1897 in Wales

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1897 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

 * Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales – Hwfa Môn


 * Lord Lieutenant of Anglesey – Sir Richard Henry Williams-Bulkeley, 12th Baronet
 * 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 – Robert Windsor-Clive, 1st Earl of Plymouth
 * Lord Lieutenant of Merionethshire – W. R. M. Wynne
 * Lord Lieutenant of Monmouthshire – Henry Somerset, 8th Duke of Beaufort
 * Lord Lieutenant of Montgomeryshire – Sir Herbert Williams-Wynn, 7th Baronet
 * Lord Lieutenant of Pembrokeshire – Frederick Campbell, 3rd Earl Cawdor
 * Lord Lieutenant of Radnorshire – Powlett Milbank


 * Bishop of Bangor – Daniel Lewis Lloyd
 * Bishop of Llandaff – Richard Lewis
 * Bishop of St Asaph – A. G. Edwards (later Archbishop of Wales)
 * Bishop of St Davids – Basil Jones (until 14 January); John Owen (from 1 May)

Events

 * January – Sir Owen Morgan Edwards founds the periodical Heddyw, published in Wrexham.
 * 9 April – The Snowdon Mountain Railway resumes operation, a year after a fatal accident on its maiden run.
 * c. May – The Plynlimon and Hafan Tramway opens.
 * 13 May – Guglielmo Marconi sends the first ever wireless communication over water, from Lavernock Point to Flat Holm.
 * 2 June – The first Jubilee Bridge (Queensferry) across the River Dee is opened by William Gladstone.
 * 20 June – Celebration of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee is muted in Nonconformist parts of Wales, as the date falls on a Sunday.
 * July – The Grand Theatre, Swansea, is opened by Adelina Patti.
 * 30 September – Inauguration of Beacons Reservoir water supply to Cardiff.
 * 9 October – Opening of the Tal-y-cafn Bridge across the River Conwy.
 * November – Four Customs officers are rescued from the River Usk, near Newport's Alexandra Dock pier-head after their boat capsizes.
 * 12 November – Llanfyllin County School is opened by Mrs. John Marshall Dugdale and becomes the sixth Intermediate School in Montgomeryshire. Politician Clement Davies is one of the first pupils.
 * unknown dates
 * A roller coaster erected on Barry Island, origin of Barry Island Pleasure Park.
 * Construction work is completed on the Pierhead Building as offices for Cardiff Docks.
 * Weaver's Mill, Swansea, a flour mill and corn storage depot, becomes the first building in the UK to be constructed from reinforced concrete, by L. G. Mouchel of Briton Ferry.
 * Merthyr Tydfil is refused a town charter; it is eventually granted one in 1905.
 * Opening of the Canterbury Building at St David's College, Lampeter (demolished in 1971).
 * Edgeworth David leads the Royal Society's expedition to the coral atoll of Funafuti.

Awards
National Eisteddfod of Wales – held at Newport
 * Chair – John Thomas Job, "Brawdgarwch"
 * Crown – Thomas Mafonwy Davies, "Arthur y Ford Gron"

English language

 * Owen Rhoscomyl – The White Rose of Arno
 * John William Willis-Bund – The Celtic Church of Wales
 * Alfred Neobard Palmer – Owen Tanat

Welsh language

 * Caniadau Cymru (anthology)
 * John Cadvan Davies – Caneuon Cadvan
 * Ellis Pierce – Teulu'r Gilfach

Music

 * Walford Davies – Overture in D minor
 * Llyfr Hymnau a Thonau y Methodistiaid Calfinaidd (collection of hymns)

Film

 * Arthur Cheetham begins making films in Wales.

Sport

 * Rugby Union – Due to an argument with the International Football Rugby Board the Welsh Rugby Union withdraws from the organisation and Wales do not play international rugby for 12 months.
 * Swimming – The Welsh Amateur Swimming Association is founded. The first Welsh championships take place, with events for men only.

Births

 * 3 April – Frank Evans, dual-code international rugby player (died 1972)
 * 5 April – Ness Edwards, politician (died 1968)
 * 21 April – Albert Stock, Wales international rugby player (died 1969)
 * 22 June – Kathleen Freeman, classical scholar (died 1959)
 * 21 August – Victor Nash-Williams, archaeologist (died 1955)
 * 28 September – Harry Beadles, Wales international footballer (died 1958)
 * 15 November – Aneurin Bevan, politician (died 1960)
 * 31 December – Rhys Williams, politician (died 1969)

Deaths

 * 14 January – William Basil Jones, Bishop of St David's, 75
 * 30 January – Sarah Thomas, centenarian, 109
 * 3 February – David Pugh Evans, songwriter, 31
 * 2 March – Evan Owen Phillips, Dean of St David's, 70
 * 1 April – William Gwynn, Rugby union international
 * 16 April – Thomas Lewis, Welsh-born Australian politician, 75
 * 10 May – Walter Evans, footballer, about 30
 * 12 May – Thomas Llewellyn Thomas, linguist, 56
 * June – Hugh Jones, Archdeacon of St Asaph, 81
 * 1 September – John Griffiths, Archdeacon of Llandaff, 77
 * 6 September – Thomas Rees Morgan, engineer, 63
 * 8 September – James Milo Griffith, sculptor, 54
 * 16 September – Edward Edwards (Pencerdd Ceredigion), musician, 83
 * 20 September – Hugh Morris, footballer, 25 (tuberculosis)
 * 15 October – Charles John Vaughan, former Dean of Llandaff, 81
 * 12 November – Isaac Evans, trade union leader and politician, 49 (post-operative complications)
 * 24 November – Arthur James Herbert, Quartermaster-General, 77
 * 2 December – Thomas Lewis, politician, 76
 * 4 December – Griffith Rhys Jones ("Caradog"), choral conductor, 62