1780s in Wales

1770s | 1790s | Other years in Wales

Other events of the decade

This article is about the particular significance of the decade 1780 - 1789 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

• Prince of Wales - George, Prince Regent
• Princess of Wales - vacant

Events

• 1780
  • July 1 - Anthony Bacon acquires the lease of the Hirwaun ironworks.
  • Admiral Sir Thomas Foley plays an important role in the relief of Gibraltar.
  • Edward Williames Salusbury Vaughan succeeds to the Rûg estate.
  • Thomas Parry Jones-Parry marries his cousin Margaret and acquires the Madryn estate.
  • Richard Price devises the "Northampton Tables" for calculating actuarial valuation for assurance and pensions.
  • Sir Watkin Lewes becomes Lord Mayor of the City of London.
• 1781
  • June - The Chancery court agrees the sale of the Kinmel estate to a London buyer.
  • Richard Price is made an honorary LL.D. by Yale University, in the company of George Washington.
• 1782
  • March - Lloyd Kenyon is appointed Attorney-General.
  • April 12 - In the Battle of the Saintes, the British fleet defeat the French after a campaign in which Admiral Sir Thomas Foley has played a major part.
  • William Owen Pughe and Robert Hughes (Robin Ddu yr Ail o Fôn) meet in London.
• 1783
  • Industrialist and slave-owner Richard Pennant is created 1st Baron Penrhyn in the county of Lough.
• 1784
  • March 30 - Lloyd Kenyon becomes Master of the Rolls.
  • July - Hester Thrale marries Gabriele Piozzi, much to the displeasure of Dr Samuel Johnson.
  • July 28 - Lloyd Kenyon is raised to a baronetcy.
  • Henry Bayly Paget, 9th Baron Paget, is created Earl of Uxbridge.
• 1785
  • Sir Joshua Reynolds paints the Prince of Wales.
  • The Mona Mine Company is formed by Thomas Williams of Llanidan and Henry Bayly Paget, 1st Earl of Uxbridge.
  • Richard Pennant buys out the Yonge family of Devon and comes into possession of the whole of the Penrhyn estate.
  • Griffith Rowlands becomes surgeon to Chester city hospital.
• 1786
  • The Kinmel estate is sold to the Rev Edward Hughes.
• 1787
  • Thomas Charles opens his first Sunday school.
• 1788
  • March 18 - Great Sessions at Wrexham hear a graveyard dispute between the "Old" and "New" chapels at Llanuwchllyn.
• 1789
  • October 23 - Christmas Evans marries Catherine Jones at Bryncroes chapel in Llŷn, shortly after his own ordination.

Arts and literature

New books

1780

• John Walters - Poems with Notes

1781

• Thomas Pennant - Tours in Wales, volume 2

1782

• Thomas Pennant - Journey to Snowdon, volume 1

1783

• Julia Ann Hatton - Poems on Miscellaneous Subjects

1784

• Richard Price - Importance of the American Revolution

1785

• Nathaniel Williams - Darllen Dwfr a Meddyginiaeth

1786

• David Samwell - A Narrative of the Death of Captain James Cook
• Hester Lynch Piozzi - Anecdotes of the late Samuel Johnson, Ll.D., during the last twenty years of his life

1788

• Hester Lynch Piozzi - Letters to and from the late Samuel Johnson

1789

• Richard Price - Love for our Country

Music

1781

• John Parry (harpist) - British Harmony, being a Collection of Antient Welsh Airs

1783

• Evan Hughes (Hughes Fawr) - Rhai Hymnau Newyddion o Fawl i'r Oen

1784

• Edward Jones (Bardd y Brenin) - The Musical and Poetical Relicks of the Welsh Bards

1787

• Nathaniel Williams - Ychydig o Hymnau Newyddion

Births

• 1780
  • February 10 - James Henry Cotton, Dean of Bangor (died 1862)
  • May 14 - Sir Thomas Frankland Lewis, politician (died 1855)
  • October 7 - Wyndham Lewis, MP (died 1838)
• 1781
• 1782
  • January 20 - Sir William Nott, military leader (died 1845)
  • December 29 - Sir William Lloyd, soldier and mountaineer (died 1857)
• 1783
  • May - Cadwaladr Jones, minister and literary editor (died 1867)
• 1784
  • January 17 - Joseph Tregelles Price, ironmaster (died 1854)
  • date unknown - Walter Coffin, coal-owner (died 1867)
• 1785
  • December - Richard Jones (Gwyndaf Eryri), poet (died 1848)
  • December 24 - William Bruce Knight, clergyman and scholar (died 1845)
  • date unknown - William Owen, historian (died 1864)
• 1786
• 1787
  • October 2 - Thomas Price (Carnhuanawc), historian (died 1848)
• 1788
  • February 12 - William Williams, MP (died 1865)
  • October 3 - John Montgomery Traherne, antiquary (died 1860)
• 1789
  • April 22 - Richard Roberts, engineer (died 1864)
  • May 24 - Beti Cadwaladr, Crimea nurse (died 1860)

Deaths

• 1780
  • March 6 - Sir John Meredith, lawyer, 65
  • April 1 - Sir Stephen Glynne, 7th Baronet, 35
  • date unknown - Richard Thomas, genealogist, 46
• 1781
  • April 4 - Henry Thrale, brewer
  • October 12 - David Powell (Dewi Nantbrân), Franciscan friar and author
• 1782
  • May 15 - Richard Wilson, landscape painter, 54
  • November - John Parry, harpist
• 1783
  • August 7 - Thomas Llewellyn, Baptist minister and writer, 63?
  • September 6 - Anna Williams, friend of Dr Johnson, 77?
• 1784
  • April 5 - David Williams, minister and schoolmaster, 74?
• 1785
  • February 2 - John Guest, industrialist, 63
  • October 20 - David Jones of Trefriw, poet, 77?
• 1789
  • July 24 - Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, 4th Baronet, politician, 39
  • August 7 - William Edwards, minister and bridge-builder, 70
  • November 26 - Elizabeth Baker, diarist, 70?