1915 in Wales
Encyclopedia
This article is about the particular significance of the year 1915 to Wales
and its people
.
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
and its people
Welsh people
The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...
.
Incumbents
- Prince of WalesPrince of WalesPrince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
- Edward, Prince of WalesEdward VIII of the United KingdomEdward VIII was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth, and Emperor of India, from 20 January to 11 December 1936.Before his accession to the throne, Edward was Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall and Rothesay...
, son of King George V of the United KingdomGeorge V of the United KingdomGeorge V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936.... - Princess of WalesPrincess of WalesPrincess of Wales is a British courtesy title held by the wife of The Prince of Wales since the first "English" Prince of Wales in 1283.Although there have been considerably more than ten male heirs to the throne, there have been only ten Princesses of Wales. The majority of Princes of Wales...
- vacant - ArchdruidArchdruidThe Archdruid is the title used by the presiding official of the Gorsedd.The Archdruid presides over the most important ceremonies at the National Eisteddfod of Wales including the Crowning of the Bard, The Award of the Prose Medal and Chairing of the Bard. From 1932 only former winners of the...
of the National Eisteddfod of WalesNational Eisteddfod of WalesThe National Eisteddfod of Wales is the most important of several eisteddfodau that are held annually, mostly in Wales.- Organisation :...
- DyfedEvan Rees (Dyfed)Evan Rees , known by the bardic name Dyfed, was a Calvinistic Methodist minister, poet, and Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales.-Early life:...
Events
- 26 February - The Welsh GuardsWelsh GuardsThe Welsh Guards is an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Guards Division.-Creation :The Welsh Guards came into existence on 26 February 1915 by Royal Warrant of His Majesty King George V in order to include Wales in the national component to the Foot Guards, "..though the order...
regiment is created. - 25 April - At GallipoliGallipoliThe Gallipoli peninsula is located in Turkish Thrace , the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles straits to the east. Gallipoli derives its name from the Greek "Καλλίπολις" , meaning "Beautiful City"...
, Able Seaman William Charles WilliamsWilliam Charles WilliamsWilliam Charles Williams VC was a British recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces....
helps secure lighters on the HMS River Clyde under continuous fire. He is posthumously awarded the Victoria CrossVictoria CrossThe Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
- the first such award made to a member of the Royal NavyRoyal NavyThe Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
. - 7 May - When RMS LusitaniaRMS LusitaniaRMS Lusitania was a British ocean liner designed by Leonard Peskett and built by John Brown and Company of Clydebank, Scotland. The ship entered passenger service with the Cunard Line on 26 August 1907 and continued on the line's heavily-traveled passenger service between Liverpool, England and New...
is sunk by a German torpedo, notable survivors include David Alfred ThomasDavid Alfred ThomasDavid Alfred Thomas, 1st Viscount Rhondda PC , sometimes known as D. A. Thomas, was a Welsh industrialist and Liberal politician...
, Viscount Rhondda and tenor Gwynn Parry JonesGwynn Parry JonesParry Jones , known early in his career as Gwynn Jones, was a Welsh tenor of the mid-twentieth century.-Life and career:...
. - 11 September - The first branch of the Women's Institute in Britain opens at Llanfair PGLlanfairpwllgwyngyllLlanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch is a large village and community on the island of Anglesey in Wales, situated on the Menai Strait next to the Britannia Bridge and across the strait from Bangor. This village has the longest place name in Europe and one of the longest...
, AngleseyAngleseyAnglesey , also known by its Welsh name Ynys Môn , is an island and, as Isle of Anglesey, a county off the north west coast of Wales...
. - 1 October - For his conduct at the Battle of Hooge, Lt. Rupert Price HallowesRupert Price HallowesRupert Price Hallowes VC MC was a British recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces....
of Port TalbotPort TalbotPort Talbot is a town in Neath Port Talbot, Wales. It had a population of 35,633 in 2001.-History:Port Talbot grew out of the original small port and market town of Aberafan , which belonged to the medieval Lords of Afan. The area of the parish of Margam lying on the west bank of the lower Afan...
is posthumously awarded the Victoria CrossVictoria CrossThe Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
. - November - The 38th (Welsh) Division is posted to France.
- Welshmen continue to enlist for military service in World War IWorld War IWorld War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, including architect Percy ThomasPercy ThomasSir Percy Edward Thomas OBE , was an award-winning British architect based in Wales for the majority of his life. He was twice RIBA president ....
, who joins the Artists' RiflesArtists' RiflesThe Artists Rifles is a volunteer regiment of the British Army. Raised in London in 1859 as a volunteer light infantry unit, the regiment saw active service during the Boer Wars and World War I, earning a number of battle honours; however, it did not serve outside of Britain during World War II, as...
. - Three German prisoners-of-war escape from an internment camp at LlansannanLlansannanLlansannan is a rural village in Conwy County Borough, Wales.thumb|500px|Llansannan- Location :It lies on the bank of the River Aled and is about 8 miles to the south of Abergele and to the west of Denbigh...
in Gwynedd, but are quickly recaptured. - The Glamorganshire CanalGlamorganshire CanalThe Glamorganshire Canal was a canal in south Wales, UK, running from Merthyr Tydfil to Cardiff. Construction started in 1790, and the 25 miles of canal was fully opened by 1794. Its primary purpose was to enable the Merthyr iron industries to transport their goods, and it later served the coal...
closes between AbercynonAbercynonAbercynon is a small village in the Cynon Valley in Mid Glamorgan, Wales. The unitary authority is now known as Rhondda Cynon Taff. It is composed of the village of Abercynon itself,Carnetown,Glancynon,Park View and Pontcynon. However, in recent years the sign to show motorists they are entering...
and PontypriddPontypriddPontypridd is both a community and a principal town of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales and is situated 12 miles/19 km north of the Welsh capital city of Cardiff...
. - In the by-election caused by the death of Keir Hardie, Charles Butt Stanton becomes MP for Merthyr.
- Sir James Herbert Cory, 1st Baronet, becomes MP for Cardiff.
- Sir William Rice Edwards becomes surgeon-general of BengalBengalBengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
. - A memorial to Captain Robert Falcon ScottRobert Falcon ScottCaptain Robert Falcon Scott, CVO was a Royal Navy officer and explorer who led two expeditions to the Antarctic regions: the Discovery Expedition, 1901–04, and the ill-fated Terra Nova Expedition, 1910–13...
, in the form of a model lighthouse, is erected on an island in Roath ParkRoath ParkRoath Park Cardiff, Wales, is one of Cardiff's most popular parks, owned by Cardiff County Council and managed by the Parks Section. It retains a classic Victorian atmosphere and has many facilities. The park has recently been awarded the prestigious Green Flag award to recognise its high quality...
Lake, commemorating the support given to Scott's expedition by the people of Cardiff.
Arts and literature
- Gomer Berry and William Ewart BerryWilliam Berry, 1st Viscount CamroseWilliam Ewart Berry, 1st Viscount Camrose was a British newspaper publisher.The second of three brothers born in Merthyr Tydfil in Wales, Berry started his working life as a journalist and established his own paper, Advertising World, in 1901...
become owners of The Sunday TimesThe Sunday Times (UK)The Sunday Times is a Sunday broadsheet newspaper, distributed in the United Kingdom. The Sunday Times is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News International, which is in turn owned by News Corporation. Times Newspapers also owns The Times, but the two papers were founded...
. - Clough Williams-EllisClough Williams-EllisSir Bertram Clough Williams-Ellis, CBE, MC was an English-born Welsh architect known chiefly as creator of the Italianate village of Portmeirion in North Wales.-Origins, education and early career:...
marries Amabel Strachey.
Awards
- National Eisteddfod of WalesNational Eisteddfod of WalesThe National Eisteddfod of Wales is the most important of several eisteddfodau that are held annually, mostly in Wales.- Organisation :...
(held in BangorBangor, WalesBangor is a city in Gwynedd, north west Wales, and one of the smallest cities in Britain. It is a university city with a population of 13,725 at the 2001 census, not including around 10,000 students at Bangor University. Including nearby Menai Bridge on Anglesey, which does not however form part of...
)
- National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair - T. H. Parry-WilliamsT. H. Parry-WilliamsSir Thomas Herbert Parry-Williams was a Welsh poet, author and academic.Parry-Williams was born at Rhyd Ddu, Caernarfonshire. He was educated at the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, Jesus College, Oxford , the University of Freiburg and the Sorbonne...
- National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown - T. H. Parry-Williams
New books
- Caradoc EvansCaradoc EvansDavid Caradoc Evans , was a Welsh story writer, novelist and playwright. Caradoc met and later married the Countess Helene Marguerite Barcynska, who wrote romantic novels under the name Oliver Sandys...
– My People - John Gwenogvryn EvansJohn Gwenogvryn EvansReverend John Gwenogvryn Evans was a Welsh palaeographic expert.Evans was born at Llanybydder in Carmarthenshire. He was apprenticed to a grocer, but returned to school, one of his teachers being William Thomas . He studied theology and became a Unitarian minister, but gave up his pastorate...
(ed.) - Poems from the Book of Taliesin, amended and translated - William Evans (Wil Ifan)William Evans (Wil Ifan)William Evans , better known by his bardic name of Wil Ifan, was a Welsh poet who served as Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales from 1947 to 1950....
- Dros y Nyth - Arthur MachenArthur MachenArthur Machen was a Welsh author and mystic of the 1890s and early 20th century. He is best known for his influential supernatural, fantasy, and horror fiction. His novella The Great God Pan has garnered a reputation as a classic of horror...
– The Great Return - Eluned MorganEluned Morgan (author)Eluned Morgan , was a Welsh-language author from Patagonia.Born aboard the ship Myfanwy en route from Britain to Patagonia in South America, she was the daughter of Lewis Jones who gave his name to the city of Trelew, in Argentina...
- Plant yr Haul - John Cowper PowysJohn Cowper Powys-Biography:Powys was born in Shirley, Derbyshire, in 1872, the son of the Reverend Charles Francis Powys , who was vicar of Montacute, Somerset for thirty-two years, and Mary Cowper Johnson, a descendent of the poet William Cowper. He came from a family of eleven children, many of whom were also...
- Wood and Stone
Music
- David Roberts - Y Tant Aur (2nd edition)
- Ivor NovelloIvor NovelloDavid Ivor Davies , better known as Ivor Novello, was a Welsh composer, singer and actor who became one of the most popular British entertainers of the first half of the 20th century. Born into a musical family, his first successes were as a songwriter...
- "Keep the Home Fires BurningKeep the Home Fires Burning (1915 song)Keep the Home-Fires Burning is a British patriotic First World War song composed in 1914 by Ivor Novello with words by Lena Gilbert Ford ....
" (lyrics by Lena Ford)
Births
- 16 January - David Davies, 2nd Baron Davies of Llandinam (died 1944)
- 11 February - Mervyn LevyMervyn LevyMervyn Levy was a Welsh artist, art dealer, writer and critic. He is also known for his association with the poet Dylan Thomas as one of The Kardomah Gang....
, artist (died 1996) - 20 February - Mary Jones, actor (died 1990)
- 25 March - Dorothy SquiresDorothy SquiresDorothy Squires was a Welsh vocalist. Among her recordings were versions of "A Lovely Way to Spend an Evening", "I'm in the Mood for Love", "Anytime", "If You Love Me " and "And So to Sleep Again".-Biography:...
, singer (died 1998) - 2 April - Patrick GibbsPatrick GibbsWing Commander Reginald Patrick Mahoney Gibbs DSO DFC & Bar was a Welsh military pilot and journalist. Gibbs fought in World War II and was noted for his specialised torpedo attacks against shipping.-Early history:...
, RAF Wing Commander, author and film critic (died 2008) - 9 April - Bill ClementBill Clement (rugby player)William Harries "Bill" Clement OBE MC TD was a Welsh international wing who played club rugby for Llanelli and was capped six times for Wales. Clement was described as a staunch tackler with speed and a good turn of pace; and after his appearance for the British Isles was seen as the best...
, Welsh international rugby player and Secretary of the WRU (died 2007) - 4 June - David BellDavid Bell (artist)Ernest David Bell was an English-born writer and curator, who was a controversial figure in Welsh arts by challenging the country's artistic heritage, but was also a supporter of young Welsh talent in the field of contemporary arts in the 20th century.-Personal history:Bell was born in 1915 in...
, writer and curator (d.19591959 in WalesThis article is about the particular significance of the year 1959 to Wales and its people.-Incumbents:*Prince of Wales – The Prince Charles*Princess of Wales – vacant*Archbishop of Wales – Edwin Morris...
) - 1 July - Alun LewisAlun LewisAlun Lewis , was a poet of the Anglo-Welsh school, and is regarded by many as Britain's finest Second World War poet.- Education :...
(poet) (died 1944) - 3 July - Ifor OwenIfor OwenIfor Owen was a Welsh educator who was notable for writing, illustrating and publishing Hwyl, the first children's comic book in the Welsh language.-Life history:...
, illustrator (died 2007) - 4 September - Roland MathiasRoland MathiasRoland Glyn Mathias , was a Welsh writer, known for his poetry and short stories. He was also a literary critic, and responsible with Raymond Garlick for the success of the literary magazine Dock Leaves , later from 1957 The Anglo-Welsh Review. He edited it from 1961 to 1976...
, poet and critic - 10 September - Geraint BowenGeraint Bowen (poet)Geraint Bowen was a Welsh language poet.He was the nephew of Carmarthenshire minister David Bowen, and the brother of poet Euros Bowen. He was a Welsh nationalist, and during the Second World War was a conscientious objector, undertaking farming...
, poet and Archdruid - 22 September - Thomas Williams, politicianThomas Williams (UK politician)Sir Thomas Williams, QC was a British Labour Co-operative politician.Williams was educated at University College, Cardiff and St. Catherine's College, Oxford. He was President of the South Wales University Students' Union in 1939. He was a Baptist minister and a chaplain with the Royal Air Force...
(died 1986) - 23 September - John Samuel RowlandsJohn Samuel RowlandsAir Marshal Sir John Rowlands GC, KBE was a Welsh Royal Air Force officer who was awarded the George Cross for his work in bomb disposal and later worked in the development of Britain's nuclear weapons programme....
, GC (died 2006) - 11 October - T. Llew JonesT. Llew JonesThomas Llewelyn Jones was a Welsh language writer who, over a writing career of more than 50 years, was one of the most prolific and popular authors of children's books in Welsh. He wrote, and was generally known, as T. Llew Jones.- Biography :T. Llew Jones was born at 1 Bwlch Melyn, Pentrecwrt,...
, writer - 10 November - Leslie ManfieldLeslie ManfieldLeslie "Les" Manfield DFC was a Welsh rugby union international. He was the second oldest Welsh international of all time, and at the time of his death, aged 91, the oldest living man to have played as a forward for Wales.-Rugby career:Manfield was born in Mountain Ash, the son of a railway...
, Wales international rugby union player (died 2006) - date unknown
- Keidrych RhysKeidrych RhysWilliam Ronald Rhys Jones , who used the name Keidrych Rhys, was a Welsh literary journalist and editor, and a poet. He was married to Lynette Roberts from 1939 to 1949...
, poet and journalist (died 1987) - John Griffith Williams, writer (died 1987)
- Keidrych Rhys
Deaths
- 19 January - Anna LeonowensAnna LeonowensAnna Leonowens was an English travel writer, educator, and social activist. She worked in Siam from 1862 to 1868, where she taught the wives and children of Mongkut, king of Siam. She also co-founded the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design...
, governess who claimed Welsh birth (but was actually born in India) - 24 January - Charles TaylorCharles Taylor (rugby player)Engineer Captain Charles Gerald Taylor LVO was a Royal Navy officer and Wales international rugby union player who played club rugby for Blackheath. He was the first Welsh international to be killed in action during World War I...
, naval officer and Wales rugby international, 51 (killed in action) - 21 March - Edward PeggeEdward PeggeDr. Edward Vernon Pegge was a Welsh international rugby union forward who played club rugby for Neath Rugby Football Club, international rugby for Wales and later became a vice-president of the Welsh Rugby Union...
, Wales international rugby player, 50 - 25 April - William Charles WilliamsWilliam Charles WilliamsWilliam Charles Williams VC was a British recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces....
, VC recipient, 34 (killed in action) - 31 July - Billy GeenBilly GeenWilliam "Billy" Purdon Geen was a Welsh international rugby union wing who played club rugby for Newport and county rugby for Monmouthshire. Geen was selected for Wales on three occasions.-Rugby career:...
, soldier and Wales international rugby union player, 24 (killed in action) - 26 September - Keir HardieKeir HardieJames Keir Hardie, Sr. , was a Scottish socialist and labour leader, and was the first Independent Labour Member of Parliament elected to the Parliament of the United Kingdom...
, MP for Merthyr Tydfil - 27 September - Richard Garnons WilliamsRichard Garnons WilliamsRichard Davies Garnons Williams was a Welsh international rugby union and forward who played club rugby for Brecon and Newport...
, soldier and Wales international rugby union player, 59 (killed in action) - 30 September - Rupert Price HallowesRupert Price HallowesRupert Price Hallowes VC MC was a British recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces....
, VC recipient, 34 (killed in action) - 22 November - Llewellyn John Montfort BebbLlewellyn John Montfort BebbLlewellyn John Montfort Bebb was a British academic.He was born in Cape Town, South Africa, the son of a clergyman, and educated at Winchester College....
, Principal of St David's College, Lampeter, 53 - 10 December - David JenkinsDavid Jenkins (composer)David Jenkins was a Welsh composer, best known for his choral works and hymn tunes.Born at Trecastle near Brecon, Jenkins was at first apprenticed to a tailor, but in 1874 he began studying music at Aberystwyth under Joseph Parry. In 1893 he returned to Aberystwyth as a lecturer, rising to...
, composer, 66 - 17 December - John RhysJohn RhysSir John Rhys was a Welsh scholar, fellow of the British Academy, celticist and the first Professor of Celtic at Oxford University.-Early years and education:...
, philologist - date unknown
- Rachel Davies, Baptist preacher
- David Gwynne-Vaughan, botanist