1908 in Wales

← 1907 1906 1905 1904 1903 1908 in Wales → 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913
Centuries:	18th 19th 20th 21st
Decades:	1880s 1890s 1900s 1910s 1920s
See also:	List of years in Wales Timeline of Welsh history 1908 in The United Kingdom Scotland Elsewhere

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1908 to Wales and its people.

• Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales – Dyfed^[1]

• Lord Lieutenant of Anglesey – Sir Richard Henry Williams-Bulkeley, 12th Baronet
• Lord Lieutenant of Brecknockshire – Joseph Bailey, 2nd Baron Glanusk^[2]
• Lord Lieutenant of Caernarvonshire – John Ernest Greaves^[3]
• Lord Lieutenant of Cardiganshire – Herbert Davies-Evans^[4]
• Lord Lieutenant of Carmarthenshire – Sir James Williams-Drummond, 4th Baronet^[5]
• Lord Lieutenant of Denbighshire – William Cornwallis-West^[6]
• Lord Lieutenant of Flintshire – Hugh Robert Hughes^[7]
• Lord Lieutenant of Glamorgan – Robert Windsor-Clive, 1st Earl of Plymouth
• Lord Lieutenant of Merionethshire – W. R. M. Wynne^[8]
• Lord Lieutenant of Monmouthshire – Godfrey Morgan, 1st Viscount Tredegar^[9]
• Lord Lieutenant of Montgomeryshire – Sir Herbert Williams-Wynn, 7th Baronet
• Lord Lieutenant of Pembrokeshire – Frederick Campbell, 3rd Earl Cawdor^[10]
• Lord Lieutenant of Radnorshire – Powlett Milbank^[11]

• Bishop of Bangor – Watkin Williams^[12]
• Bishop of Llandaff – Joshua Pritchard Hughes^[13]
• Bishop of St Asaph – A. G. Edwards (later Archbishop of Wales)^[14]
• Bishop of St Davids – John Owen^[15]

• 22 January – J. Lloyd Williams delivers his paper on Welsh National Melodies and Folk-Songs to the Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion.^[16]
• 28 January – In a colliery explosion at Ammanford, David Rees Griffiths is seriously injured. His brother is one of two men killed.^[17]
• March – The Local Authorities (Admission of the Press) Act, 1908 is passed as a result of a challenge by Frank Mason, editor of the Tenby Observer, after the local council tried to ban him from their meetings.^[18]
• 26 February – In the West Carmarthenshire by-election, the sitting Liberal MP, John Lloyd Morgan, retains the seat in the absence of any other candidates.^[19][20]
• 5 March – Edgeworth David leads the party attempting the ascent of Mount Erebus in the Antarctic.^[21]
• 8 April – The Mawddwy Railway is closed to its remaining (freight) traffic.^[22]
• 18 June – A giant turtle weighing half a ton is pulled from the sea at Pwllheli.
• 16 July – In the Pembrokeshire by-election, brought about by elevation to the peerage of the incumbent Liberal MP, John Wynford Philipps, the seat is retained for the Liberals by Walter Francis Roch.^[23]
• 1 September – The barque Amazon sinks off Margam Sands, with the loss of 18 crew.^[24]
• 14 October – John Ballinger is appointed first librarian of the National Library of Wales.^[25]
• November – The North and South Wales Bank is absorbed into the London City and Midland Bank, bringing an end to banknote issue in Wales.^[26]
• 21 December – The Coal Mines Regulation Act 1908 ("Eight Hours Act") limits the amount of time spent by coal miners underground.^[27]
• date unknown
  • The South Wales Miners' Federation becomes affiliated to the Labour Party.
  • A factory for making artificial silk is opened at Greenfield, Flintshire^[28] by the British Glanzstoff Manufacturing Company.
  • Construction work begins on the lighthouse at Strumble Head.^[29]
  • Spa pump room built at Caergwrle.^[30]

• Sydney Curnow Vosper completes his iconic watercolour of Welsh piety, Salem.^[31]

• National Eisteddfod of Wales - held in Llangollen
  • Chair - John James Williams, "Ceiriog"^[32]
  • Crown - Hugh Emyr Davies

• W. H. Davies - Autobiography of a Super-Tramp^[33]
• W. Jenkyn Thomas - The Welsh Fairy Book

• John Davies Bryan – O'r Aifft
• R. Silyn Roberts – Y Blaid Lafur Anibynnol, ei Hanes a'i Hamcan^[34]
• Gwyneth Vaughan – Plant y Gorthrwm^[35]
• Owen Williamson – Ceris y Pwll^[36]

• David Evans becomes professor of the Music department at University of Wales, Cardiff.
• Harry Evans - Dafydd ap Gwilym

• Boxing
  • 24 February - Jim Driscoll wins the Commonwealth featherweight title.
• Olympics
  • October - At the postponed 1908 Summer Olympics, Thomas Scott-Ellis, 8th Baron Howard de Walden, competes unsuccessfully in the motorboat racing.
• Rugby league
  • 1 January - The first-ever international match is held at Aberdare, where Wales defeat New Zealand 9 - 8. The match was won by a last minute try from former Welsh rugby union international Dai Jones.
  • Aberdare RLFC, Barry RLFC, Mid-Rhondda RLFC and Treherbert RLFC are formed, joining Ebbw Vale and Merthyr Tydfil in competing for the Welsh League, the first Welsh rugby league competition.
• Rugby union
  • Wales win their first Grand Slam and fifth Triple Crown.
  • The selection of players for the 1908 British Lions tour to New Zealand and Australia results in a comment by the Welsh Rugby Union that players for future tours should be chosen '...irrespective of the social position of the players.'^[37]

• 29 February – Louie Myfanwy Thomas, novelist as Jane Ann Jones (d. 1968)
• 22 March – Martin Davies, art historian (d. 1978)
• 8 May – Bert Day, Wales international rugby union player (d. 1977)
• 29 May – Diana Morgan, playwright and screenwriter (d. 1996)
• 5 July – Francis Jones, heraldic expert (d. 1993)
• 10 July – Donald Peers, singer (d. 1973)
• 12 July – Bill Roberts, footballer (d. 1976)
• 15 August – Wynford Vaughan-Thomas, journalist (d. 1987)
• 14 December – Claude Davey, Wales international rugby union player (d. 2001)

• 6 January – Lewis Pugh Pugh, lawyer and politician, 70^[38]
• 13 January – Caroline Elizabeth Williams, radical and champion of women's rights, 84^[39]
• 26 January – George Thomas Kenyon, politician, 67^[40]
• 1 February – Buckley Roderick, Wales international rugby player, 46^[41]
• 27 February – Norman Biggs, Wales international rugby player, 37
• 7 March – Richard Edwards, Welsh American educator, 85^[42]
• 21 June – Allen Raine, novelist, 71^[43]
• 24 August – William Bevan, archdeacon of Brecon, 87^{[citation needed]}
• 4 September – Thomas Judson, Wales international rugby player, (c.) 51
• 19 October
  • Catherine Lynch, alcoholic, 28
  • John Henry Puleston, journalist and politician, 78^[44]
• 9 November – Solomon Andrews, entrepreneur, 73^[45]
• 1 December – Howell Jones, Wales international rugby player, 26
• 24 December – David John, Mormon leader, 75 (in Utah)

• 1908 in Ireland