1808 in Wales explained

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1808 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

• Lord Lieutenant of Anglesey – Henry Paget^{[1] [2] [3] [4]}
• Lord Lieutenant of Brecknockshire and Monmouthshire – Henry Somerset, 6th Duke of Beaufort^[5]
• Lord Lieutenant of Caernarvonshire – Thomas Bulkeley, 7th Viscount Bulkeley^[6]
• Lord Lieutenant of Cardiganshire – Thomas Johnes^[2]
  • • Lord Lieutenant of Carmarthenshire – George Rice, 3rd Baron Dynevor Lord Lieutenant of Denbighshire – Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, 5th Baronet Lord Lieutenant of Flintshire – Robert Grosvenor, 1st Marquess of Westminster^[7]
• Lord Lieutenant of Glamorgan – John Stuart, 1st Marquess of Bute^[8]
• Lord Lieutenant of Merionethshire - Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, 5th Baronet^[9]
• Lord Lieutenant of Montgomeryshire – Edward Clive, 1st Earl of Powis^[10]
• Lord Lieutenant of Pembrokeshire – Richard Philipps, 1st Baron Milford^{[2] [11]}
• Lord Lieutenant of Radnorshire – George Rodney, 3rd Baron Rodney^{[12] [2] [13]}
• Bishop of Bangor – John Randolph^{[14] [15] [16]}
• Bishop of Llandaff – Richard Watson^[17]
• Bishop of St Asaph – William Cleaver^{[18] [19]}
• Bishop of St Davids – Thomas Burgess^{[20] [21] [22] [23]}

Events

• 5 January - The first issue of The North Wales Gazette is printed at Bangor.
• 20 September - The White Book of Hergest is destroyed in a fire at Covent Garden.^[24]
• 30 October - William Lort Mansel is consecrated Bishop of Bristol.^[25]
• 19 November - The naval frigate HMS Owen Glendower is launched.
• date unknown
  • Construction of the Horseshoe Falls on the River Dee by Thomas Telford.^[26]
  • The publishing house Gwasg Gee is founded.^[27]
  • St Katherine's Church, Milford Haven, built by Charles Francis Greville, is consecrated.^[28]
  • Benjamin Hall is given the Abercarn estate by his father-in-law, Richard Crawshay.
  • The Ruabon Brook Tramway is extended from Acrefair to the Plas Madoc Colliery in Plasbennion.^[29]
  • Twelve-year-old Charles Nice Davies goes to serve in India as an ensign.

Arts and literature

New books

English language

• Felicia Hemans - Juvenile Poems^[30]

Welsh language

• Robert Davies (Bardd Nantglyn) - Ieithiadur neu Ramadeg Cymraeg^[31]
• Thomas Edwards (Twm o'r Nant) - Bannau y Byd^[32]
• Titus Lewis - Llyfr Rhyfeddodau^[33]

Music

• Hymnau o Fawl i Dduw a'r Oen (hymns by Ann Griffiths, posthumously published)

Births

• 30 January - Sir John Henry Scourfield, author (died 1876)^[34]
• 6 March - William Williams (Carw Coch), man of letters and eisteddfodwr (died 1872)^[35]
• 13 May - Thomas Aubrey, Wesleyan leader (died 1867)
• date unknown
  • Dic Penderyn, labourer executed for his part in the Merthyr Rising (died 1831)^[36]
  • William Roos, artist and engraver (died 1878)^[37]

Deaths

• 21 January – Richard Pennant, 1st Baron Penrhyn, about 70^[38]
• 12 February – Anna Maria Bennett, novelist, about 70^[39]
• 12 September – Charles Herbert, Royal Navy officer, son of the Earl of Carnarvon, 34 (drowned)^[40]
• 30 November – Watkin Williams, politician, 66?^[41]
• 28 December – Griffith Roberts, physician and collector of manuscripts, 73^[42]

See also

• 1808 in Ireland

Notes and References

1. Book: Edward Breese. Kalendars of Gwynedd; or, Chronological lists of lords-lieutenant [&c.] ... for the counties of Anglesey, Caernarvon, and Merioneth. 1873. 24.
2. Book: J.C. Sainty . John Sainty (civil servant) . List of Lieutenants of Counties of England and Wales 1660-1974 . Swift Printers (Sales) Ltd . London . 1979.
3. Book: Nicholas, Thomas . Annals and antiquities of the counties and county families of Wales . Genealogical Pub. Co . Baltimore . 1991 . 9780806313146 . 695.
4. Book: Cylchgrawn Hanes Cymru. University of Wales Press. 1992. 169.
5. Book: Edwin Poole. The Illustrated History and Biography of Brecknockshire from the Earliest Times to the Present Day: Containing the General History, Antiquities, Sepulchral Monuments and Inscriptions. Edwin Poole. 1886. 378.
6. Book: Edward Breese. Kalendars of Gwynedd; or, Chronological lists of lords-lieutenant [&c.] ... for the counties of Anglesey, Caernarvon, and Merioneth. 1873. 26.
7. Old Wales: Monthly Magazine of Antiquities for Wales and the Borders. not known. William Retlaw Williams. "Old Wales" Office. 1907. 3. 106.
8. Book: Nicholas, Thomas . Annals and antiquities of the counties and county families of Wales . Genealogical Pub. Co . Baltimore . 1991 . 9780806313146 . 612.
9. Book: Edward Breese. Kalendars of Gwynedd; or, Chronological lists of lords-lieutenant [&c.] ... for the counties of Anglesey, Caernarvon, and Merioneth. 1873. 29.
10. Web site: R. G. Thorne. Clive, Edward, 2nd Baron Clive (1754-1839), of Walcot, Salop. The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1790-1820. 1986. 13 November 2021.
11. s-PHIL-PIC-1491. Philipps family, of Picton. Bertie George Charles. 1959. 19 October 2021.
12. Book: Jonathan Williams. The History of Radnorshire. R. Mason. 1859. 115.
13. Book: William Stockdale. Stockdale's Peerage of the United Kingdom. 1833. 86.
14. Book: Thomas Duffus Hardy. Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae: Or A Calendar of the Principal Ecclesiastical Dignitaries in England and Wales.... University Press. 1854. 305.
15. Book: The Monthly Review Or Literary Journal Enlarged. Porter. 1780. 95.
16. Book: Fryde, E. B. . Handbook of British chronology . New York Cambridge University Press . Cambridge England . 1996 . 9780521563505 . 292.
17. Book: John Henry James. A History and Survey of the Cathedral Church of SS. Peter, Paul, Dubritius, Teilo, and Oudoceus, Llandaff. Western Mail. 1898. 16.
18. Book: The Church of the people and free church penny magazine. 1859. 179.
19. Book: The Apostolical Succession in the Church of England. James Parkes and Company. 1866. 15.
20. Book: Thomas Duffus Hardy. Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae: Or A Calendar of the Principal Ecclesiastical Dignitaries in England and Wales.... University Press. 1854. 307.
21. Book: The Monthly Review Or Literary Journal Enlarged. Porter. 1780. 95.
22. Book: The Later Correspondence of George III, Volume 3. George III (King of Great Britain). University Press. 1967. 434.
23. Web site: Records of Past Fellows: Burgess, Thomas . The Royal Society . 30 October 2020.
24. Book: David D. DANA. The Fireman. 1858. James French&Company. 351.
25. Book: A Sermon preached ... at the consecration of ... W. L. Mansel ... Bishop of Bristol, etc. 1808. F. C. & J. Rivington. 1.
26. Book: Hadfield, Charles . The Canals of the West Midlands . David and Charles . 1985 . 0-7153-8644-1 . 178.
27. Book: Information Today, Inc. Sally Wecksler. International Literary Market Place. 2004. R.R. Bowker Company. 1157. 9781573871754 .
28. Book: Edouard A. Stackpole. Whales & destiny: the rivalry between America, France, and Britain for control of the southern whale fishery, 1785-1825. 1972. University of Massachusetts Press. 244.
29. Book: Jowett's Railway Atlas . Jowett . Alan . 1989 . Patrick Stephens Limited . 1-85260-086-1. 57, 59.
30. Book: Mrs. Hemans. The Poetical Works of Felicia Hemans: Complete in One Volume, with a Critical Preface, and a Biographical Memoir. 1856. Lippincott. 550.
31. Book: Meic Stephens. The Oxford companion to the literature of Wales. registration. April 1986. Oxford University Press. 136. 978-0-19-211586-7 .
32. Book: Mary-Ann Constantine. Dafydd R. Johnston. Footsteps of 'Liberty and Revolt': Essays on Wales and the French Revolution. 15 April 2013. University of Wales Press. 978-0-7083-2591-9. 193.
33. Book: Glyn M. Ashton. Rhyddiaith Gymraeg: y drydedd gyfrol 1750-1850. 1988. Gwasg Prifysfol Cymru. 978-0-7083-0975-9. 76. cy.
34. s-SCOU-HEN-1808. SCOURFIELD, alias PHILIPPS, Sir JOHN HENRY. 20 March 2016.
35. Williams, William (Carw Coch; 1808-1872). s-WILL-WIL-1808. 1959. Robert Thomas. Jenkins. Robert Thomas Jenkins. 24 January 2014.
36. Web site: Dic Penderyn (Richard Lewis). . 100 Welsh Heroes. 21 August 2006. 15 September 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150915013548/http://www.100welshheroes.com/en/biography/dicpenderyn. dead.
37. Book: Lloyd, John Edward . Jenkins, R.T. . The Dictionary of Welsh Biography, Down to 1940 . 1958 . William Lewis. Cardiff. 890 .
38. Pennant, Richard. 44.
39. Book: Diane Long Hoeveler. Darby Lewis. Anna Maria Bennett. Frederick Burwick. Nancy Moore Goslee. The Encyclopedia of Romantic Literature. Wiley. 2012. 120.
40. Web site: HERBERT, Hon. Charles (1774-1808).. History of Parliament Online (1790-1820). 7 October 2017.
41. Web site: Williams, Watkin (1742-1808), of Penbedw, Denb. and Erbistock, Flints.. History of Parliament Online. 16 May 2016.
42. s-ROBE-GRI-1735. Roberts, Griffith (1735-1808), physician at Dolgelley, antiquary, and collector of manuscripts. William Llewelyn Davies. 2 June 2024.