1875 in Wales

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1875 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

 * Lord Lieutenant of Anglesey – William Owen Stanley
 * Lord Lieutenant of Brecknockshire – Charles Morgan, 1st Baron Tredegar (until 16 April); Joseph Bailey, 1st Baron Glanusk (from 11 June)
 * Lord Lieutenant of Caernarvonshire – Edward Douglas-Pennant, 1st Baron Penrhyn
 * Lord Lieutenant of Cardiganshire – Edward Pryse
 * Lord Lieutenant of Carmarthenshire – John Campbell, 2nd Earl Cawdor
 * Lord Lieutenant of Denbighshire – William Cornwallis-West
 * Lord Lieutenant of Flintshire – Hugh Robert Hughes
 * Lord Lieutenant of Glamorgan – Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot
 * Lord Lieutenant of Merionethshire – Edward Lloyd-Mostyn, 2nd Baron Mostyn
 * Lord Lieutenant of Monmouthshire – Henry Somerset, 8th Duke of Beaufort
 * Lord Lieutenant of Montgomeryshire – Sudeley Hanbury-Tracy, 3rd Baron Sudeley
 * Lord Lieutenant of Pembrokeshire – William Edwardes, 4th Baron Kensington
 * Lord Lieutenant of Radnorshire – John Walsh, 1st Baron Ormathwaite (until 21 April); Arthur Walsh, 2nd Baron Ormathwaite (from 21 April)


 * Bishop of Bangor – James Colquhoun Campbell
 * Bishop of Llandaff – Alfred Ollivant
 * Bishop of St Asaph – Joshua Hughes
 * Bishop of St Davids – Basil Jones

Events

 * August - First publication of The Usk Gleaner and Monmouthshire Record.
 * December - South Wales miners, led by William Abraham, come to agreement on a sliding scale of wages in relation to prices and profits.
 * 4 December - In a mining accident at Old Pit, New Tredegar, 22 men are killed.
 * 5 December - In a mining accident at Llan Colliery, Pentyrch, twelve men are killed.
 * unknown dates
 * The first imports of North American wheat come through Cardiff.
 * The United States Immigration and Naturalization Service recognises Welsh as a distinct nationality - the first official body ever to do so.
 * Ordnance Survey publishes the first complete maps of Wales.
 * David Davies Llandinam is elected treasurer of the University of Wales.
 * Major eisteddfod held at Pwllheli. Future archdruid Rowland Williams (Hwfa Môn) is a leading adjudicator.
 * Francis Wallace Grenfell takes part in the expedition which claims Griqualand West (site of the Kimberley diamond fields) for the UK.
 * Bodnant Garden is begun by Baron Aberconway.

Arts and literature

 * Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot buys James Milo Griffith's Summer Flowers for Margam Castle.

English language

 * Hugh Owen Thomas - Diseases of the Hip, Knee, and Ankle Joints

Welsh language

 * William Ambrose - Gweithiau y Parch. W. Ambrose (posthumously published)
 * David Stephen Davies - Adroddiad
 * Isaac Foulkes - Y Ddau Efell, neu Llanllonydd
 * Owen Jones (Meudwy Môn) (ed.) - Cymru, yn Hanesyddol, Parthedegol, a Bywgraphyddol
 * John Goronwy Mathias - Y Dywysen Aeddfed
 * Evan Rees (Dyfed) - Caniadau Dyfedfab

Music

 * Robert Griffiths becomes the first secretary of the tonic solfa college.
 * Joseph Parry composes the music to Myfanwy.
 * Sarah Edith Wynne marries and retires from her singing career.

Sport

 * Rugby union - Llanelli RFC and Risca RFC are formed.
 * Yachting - Bristol Channel Yacht Club is formed in Swansea.

Births

 * 3 January - Cliff Bowen, Wales international rugby player and county cricketer (died 1929)
 * 4 January – William Williams (Crwys), poet and Archdruid (died 1968)
 * 19 January – Thomas Owen Jones, dramatist, actor and producer (died 1941)
 * 23 February – David Brazell, singer (died 1959)
 * 4 March – John Kelt Edwards, cartoonist (died 1934)
 * 23 May – Nathaniel Walters, Wales international rugby player (died 1956)
 * 26 May – Jack Evans Wales international rugby player (died 1947)
 * 31 May – Dan Jones, Wales international rugby player (died 1959)
 * 11 June – Will Osborne, Wales international rugby player (died 1942)
 * 16 June – Henry Paget, Lord Paget, eccentric, born in Paris (died 1905)
 * 10 September
 * John Evans, politician (died 1961)
 * Harry Vaughan Watkins, Wales international rugby player (died 1945)
 * 26 October – Sir Lewis Casson, English-born artist (died 1969)
 * 20 December (in Shirley, Derbyshire) – T. F. Powys, Anglo-Welsh writer (died 1953)
 * 25 December – George Davies, international rugby player (died 1959)

Deaths

 * 4 January – Thomas Stephens, historian, literary critic and social reformer (born 1821)
 * 4 March – John Evans (I. D. Ffraid), minister and author, 60
 * April – Frances Bunsen, painter, 85
 * 16 April – Charles Morgan, 1st Baron Tredegar, Lord Lieutenant of Brecknockshire, 83
 * 19 July – Benjamin Davies, Hebraist, 60/61
 * 27 July – Connop Thirlwall, former Bishop of St Davids, 78
 * 19 August – Robert Elis (Cynddelw), writer, 63
 * 28 August – Sir Richard Williams-Bulkeley, 10th Baronet, politician, 73
 * 7 September – John Prichard, minister, author and teacher, 79
 * 16 September (in Shropshire) – Lucy Herbert, Countess of Powis, Scottish-born aristocrat, 81
 * 29 November – Thomas Jones, librarian, 65
 * date unknown
 * David Davies, composer, about 65
 * (in London) – Fanny Parkes, travel writer, 81