1927 in Wales explained

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1927 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

• Archbishop of Wales – Alfred George Edwards, Bishop of St Asaph^[1]
• Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales – Elfed^[2]

Events

• January - The British cargo ship Swiftsure collides with another vessel in the Bristol Channel and is beached at Cardiff.^[3]
• 27 January - Three men are killed in an explosion at the Dowlais Works, East Moors, Cardiff.
• 4 February - At Pendine Sands, Sir Malcolm Campbell sets a new world land speed record of 174.88 mph (281.44 km/h).
• 5 February - The first ever radio sports commentary from Wales covers the Wales v Scotland rugby union match at Cardiff Arms Park.
• 1 March - In a mining accident at Marine Colliery, Ebbw Vale, 52 miners are killed.^[4]
• 3 March - J. G. Parry-Thomas is killed at Pendine, attempting to break Campbell's record (set on 4 February).^[5]
• 24 March - The Norwegian cargo ship Verdande leaves Cardiff, bound for Las Palmas, Canary Islands. Five bodies and two lifebelts and some lifeboats would later be washed ashore at Boscastle and Bude, Cornwall, leading to the conclusion that the ship had foundered with the loss of all hands.^[6]
• 30 March - The Cardiff trawler Moira is wrecked on the north Cornish coast, drowning seven members of the crew of 12.
• 21 April - King George V opens the first stage of the National Museum of Wales in Cathays Park, Cardiff.^[7]
• 23 April - Cardiff City win the FA Cup beating Arsenal 1-0 at Wembley Stadium and taking the trophy out of England for the first time.^[8]
• 29 June - A total eclipse of the sun is 98% visible in Cardiff despite clouds.
• 21 July - Pontsticill Reservoir is opened by Lord Buckland.^[9]
• c. September - The highest railway in the British Isles is constructed at the Grwyne Fawr reservoir in Powys.
• 3 September - Coleg Harlech, founded by Thomas Jones (T. J.), opens. Its aims resemble those of a modern community college.
• 5 September - Kathleen Thomas becomes the first person to swim the Bristol Channel, swimming from her home town of Penarth to Weston-super-Mare in a time of 7 hours 20 minutes.^[10]
• 18 September - The 'Red Sunday in Rhondda Valley' demonstration calls for a protest march on London.^[11]
• October - A storm severely and permanently damages a long section of the track of the Pwllheli and Llanbedrog Tramway, the last horse-drawn tram service in Great Britain.
• 8 November - 270 South Wales people join a hunger march in protest against the Ministry of Health who refused and limited the relief notes given to unemployed miners and their families.^[12]
• 25 December - A Christmas Day blizzard affects Cardiff and much of South Wales.

Arts and literature

• John Dyfnallt Owen becomes editor of Y Tyst.

Awards

• National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Holyhead)
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair - withheld^[13]
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown - Caradog Prichard^[14]

New books

• Edward Tegla Davies - Hen Ffrindiau
• Rhys Davies - The Withered Root
• William Meloch Hughes - Ar Lannau’n Camwy (posthumously published)
• Wil Ifan - O Ddydd i Ddydd
• Moelona - Cwrs y Lli

Drama

• Idwal Jones - Pobl yr Ymylon

Music

• Henry Walford Davies becomes organist at St George's Chapel, Windsor.
• Mai Jones - "Wondering if you remember" (song)

Film

• Ivor Novello appears in the Hitchcock films, and Downhill.

Broadcasting

• 15 January - The first-ever radio commentary on a team game in the UK is given during the England v Wales rugby union international at Twickenham.^[15]

Sport

• The Welsh Baseball Union is founded.
• Boxing
  • 24 April - Gipsy Daniels wins the British light-heavyweight championship.
  • 9 July - Tosh Powell beats Johnny Edmunds to become the new Welsh bantamweight champion.
  • Frank Moody wins the British lightweight and middleweight titles.
• Football
  • 23 April - For the only time in its history, the FA Cup is won by a non-English team – Cardiff City F.C., who defeat Arsenal 1-0 in the first broadcast final.
  • Abergavenny Thursdays F.C. is formed.
• Recreational swimming
  • Pontypridd Outdoor Lido is opened in Ynysangharad War Memorial Park.^[16]

Births

• 12 January - Richard Bebb, actor (d. 2006)^[17]
• 8 February - Sir Stanley Baker, actor (d. 1976)^[18]
• 2 March - Ray Prosser, Wales and British Lion rugby player^[19]
• 25 April – Ernest Zobole, artist (d. 1999)^[20]
• 3 May – Stanley Saunders, educator and musician
• 11 May – Bernard Fox, actor (d. 2016)^[21]
• 5 June - Tommy Harris, rugby player (d. 2006)
• 14 June - Elaine Hugh-Jones, pianist and composer
• 22 July - John Tripp, poet (d. 1986)^[22]
• 4 July – Patricia Kern, mezzo-soprano (d. 2015)^[23]
• 15 July - Caerwyn Roderick, Labour politician (d. 2011)^[24]
• 30 July - Jocelyn Hay, née Board, broadcasting campaigner (d. 2014)^[25]
• 24 August - Glyn Davies, Wales international rugby union player (d. 1976)
• 20 September - Rachel Roberts, actress (d. 1980)
• 7 November - Ivor Emmanuel, singer and actor (d. 2007)^[26]
• 19 November - Cliff Curvis, British and Commonwealth boxing champion (d. 2009)
• 2 December - Jimmy Sangster, screenwriter (d. 2011)^[27]
• 7 December - Helen Watts, opera singer (d. 2009)^[28]

Deaths

• 14 February (in Paris) - Isambard Owen, educationist, 76^[29]
• 5 February - Frances Hoggan, first registered woman doctor in Wales, 83^[30]
• 10 February - Walter Jenkin Evans, academic, 70^[31]
• 3 March - J. G. Parry-Thomas, engineer and racing driver, 42 (accident)^[32]
• 20 April - Frank Hill, Wales international rugby captain, 61
• 10 May - Francis Edwards, politician, 75^[33]
• 22 June - Ralph Champneys Williams, colonial governor (b. 1848)^[34]
• 8 July - George Frederick Harding, Wales international rugby player (b. 1858)
• 29 July - Freddie Welsh (Frederick Hall Thomas), boxer (b. 1886)^[35]
• 13 August - Tom Williams, rugby union player, 39/40
• 22 August - Edward Douglas-Pennant, 3rd Baron Penrhyn, politician, 63^[36]
• 1 September - William John Parry, author and political activist, 84^[37]
• 10 September - William Thelwall Thomas, surgeon,^[38]
• 18 September - Joe Johns, Welsh lightweight boxing champion, 35^[39]
• 29 September - Thomas Charles Williams, minister, 59^[40]
• 10 October - Harland Bowden, engineer and politician, 54^[41]
• 16 October - Evan Roberts, Wales international rugby player, 66
• 4 November - Beriah Gwynfe Evans, author, 79^[42]
• 14 December - Alfred Thomas, 1st Baron Pontypridd, 87^[43]
• 26 December - Jack Whitfield, Wales rugby union captain, 35

See also

• 1927 in Northern Ireland

Notes and References

1. [Who's Who (UK)#Who Was Who|''Who was Who 1897–2007'']
2. s2-LEWI-ELV-1860 . Lewis, Howell Elvet ('Elfed'; 1860–1953), Independent minister, hymn-writer, poet. Emlyn Glasnant Jenkins. 2001. 12 April 2022.
3. Casualty reports. 15 January 1927. 18. 44480. B.
4. Book: Thomas-Symonds, Nicklaus. Nye: The Political Life of Aneurin Bevan. 30 October 2014. I.B. Tauris. 978-1-78076-209-8. 47.
5. Book: Motor Sport. 1968.
6. Fears for a French steamer . 1 April 1927 . 25 . 44545 . G .
7. Book: Simon Knell. Peter Aronsson. Arne Bugge Amundsen. National Museums: New Studies from Around the World. 22 May 2014. Routledge. 978-1-317-72314-1. 250.
8. Book: Judith Miller. Miller's Antiques Handbook & Price Guide 2018-2019. 21 September 2017. Octopus. 978-1-78472-267-8. 417.
9. Book: The Illustrated London News. 1927. Illustrated London News & Sketch Limited. 199.
10. Web site: Bristol Channel: Call for Penarth swimmers commemoration. BBC News. 23 February 2013. 21 February 2013.
11. Web site: Hunger Marches. 23 February 2013. agor.org.uk. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20121123230854/http://www.agor.org.uk/cwm/themes/events/hunger.asp. 23 November 2012.
12. Book: James Vernon. Hunger: A Modern History. 2007. Harvard University Press. 978-0-674-02678-0. 240.
13. Web site: Winners of the Chair. National Eisteddfod of Wales. 17 November 2019.
14. Web site: Winners of the Crown. National Eisteddfod of Wales. 17 November 2019.
15. Web site: Sport Commentary on Radio in Britain: How England v Wales (1927) Paved the Way for Public Access to Sport. 5 June 2019. Alex Waite. The Cultural Me. 18 November 2022.
16. Book: Powell, Dean. Images of Wales. Pontypridd Revisited. 2007. Tempus Publishing. Stroud. 112.
17. Web site: Strachan. Alan. Obituary. https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220501/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/richard-bebb-6101162.html . 2022-05-01 . subscription . live. The Independent Newspaper. 15 October 2017.
18. Book: James Monaco. The Encyclopedia of Film. 1991. Perigee Books. 978-0-399-51604-7. 35.
19. Book: Peter Jackson. Lions of Wales: A Celebration of Welsh Rugby Legends. 1998. Mainstream. 978-1-84018-026-8. 214.
20. News: Obituary: Ernest Zobole . https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220501/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/obituary-ernest-zobole-1130792.html . 2022-05-01 . subscription . live . The Independent . Meic Stephens . Meic Stephens . 7 December 1999 . 2010-04-02.
21. Book: ((Editors of Chase's Calendar of Events)). Chase's Calendar of Events, 2011 Edition. 18 October 2010. McGraw Hill Professional. 978-0-07-174027-2. 465.
22. Book: Nigel Jenkins. John Tripp. 1989. University of Wales Press. 9. 9780708310526.
23. News: Obituary: Patricia Kern, mezzo soprano . . Alasdair Stevens . 23 October 2015 . 11 July 2019.
24. News: Andrew Roth . Caerwyn Roderick obituary. The Guardian . 7 December 2011. 8 December 2011 . London.
25. Web site: Brown. Maggie. Jocelyn Hay obituary. The Guardian. 15 March 2014.
26. Stephens, Meic. "Ivor Emmanuel: Baritone of effortless voice", The Independent, obituary, 24 July 2007.
27. Book: R. Reginald. Mary A. Burgess. Douglas Menville. Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature Vol 2. 1 September 2010. Wildside Press LLC. 978-0-941028-78-3. 1063.
28. News: Helen Watts obituary. Daily Telegraph. 1 November 2009. 15 November 2009.
29. Book: Cyril Gibson. J. H. Bettey. Keith Ramsey. Bristol 1901-1913. 2001. Bristol Branch of the Historical Association.
30. Book: The Transactions of the Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion. 2003. The Society. 978-0-9541626-0-3. 170.
31. s-EVAN-JEN-1856. Evans, Walter Jenkin (1856-1927), principal of Carmarthen Presbyterian College. Thomas Oswald Williams. 24 September 2019.
32. Book: Robert J. Neal. Liberty Engine: A Technical & Operational History. 5 January 2009. Specialty Press. 978-1-58007-149-9. 472.
33. Book: Cymmrodorion Society. Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion (London, England).. The Transactions of the Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion. 1928. The Society. 200.
34. Book: The New International Year Book. 1928. Dodd, Mead and Company. 815.
35. Book: Morgannwg: Transactions of the Glamorgan History Society. 2001. 93.
36. Book: George Edward Cokayne. The complete peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom: extant, extinct, or dormant. 1945. St. Catherine Press, Ltd. 433.
37. s-PARR-JOH-1842. Parry, William John (1842-1927), Labour leader, and author. 1959. 12 September 2019.
38. s1-THOM-THE-1865. Thomas, William Thelwall (1865-1927), surgeon. Emyr Wyn Jones. 24 September 2019.
39. Book: Jones, Gareth . The Boxers of Wales: Merthyr, Aberdare & Pontypridd . 2011 . St David's Press . Cardiff . 978-1-902719-29-0. 48.
40. s-WILL-CHA-1868. Williams, Thomas Charles (1868-1927), Calvinistic Methodist minister. John Edward Hughes. 1959. 24 September 2019.
41. Web site: 1927 Obituary. Grace's Guide. 24 September 2019.
42. Book: Hywel Teifi Edwards. A Guide to Welsh Literature: c. 1800-1900. 26 June 2000. University of Wales Press. 978-0-7083-1605-4. 183.
43. s-THOM-ALF-1840. Thomas, Alfred, baron Pontypridd (1840-1927), of Bronwydd, Cardiff. Benjamin George Owens. 1959. 12 September 2019.