1934 in Wales

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1934 to Wales and its people.

← 1933 1932 1931 1930 1929 1934 in Wales → 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939
Centuries:	18th 19th 20th 21st
Decades:	1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s
See also:	List of years in Wales 1934 in The United Kingdom Ireland Scotland

Incumbents

• Prince of Wales – Edward
• Princess of Wales – vacant
• Archbishop of Wales
  • Alfred George Edwards, Bishop of St Asaph (retired)[1]
  • Charles Green, Bishop of Bangor (elected)[2]
• Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales – Gwili

Events

• 22 September - At Gresford Colliery in Wrexham, 265 miners are killed in a mining accident.[3] Later in the year, Paul Robeson performs in Caernarfon in a benefit concert for victims of the accident.
• 23 October - Opening of the Guildhall, Swansea, designed by Percy Thomas.[4]
• 24 October - Aneurin Bevan marries fellow MP Jennie Lee.[5]
• date unknown
  • Anthracite production in Wales reaches its peak.
  • The Special Areas Act is passed to help areas such as the South Wales Valleys that have been particularly affected by the Great Depression in the United Kingdom.[6]
  • Courtaulds establishes a new rayon factory at Greenfield.[7]
  • Tudor Thomas's work on corneal grafting restores the sight of a man who had been nearly blind for 27 years.

Arts and literature

• Sir Henry Walford Davies is appointed Master of the King's Musick.
• The Welsh Folk Dance Society is founded at Bala.
• The Brangwyn Hall, Swansea, is inaugurated.
• Caradog Prichard becomes sub-editor of the News Chronicle.
• Richard Hughes and his wife move into Laugharne Castle.

Awards

• National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Neath)
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair - William Morris, "Ogof Arthur"[8]
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown - Eirug Davies, "Y Gorwel"[9]

New books

• Edward Tegla Davies - Y Llwybr Arian
• Margiad Evans - Turf or Stone
• D. Gwenallt Jones - Plasau'r Brenin
• Jack Jones - Rhondda Roundabout
• Eiluned Lewis - Dew on the Grass
• Howard Spring - Shabby Tiger
• Dylan Thomas - 18 Poems (his first collection, including "The Force that Through the Green Fuse Drives the Flower")

Music

• Harry Parr Davies becomes accompanist to Gracie Fields.

Film

• Ray Milland appears in We're Not Dressing.
• Gareth Hughes appears in Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch.
• Yr Ail Fordaith Gymraeg (Second Welsh Cruise), a silent film made by Ifan ab Owen Edwards focusing on the activities of Urdd Gobaith Cymru (with Welsh-language titles)

Broadcasting

• A new radio station is established at Bangor.[10]

Sport

• Badminton - Wales is a founder member of the Badminton World Federation.
• Cricket - Cyril Walters becomes the first Welshman to captain an England Test team
• Rugby Union
  • 10 March - Wales defeat Ireland 13–0 in a game held at St Helen's, Swansea

Births

• 11 February – Mary Quant, fashion designer
• 25 February (in London) – Nicholas Edwards, Baron Crickhowell, politician (died 2018)[11]
• 28 March – Graham Vearncombe, footballer (died 1993)
• 30 March – Dic Jones, bard and archdruid (died 2009)[12]
• 18 April – Brynmor John, politician (died 1988)[13]
• 16 May – Kenneth O. Morgan, historian and academic[14]
• 10 May – Cliff Wilson, snooker player (died 1994)[15]
• 13 June – Gren (Grenfell Jones), cartoonist (died 2007)[16]
• 5 July – Philip Madoc, actor (died 2012)[17]
• 13 July – Dai Ward, footballer (died 1996)
• 6 August – Billy Boston, rugby league footballer
• 16 August – Dave Thomas, golfer and architect (died 2013)[18]
• 4 September – Clive Granger, econometrician (died 2009)[19]
• 20 September – David Marquand, academic and MP[20]
• 1 November – William Mathias, composer (died 1992)[21]
• 6 November – Betty Campbell, née Johnson, Wales's first black head teacher (died 2017)[22]
• 24 November – Dewi Zephaniah Phillips, philosopher (died 2006)[23]
• date unknown – Mary Lloyd Jones, painter and printmaker[24]

Deaths

• 6 January – Dorothy Edwards, novelist, 30 (suicide)[25]
• 8 January – Ivor Bowen, judge, 71[26]
• 23 January – Charles McLaren, 1st Baron Aberconway, owner of Bodnant, 83[27]
• 2 February – Edward Bevan, Bishop of Swansea and Brecon, 72[28]
• 4 February – Harry Wetter, Welsh international rugby union player, 52
• 25 February – Daniel Protheroe, composer and conductor, 67[29]
• 28 February – David Davies, textile merchant, 81[30]
• 24 May – William Nathaniel Jones, politician, 76
• 14 June – George Thomas, Wales international rugby union player, 76/77
• 30 June – Hugh Evans, author and publisher, 79[31]
• 19 July – Christopher Williams, painter, 61
• 28 August – Edgeworth David, geologist and explorer, 76[32]
• 11 October – John Kelt Edwards, cartoonist, 59[33]
• 13 November – Sir Evan Vincent Evans, journalist, 81[34]
• 4 December – Henry Davies, cricketer, 69

References

1. Encyclopaedia Britannica, inc (2003). The New Encyclopaedia Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica. p. 380. ISBN 978-0-85229-961-6.
2. C. J. Litzenberger; Eileen Groth Lyon (2006). The Human Tradition in Modern Britain. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 92. ISBN 978-0-7425-3735-4.
3. The Colliery Guardian (16 November 1934), "Gresford Colliery Explosion", The Colliery Guardian, p 915, col 1, retrieved 3 October 2018 – via Durham Mining Museum
4. "Swansea New Guildhall". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
5. Anne Commire; Deborah Klezmer (1999). Women in World History: A Biographical Encyclopedia. Yorkin Publications. p. 291. ISBN 978-0-7876-4068-2.
6. Thomas, Jo; Willis, Michael (2016). Wars and Welfare: Britain in Transition 1906-1957. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 121. ISBN 978-0-19-835459-8.
7. C. H. Ward-Jackson (1941). A History of Courtaulds: An Account of the Origin and Rise of the Industrial Enterprise of Courtaulds Limited and of Its Associate The American Viscose Corporation. Curwen Press (private circulation). p. 151.
8. "Winners of the Chair". National Eisteddfod of Wales. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
9. "Winners of the Crown". National Eisteddfod of Wales. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
10. Kenneth O. Morgan (1981). Rebirth of a Nation: Wales, 1880-1980. Oxford University Press. p. 251. ISBN 978-0-19-821736-7.
11. Stephen Bates (19 March 2018). "Lord Crickhowell obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
12. "Dic Jones: Archdruid of Wales and master poet in the strict metres of". The Independent. 2009-08-21. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
13. John Graham Jones. "John, Brynmor Thomas (1934-1988), Labour politician". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
14. Kenneth. O. Morgan (11 August 2015). Kenneth O. Morgan: My Histories. University of Wales Press. p. 1. ISBN 978-1-78316-324-3.
15. Guy Hodgson (27 May 1994). "Cliff Wilson". The Independent. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
16. "Gren Jones". British Cartoon Archive. University of Kent. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
17. Michael Coveney (5 March 2012). "Philip Madoc obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
18. Oliver Brown (28 August 2013). "Ryder Cup hero and greens guru Dave Thomas dies at 79". The Telegraph. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
19. Alan Duncan and Robert Taylor (1 June 2009). "Sir Clive Granger". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
20. "Mr David Marquand". Hansard. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
21. Geraint Lewis (31 July 1992). "Obituary: Professor William Mathias". The Independent. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
22. Harriet Marsden (25 October 2017). "Betty Campbell: Wales's first black headteacher took civil rights history into classrooms". The Independent. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
23. Raimond Gaita (21 August 2006). "Professor Dewi Phillips". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
24. Mary Lloyd Jones (2001). The Colour of Saying: The Work of Mary Lloyd Jones. Gomer Press with Aberystwyth Arts Centre. p. 14. ISBN 978-1-85902-869-8.
25. Harold Mostyn Watkins. "EDWARDS, DOROTHY (1903-1934), novelist". Welsh Biography Online. National Library of Wales. Retrieved 18 October 2018.
26. John Lias Cecil Cecil-Williams. "Bowen, Ivor (1862-1934), K.C., county court judge". Welsh Biography Online. National Library of Wales. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
27. University of Edinburgh Journal. University of Edinburgh, Graduates' Association. 1934. p. 303.
28. The Times, Saturday, Feb 03, 1934; pg. 8; Issue 46669; col E Bishop Of Swansea And Brecon Chairman Of The C.E.M.S
29. Robert David Griffith. "PROTHEROE, DANIEL (1866-1934), musician". Welsh Biography Online. National Library of Wales. Retrieved 18 October 2018.
30. Who was who. A. & C. Black. 1920. p. 335.
31. William Williams. "Evans, Hugh (1854-1934), author and publisher". Welsh Biography Online. National Library of Wales. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
32. Geological Society of America (1943). Proceedings. Geological Society of America. p. 136.
33. John William Jones. "Edwards, John Kelt (1875-1934), artist". Welsh Biography Online. National Library of Wales. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
34. Thomas Jones. "Evans, Evan Vincent (1851-1934), eisteddfodwr, and secretary of the Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion". Welsh Biography Online. National Library of Wales. Retrieved 15 August 2019.

See also

• 1934 in Northern Ireland