1870s in Wales

This article is about the particular significance of the decade 1870–1879 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

 * Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales – Clwydfardd (from 1876)

Events

 * 1870
 * 1871
 * 1872
 * 1873
 * 1874
 * 1875
 * 1876
 * 1877
 * 1878
 * 1879

Awards
National Eisteddfod of Wales – no National Eisteddfod officially took place during this decade. 1872 – William Thomas (Islwyn) wins a bardic chair at Rhyl. 1874 – Islwyn wins a bardic chair at Caerphilly. 1877 – Islwyn wins a bardic chair at Treherbert.

New books

 * R. D. Blackmore – The Maid of Sker (1872)
 * Rhoda Broughton – Nancy (1873)
 * Richard Davies (Mynyddog)
 * Yr Ail Gynnig (1870)
 * Y Trydydd Cynnig (1877)
 * Robert Elis (Cynddelw) – Manion Hynafiaethol (1873)
 * Beriah Gwynfe Evans – Owain Glyndwr (play) (1879)
 * Daniel Silvan Evans – Celtic Remains (1878)
 * John Ceiriog Hughes – Oriau'r Haf (1870)
 * William Rees (Gwilym Hiraethog)
 * Helyntion Bywyd Hen Deiliwr (1877)
 * Llythyrau 'Rhen Ffarmwr (1878)
 * Thomas Thomas (minister) – Hynodion Hen Bregethwyr Cymru (1872)

Music

 * 1873
 * Henry Brinley Richards – Songs of Wales

Sport

 * 1873 – Major Walter Wingfield of Nantclwyd Hall patents nets for the game of lawn tennis, which he calls "sphairistike".

Births

 * 1870
 * 18 August – William Cope, 1st Baron Cope, politician (died 1946)
 * 27 September – Thomas Jones (T. J.), civil servant (died 1955)
 * 20 December – Sir Sir David Davies, politician (died 1958)
 * 1871
 * 6 April – Prince Alexander John of Wales, youngest son of the Prince and Princess of Wales (died 7 April 1871)
 * 1872
 * 18 May – Bertrand Russell, philosopher (died 1970)
 * 27 August – Charles Stewart Rolls, aviator (died 1910)
 * 8 October – John Cowper Powys, Anglo-Welsh writer (died 1963)
 * 1873
 * 23 April – Sir Robert Thomas, 1st Baronet, politician (died 1951)
 * 1874
 * 6 February – David Evans, composer (died 1948)
 * 3 October – James Henry Thomas, politician (died 1949)
 * December – Nantlais Williams, poet and religious leader (died 1959)
 * date unknown – Albert Bethel, politician (died 1935)
 * 1875
 * 10 September – John Evans, Welsh politician (died 1961)
 * 1876
 * 22 June – Gwen John, artist (died 1939)
 * 18 September – Charles Kemeys-Tynte, 8th Baron Wharton (died 1934)
 * 1877
 * 19 August – John Evans, supercentenarian (died 1990)
 * 26 September – Edmund Gwenn, actor (died 1959) (long believed to have been born in Wales, but birth certificate proves otherwise)
 * 1878
 * 4 January – Augustus John, painter (died 1961)
 * 3 March – Edward Thomas, poet (died 1917)
 * 16 April – Owen Thomas Jones, geologist (died 1967)
 * 26 May – Abel J. Jones, writer (died 1949)
 * 28 June – Evan Roberts preacher (died 1951)
 * 31 December – Caradoc Evans, writer (died 1945)
 * 1879
 * 4 September – Eliot Crawshay-Williams, politician and writer (died 1962)
 * 2 October – Idris Bell, papyrologist (died 1967)

Deaths

 * 1872
 * 3 August – William Davies Evans, chess player (born 1790)
 * 1874
 * 19 April – Owen Jones, architect (born 1809)
 * 1875
 * 27 July – Connop Thirlwall, bishop (born 1797)
 * 1876
 * 19 July – George E. Pugh, Welsh-American politician (born 1822)
 * 1877
 * 24 June – Robert Dale Owen, Welsh-American politician (born 1801)
 * 14 July – Richard Davies (Mynyddog), poet (born 1833)
 * 5 August – Robert Williams (Trebor Mai), poet (born 1830)
 * 1878
 * 3 January – Morris Williams (Nicander), writer (born 1809)
 * 30 September – Evan James, poet, lyricist of the Welsh national anthem (born 1809)
 * 20 November – William Thomas (Islwyn), poet (born 1832)
 * 1879
 * 23 September – Francis Kilvert, diarist (born 1840)