1906 in Wales

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1906 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

 * Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales – Dyfed


 * Lord Lieutenant of Anglesey – Sir Richard Henry Williams-Bulkeley, 12th Baronet
 * Lord Lieutenant of Brecknockshire – Joseph Bailey, 2nd Baron Glanusk
 * Lord Lieutenant of Caernarvonshire – John Ernest Greaves
 * Lord Lieutenant of Cardiganshire – Herbert Davies-Evans
 * Lord Lieutenant of Carmarthenshire – Sir James Williams-Drummond, 4th Baronet
 * 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 – Godfrey Morgan, 1st Viscount Tredegar
 * 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 – Watkin Williams
 * Bishop of Llandaff – Joshua Pritchard Hughes
 * Bishop of St Asaph – A. G. Edwards (later Archbishop of Wales)
 * Bishop of St Davids – John Owen

Events

 * 13 February - In the United Kingdom general election:
 * For the first time ever, no Conservative MP is elected in Wales.
 * William Brace becomes Labour MP for South Glamorganshire.
 * David Davies becomes Liberal MP for Montgomeryshire.
 * Ivor Guest becomes Liberal MP for Cardiff District.
 * Alfred Mond becomes Liberal MP for Chester.
 * John David Rees becomes Liberal MP for Montgomery District.
 * Ivor Treowen becomes MP for South Monmouthshire.
 * John Williams becomes MP for Gower District.
 * 5 June - At the Eifion by-election, brought about by the resignation of John Bryn Roberts, Liberal candidate Ellis Davies is elected unopposed.
 * 27 June - One of the strongest earthquakes recorded in the UK strikes Swansea with a strength of 5.2 on the Richter Scale, damaging several buildings.
 * August - Evan Roberts suffers a breakdown, signalling the end of the 1904-1905 Welsh Revival.
 * 14 August - The East Denbighshire by-election, brought about by the resignation of Samuel Moss, is won by the Liberal candidate Edward Hemmerde.
 * 30 August - Official opening of Fishguard Harbour.
 * 12 September - Opening of Newport Transporter Bridge.
 * October
 * The new City Hall, Cardiff, and Law Courts are opened in Cathays Park.
 * Opening of the first purpose-built sanatorium in Wales, at Allt-yr-yn, Newport.
 * A by-election is held in Mid Glamorganshire as a result of the appointment of its MP, Samuel Evans, as Recorder of Swansea; he is required to seek re-election and in the by-election he is returned unopposed.
 * date unknown
 * David Brynmor Jones is knighted.
 * Hydro-electricity is generated for the first time in Wales, at Cwm Dyli in Gwynedd.
 * Anglican Benedictine monks arrive at Caldey Island to found a community.
 * The South Wales Miners' Federation affiliates to the Labour Party.

Arts and literature

 * Ernest Rhys becomes editor of Everyman's Library.

Awards

 * National Eisteddfod of Wales - held in Caernarfon
 * Chair - John James Williams (J. J.), "Y Lloer"
 * Crown - Hugh Emyr Davies

English language

 * Arthur Machen – The House of Souls
 * W. J. Parry – The Cry of the People
 * Allen Raine – Queen of the Rushes
 * Edward Thomas - The Heart of England

Welsh language

 * Owen Morgan Edwards - Clych Adgof
 * Sarah Winifred Parry – Sioned: darluniau o fywyd gwledig yng Nghymru (book publication)
 * Eliseus Williams (Eifion Wyn) - Telynegion Maes a Mor

Music

 * The Welsh Folk Song Society is co-founded by soprano Mary Davies.
 * David Vaughan Thomas - The Knight's Burial

Theatre

 * 10 December - The New Theatre, Cardiff, opens to the public, with a performance of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night.

Sport

 * Boxing
 * 23 May - Tom Thomas wins the British middleweight title.
 * Rugby union
 * Wales finish second in the 1906 Home Nations Championship, beating England and Scotland, but losing to Ireland.
 * 1 December - Wales lose 11–0 to South Africa in the first encounter between the two countries.
 * Tennis - For the first and only time, a Davis Cup final is played in Wales. The United States defeat Australia at Newport.

Births

 * 10 January - Tom Arthur, Wales international rugby player
 * 16 January - Watcyn Thomas, rugby player (died 1977)
 * 19 February - Grace Williams, composer (died 1977)
 * 4 March - Tommy Jones-Davies, Wales international rugby player (died 1960)
 * 15 March - Bill Everson, Wales international rugby player (died 1966)
 * 4 April - John Roberts Wales international rugby player (died 1965)
 * 24 April - Leslie Thomas, politician (died 1971)
 * 25 June - Roger Livesey, actor (died 1976)
 * 27 June - Vernon Watkins, poet (died 1967)
 * 12 July - Archie Skym, international rugby union player
 * 15 July - Herbert Edmund-Davies, Baron Edmund-Davies, judge (died 1992)
 * 16 October - Maudie Edwards, actress (died 1991)
 * 18 November - Nigel Birch, Baron Rhyl, politician (died 1981)
 * 8 December - Richard Llewellyn, novelist (died 1983)

Deaths

 * 6 January
 * Joseph Bailey, 1st Baron Glanusk, retired Lord Lieutenant of Brecknockshire, 65
 * Emrys ap Iwan, writer, 54
 * 25 March - Gwilym Williams, judge, 66
 * 4 June - John William Evans, politician, 36
 * 24 June - Henry Dennis, industrialist, 80
 * 24 July - John Edwards (Meiriadog), poet, 93
 * 27 August - James Charles, painter, 55
 * 4 September - William Bowen Rowlands, politician
 * 16 September - Robert Llugwy Owen, minister and writer, 69
 * 22 September - Griffith Arthur Jones, Anglican priest, 78
 * 21 October - Griffith Jones (Glan Menai), writer, 70
 * 25 November - William W. Davies, Mormon leader, 73
 * 29 November - Mary Dillwyn Welby, photographer, 90
 * 30 November - Sir Edward James Reed, politician, 76
 * 30 December - William Stadden, Wales international rugby player, 45 (suicide)