1887 in Wales

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1887 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

 * Lord Lieutenant of Anglesey – Richard Davies
 * Lord Lieutenant of Brecknockshire – Joseph Bailey, 1st Baron Glanusk
 * Lord Lieutenant of Caernarvonshire – John Ernest Greaves
 * Lord Lieutenant of Cardiganshire – Herbert Davies-Evans
 * 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 – Robert Davies Pryce
 * Lord Lieutenant of Monmouthshire – Henry Somerset, 8th Duke of Beaufort
 * Lord Lieutenant of Montgomeryshire – Edward Herbert, 3rd Earl of Powis
 * Lord Lieutenant of Pembrokeshire – William Edwardes, 4th Baron Kensington
 * Lord Lieutenant of Radnorshire – Arthur Walsh, 2nd Baron Ormathwaite


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


 * Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales – Clwydfardd

Events

 * 18 February – 39 miners are killed in an accident at Standard Colliery, Ynyshir.
 * June – The Riot Act is read at Mochdre in the Vale of Clwyd at the height of a "Tithe War".
 * 24 May – The new Cardiff Metropolitan Cathedral, designed by Pugin, is opened.
 * 24 August – Roath Dock opened in Cardiff Docks; the first sod of Roath Park is dug.
 * 1 November – The Helvetia wrecked off Worms Head, Rhossili (remains can still be seen at low tide).
 * The Turner House Gallery, Penarth, is built to house the art collection of Major James Pyke Thompson.
 * Opening of Wrexham School of Science and Art, predecessor of Wrexham Glyndŵr University.
 * Lewis Llewelyn Dillwyn and Stuart Rendel affirm the Welsh Liberal Party's support of Irish Home Rule.
 * Richard John Lloyd Price establishes a Welsh whisky distillery on his Rhiwlas estate at Frongoch.

Awards
National Eisteddfod of Wales – held at London
 * Chair – Robert Arthur Williams, "Y Frenhines Victoria"
 * Crown – John Cadfan Davies, "John Penry"

English language

 * Amy Dillwyn – Jill and Jack
 * Daniel Silvan Evans – Dictionary of the Welsh Language (Geiriadur Cymraeg)

Welsh language

 * Owen Evans – Geiriau Olaf Iesu Grist
 * Thomas Levi – Crist a Gwroniaid y Byd Paganaidd
 * The Text of the Mabinogion and Other Welsh Tales from the Red Book of Hergest (edited by John Gwenogvryn Evans)

Music

 * John Thomas (Pencerdd Gwalia) – Cambria’s Homage to our Empress Queen

Sport

 * Football
 * Chirk win the Welsh Cup for the first time.
 * Knighton Town F.C. is founded.
 * Rugby union
 * Ammanford RFC, Caerphilly RFC, Mumbles RFC, Newport RFC, Pontyclun RFC and Taffs Well RFC are established.
 * Wales play their first international in Llanelli; though the original venue of Stradey Park is moved to a local cricket pitch due to a frozen pitch.

Births

 * 13 January – Hedd Wyn, poet (died 1917)
 * 27 February – James Dickson Innes, landscape painter (died 1914)
 * 23 March – Percy Jones, Wales international rugby player (died 1969)
 * 19 April – Bertrand Turnbull, Olympic hockey player (died 1943)
 * 23 April – Len Trump, Wales international rugby player (died 1948)
 * 13 July – Elizabeth Watkin-Jones, children's author (died 1966)
 * 21 September – T. H. Parry-Williams, poet, author and academic (died 1975)
 * 11 October – William Davies, national librarian (died 1952)
 * 29 December – Jack Wetter, Wales international rugby union captain (died 1967)
 * date unknown
 * Bessie Jones, singer (died 1974)
 * Artie Moore, wireless operator (died 1949)

Deaths

 * 25 January – Rowland Prichard, musician, 76
 * 16 February – Richard Owen, preacher, 47
 * 24 March – William Lucas Collins, priest and writer, 71
 * 11 April – Samuel Bowen, Independent minister, 87
 * 23 April – John Ceiriog Hughes, poet, 54
 * 3 May – Robert Vivian, infantry officer, illegitimate member of the Vivian family, 84/5
 * 21 May – Horace Jones, English architect who designed Cardiff Town Hall
 * 28 May – Dan Isaac Davies, educationist, 48
 * 19 July – Lewis Edwards, educationist, 77
 * 1 August – Hugh Cholmondeley, 2nd Baron Delamere, politician, 75
 * 11 August – Sir Richard Green-Price, 1st Baronet, politician, 83
 * 7 November – Joshua T. Owen, Welsh-born educator, politician, and soldier in the Union army during the American Civil War, 66