1929 in Wales

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1929 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

• Archbishop of Wales – Alfred George Edwards, Bishop of St Asaph
• Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales – Pedrog

Events

• 6 January - The abbey on Caldey Island is handed over by the Benedictine order to its new owners, Belgian Cistercians.
• February - 700 people are involved in a riot at Cwmfelinfach, when strikebreakers are used during an industrial dispute at the Nine Mile Point Colliery.
• 13 March - Former ironclad warship is towed to Pembroke Dock to finish her service with the Royal Navy as an oil fuelling hulk.
• 24–26 April - The Royal Air Force's Squadron Leader Arthur G. Jones-Williams and Flight Lieutenant Norman H. Jenkins make the first non-stop flight from Britain to India.
• 30 May - In the United Kingdom general election:
• Megan Lloyd George becomes Liberal MP for Anglesey – the first female MP in Wales.
• Aneurin Bevan becomes MP for Ebbw Vale.
• Other newly elected MPs include John Jestyn Llewellin at Uxbridge and Robert Richards at Wrexham.
• Lewis Valentine is Plaid Cymru’s first parliamentary candidate. Plaid Cymru obtain a total of 609 votes in Wales.
• J. H. Thomas becomes Lord Privy Seal in the new government.
• 9 July - After a collision with another vessel, HMS L12, the Royal Navy submarine H47 sinks off the Pembrokeshire coast, killing 21 crewmen.
• 10 July - Nine miners are killed in a mining accident at Milfraen, Blaenavon.
• 11 November - of rain falls within a single day at Lluest-wen Reservoir, a record for a place in Wales. Below in the Rhondda this month, 400 people are made homeless by flooding.
• 25 November - Cargo steamer Molesey is wrecked on Skomer Island with the loss of 7 lives; British Movietone News shoots the first-ever sound footage of such an event.
• 28 November - Seven miners are killed in an accident at Wernbwll Colliery, Penclawdd.
• date unknown
• The University of Wales begins awarding teacher training certificates at colleges of education in Wales.
• The number of motor vehicles in Wales exceeds 100,000 for the first time.

Arts and literature

• The first Urdd National Eisteddfod is held, at Corwen Pavilion.

Awards

• National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Liverpool)
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair - David Emrys Jones, "Dafydd ap Gwilym"
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown - Caradog Prichard, "Y Gân Ni Chanwyd"

New books

English language

• John Hugh Edwards - David Lloyd George, the Man and the Statesman
• Richard Hughes - A High Wind in Jamaica
• Elisabeth Inglis-Jones - Starved Fields
• Huw Menai - The Passing of Guto
• Bertrand Russell - Marriage and Morals

Welsh language

• Ambrose Bebb - Llydaw
• Kate Roberts - Rhigolau Bywyd

Music

• W. Bradwen - Paradwys y Bardd
• David John de Lloyd - Forty Welsh Traditional Tunes (arrangements)

Film

• Ray Milland appears in his first Hollywood films.

Broadcasting

• Welsh-language radio begins to be broadcast from the BBC's Daventry transmitter.

Sport

• Football - The Football Association of Wales makes its first overseas tour, to Canada.
• Rugby Union
• 23 February - 1929 Wales beat France 8–3 at the National Stadium in Cardiff

Births

• 2 January - John Lansdown, computer graphics pioneer (died 1999)
• 28 January - Clem Thomas, Wales and British Lions international rugby player (died 1996)
• 14 February - Wyn Morris, conductor (died 2010)
• 20 March - Herbert Wilson, physicist and biophysicist (died 2008)
• 25 April - Malcolm Thomas, Wales international rugby union captain (died 2012)
• 20 May - Bobi Jones, author (died 2017)
• 11 August - Alun Hoddinott, composer (died 2008)
• 2 September - Victor Spinetti, actor (died 2012)
• October - Robyn Léwis, politician and archdruid (died 2019)
• 16 October - Ivor Allchurch, Wales international footballer (died 1997)
• 20 October - Colin Jeavons, actor
• 27 October - Alun Richards, novelist (died 2003)
• 2 November - Carwyn James, rugby coach (died 1983)
• 7 November - Urien Wiliam, dramatist (died 2006)
• 4 December - Ednyfed Hudson Davies, politician (died 2018)
• 30 December - Charles Lynn Davies, Wales international rugby player
• date unknown
• Paul Ferris, author
• John Morgan, journalist and broadcaster (died 1988)

Deaths

• 2 January - David James, Wales international rugby player, 62
• 15 January - William Boyd Dawkins, geologist and historian, 91
• 20 February - Henry Bruce, 2nd Baron Aberdare, 77
• 16 April - Sir John Morris-Jones, poet and grammarian, 64
• 29 April - Violet Herbert, Countess of Powis, 63
• 30 April - Cliff Bowen, Wales international rugby player and county cricketer, 54
• 13 May - David Thomas (Afan), composer, 47
• 15 May - Grace Rhys, writer, wife of Ernest Rhys, 64
• 30 May - Owen Davies, Baptist minister and writer, 68/9
• 2 June - Fred Andrews, Wales international rugby player, 64
• 15 June - Llewellyn Atherley-Jones, politician, 78/79
• 23 July - John Hinds, businessman and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Carmarthenshire, 65
• 29 August - Viv Huzzey, Wales international rugby union player, 53
• 6 September - Richard Ellis, bibliographer and librarian, 62
• 19 October - John Evan Davies, Calvinistic Methodist minister and writer, 79
• 20 November - David Williams, archdeacon of Cardigan, 88
• 7 December - Jenkin Jones, trade union leader, 70
• 17 December - Arthur G. Jones-Williams, aviation pioneer, 31 (air crash)
• 21 December - James Williams, hockey player, 51
• date unknown - John Evan Davies, minister and writer, 78/9

See also

• 1929 in Northern Ireland

References