage of Edward Albert, Prince of Wales, to Alexandra of Denmark. Alexandra becomes the first Princess of Wales since 1820.
 * 28 July – The Anglesey Central Railway Act 1863 (26 & 27 Vict. c.cxxviii) brings about the foundation of the Anglesey Central Railway.
 * 23 October – Festiniog Railway introduces steam locomotives into general service, the first time this has been done anywhere in the world on a public railway of such a narrow gauge (2 ft (60 cm)).
 * English church services are introduced for English-speaking minorities in Welsh-speaking areas.
 * Sir Hugh Owen becomes an honorary secretary of the London committee formed to set up the University of Wales.
 * Mesac Thomas becomes the first Bishop of Goulburn, New South Wales, Australia.
 * Publication of The Bards of Wales, first written in 1857 by Hungarian poet János Arany, using the story of Edward I's conquest of Wales to disguise criticism of the Austro-Hungarian empire.
 * Machynlleth born John Evans arrives in British Columbia, Canada, with a group of other Welsh miners. He subsequently becomes a major political figure in the province.
 * Spa pump room built at Trefriw.
 * Guest Memorial Library at Dowlais opened.

Awards

 * National Eisteddfod of Wales is held at Swansea.
 * The Newdigate Prize is awarded to Thomas Llewellyn Thomas.

New books

 * John Ceiriog Hughes – Cant o Ganeuon
 * John Jones (Ioan Emlyn) – Golud yr Oes
 * David William Nash – The Pharaoh of the Exodus
 * Ebenezer Thomas – Cyff Beuno

Music

 * John Ceiriog Hughes – Cant O Ganeuon
 * John Thomas (Pencerdd Gwalia) – Llewelyn (cantata)

Sport

 * Cricket
 * 23 July – South Wales Cricket Club defeat MCC at Lord's.
 * 27 July – South Wales Cricket Club defeat Gentlemen of Kent at Cranbrook.

Births

 * 15 January – James Webb, Wales rugby international (died 1913)
 * 17 January – David Lloyd George, politician (died 1945)
 * 3 March – Arthur Machen, writer (died 1947)
 * 16 March – Dan Beddoe, operatic tenor (died 1937)
 * 25 March – Owen Philipps, 1st Baron Kylsant (died 1937)
 * 13 April – Walter E. Rees, Secretary of the Welsh Rugby Union (died 1949)
 * May – William Rees-Davies (judge), politician and lawyer (died 1939)
 * 8 May – Charles Taylor Wales rugby international (died 1915)
 * 18 May – Lewis Davies (writer), novelist and historian (died 1951)
 * 21 May – William Jones Williams, civil servant (died 1949)
 * 11 June – Llewellyn Henry Gwynne, first suffragan Bishop of Khartoum (died 1957)
 * 18 June – George Essex Evans, Australian poet of Welsh parentage (died 1909)
 * 2 July – Billy Douglas, Wales international rugby player (died 1943)
 * 7 August – Edward Perkins Alexander, Wales international rugby player (died 1931)
 * 8 August – John Herbert Roberts, Baron Clwyd of Abergele, politician (died 1955)
 * 17 August – Joseph Harry, minister, writer and teacher (died 1950)
 * 29 August – Sir Daniel Lleufer Thomas, magistrate (died 1940)
 * 10 September – Walter Rice Evans, Wales international rugby player (died 1909)
 * 7 November – Rowley Thomas, Wales international rugby player (died 1949)
 * probable – William Retlaw Williams, Welsh writer (died 1944)

Deaths

 * 17 February – Ebenezer Thomas (Eben Fardd), poet, 60
 * 19 February – Thomas Hanbury-Tracy, 2nd Baron Sudeley, Lord Lieutenant of Montgomeryshire, 62
 * 28 February – David Williams (Alaw Goch), industrialist, 53
 * 21 March – David Griffiths, missionary, 71
 * 24 March – Thomas Powell, industrialist, 84
 * 13 April – George Cornewall Lewis, statesman, 56
 * May/June – David Bevan Jones (Dewi Elfed), Mormon leader, 55
 * 15 July – Edward Pryce Owen, artist, 75
 * 8 November – Joseph Hughes (Carn Ingli), poet, 60
 * 13 December – Robert Saunderson, printer, 83
 * 28 December – Thomas Bevan, Archdeacon of St David's, 63