1909 in Wales

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1909 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 (until 25 February); Sir Osmond Williams, 1st Baronet (from 22 March)
 * 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

 * January – Noah Ablett is a founding member of the Plebs' League at Ruskin College, Oxford.
 * 1 January – John Ballinger becomes first librarian of the National Library of Wales which is being set up in Aberystwyth, initially in temporary premises in the former Assembly Rooms.
 * 16 January – Edgeworth David is a member of the expedition which successfully reaches the Magnetic South Pole.
 * 2 July – Thirty-six men are killed when a trench collapses during construction of the Alexandra Dock part of Newport Docks.
 * 26 July–7 August - The National Pageant of Wales is held at Cardiff Castle.
 * 30 August – RMS Mauretania (1906) calls at Fishguard.
 * October – Monthly rainfall of 56.5 in is measured at Llyn Llydaw, Snowdonia - a British record.
 * 29 October – A mining accident at Darren Colliery, New Tredegar, kills 26 men.
 * December – Thomas "Toya" Lewis is awarded the Albert Medal by Edward VII for his heroism in rescuing survivors of the Newport Dock collapse on 2 July.
 * date unknown
 * King's Dock, part of Swansea Docks, is opened.
 * First coal raised from Penallta Colliery.
 * The first mines rescue station in south Wales is opened at Aberaman.
 * The Bryn Eglwys slate quarry, the Abergynolwyn estate and village and Talyllyn Railway are purchased by Henry Haydn Jones.
 * Thomas Rees becomes principal of Bala-Bangor Theological College.
 * Completion of Berw Bridge over the River Taff above Pontypridd, the longest reinforced concrete span in the U.K. at this date (116 ft); it is designed by L. G. Mouchel to Hennebique patents and built by Watkin Williams and Page.
 * Clark's Pies originates in Cardiff.

Awards

 * National Eisteddfod of Wales – held in London
 * Chair – T. Gwynn Jones, "Gwlad y Bryniau"
 * Crown – W. J. Gruffydd, "Yr Arglwydd Rhys"

English language

 * John Gwenogvryn Evans (ed.) – Facsimile of the Chirk Codex
 * Edward Thomas – The South Country
 * Arthur Wade-Evans – Welsh Mediaeval Law

Welsh language

 * Emrys ap Iwan – Homilïau vol. 2 (posthumous)
 * Hugh Brython Hughes – Tair Cwpan Aur

Music

 * Evan Thomas Davies – Ynys y Plant

Sport

 * Boxing
 * 23 August – Freddie Welsh wins the European lightweight title (at Mountain Ash).
 * 8 November – Freddie Welsh wins the British lightweight title, and becomes the first boxer to be awarded a Lonsdale Belt (in London).
 * 20 December – Thomas Thomas is awarded the first Lonsdale Belt at middleweight.
 * Sport of athletics
 * 23 August – Welshman Fred 'Tenby' Davies beats Irishman Bert Day to become world champion over the half-mile distance (at Pontypridd).
 * Rugby league
 * Aberdare RLFC, Barry RLFC and Mid-Rhondda RLFC fold after just one season. The first Welsh League competition is won by Ebbw Vale.
 * Rugby union
 * Wales win their second Grand Slam.

Births

 * 4 January – Glyndwr Michael, vagrant whose body was used as Maj. William Martin, RM, in Operation Mincemeat (died 1943)
 * 29 January – George Thomas, 1st Viscount Tonypandy (died 1997)
 * 14 February – Harry Peacock, Wales rugby union player (died 1996)
 * 20 February – Bill Roberts, Wales international rugby union player (died 1969)
 * 5 March – Howard Thomas, radio and television producer (died 1986)
 * 10 March – Glen Moody, boxer (died 1989)
 * 30 March – Dai Thomas, Wales national rugby player (date of death unknown)
 * 1 April – George Ewart Evans, folklorist and oral historian (died 1988)
 * 11 May – Aneirin Talfan Davies, writer and publisher (died 1980)
 * 11 June – Ronnie Boon, Wales rugby union player (died 1998)
 * 12 June – Mansel Thomas, composer and conductor (died 1986)
 * 16 July – Eddie Jenkins footballer (died 2005)
 * 28 July – Jack Morley, Wales and British Lions rugby player (died 1972)
 * 25 August – Arwel Hughes, composer (died 1988)
 * 30 September – Arthur Probert, politician (died 1975)
 * 1 October – Jim Lang, Wales rugby union player (died 1991)
 * 24 October – Elwyn Jones, Baron Elwyn-Jones, politician (died 1989)
 * 25 October – Walter Vickery, Wales national rugby player (died 2000)
 * 7 November – Eirene White, politician (died 1999)
 * 29 November – Goronwy Rees, journalist and academic (died 1979)
 * 14 December – Ronald Welch, historical novelist (died 1982)
 * date unknown
 * Isaac Davies (Eic Davies), dramatist (died 1993)
 * Evan Roberts, botanist (died 1991)

Deaths

 * 3 January – Robert Bird, politician, 69
 * 8 January – Frederick Courtenay Morgan, politician, 74
 * 9 January – Erasmus Jones, Welsh-American minister and author, 91
 * 5 February – W. R. M. Wynne, politician, landowner, collector of manuscripts, Lord Lieutenant of Merionethshire, 68
 * 9 March – David Thomas (Dewi Hefin), poet, 80
 * 29 March – Catherine Prichard, poet, 66
 * April – Ivor James, educationist
 * 19 April – J. S. Pughe, Welsh-born American political cartoonist, 39
 * 31 May – Thomas Price, Premier of South Australia, 57
 * 9 June – Walter Rice Evans, Wales international rugby player
 * 2 July – Sir Arthur Cowell-Stepney, landowner and politician, 74
 * 1 August – General Sir Hugh Rowlands, VC recipient, 81
 * 23 September – Thomas Edward Lloyd, politician, 89
 * 17 October – Edward David Williams, politician in Australia, 67
 * 22 October – David Rogers, politician in Canada, 79
 * 9 November – Montague Guest, politician, son of Lady Charlotte Guest, 70
 * 10 November – George Essex Evans, Welsh-Australian poet, 46 (complications arising from gall bladder surgery)
 * 11 December – Ludwig Mond, industrialist, 70
 * 13 December – Sir Alfred Lewis Jones, shipping magnate, 64