1938 in Wales

Incumbents

• Archbishop of Wales – Charles Green, Bishop of Bangor
• Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales – J.J.

Events

• 14–19 January – A storm causes extensive damage in Aberystwyth; the promenade and pier are largely destroyed by 90 mph winds.
• 8 May – William Ormsby-Gore succeeds his father as Baron Harlech.
• October – The first scheduled night flight in the UK begins operating between Cardiff and Weston-super-Mare.
• 23 November – Opening of the Temple of Peace and Health in Cathays Park, Cardiff.
• Mining comes to an end at Dolaucothi Gold Mines.
• The excavation of Llantwit Major Roman Villa by V. E. Nash-Williams, begins (continues to 1948).
• Opening of RNAD Trecwm.

Arts and literature

• April – Augustus John resigns from the Royal Academy.
• September – Ivor Novello appears in Henry V at Drury Lane Theatre, produced by Lewis Casson.

Awards

• National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Cardiff)
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair – Gwilym R. Jones
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown – Edgar H. Thomas
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal – Elena Puw Morgan

New books

In English

• Idris Davies – Gwalia Deserta
• Ness Edwards – History of the South Wales Miners Federation
• Richard Hughes – In Hazard
• Jack Jones – Bidden to the Feast
• Edith Picton-Turbervill – Myself When Young
• William Plomer (ed.) – Kilvert's Diary, 1870-1879

In Welsh

• Richard Bennett – Methodistiaeth Caersws
• Tom Beynon – Gwrid ar Orwel ym Morgannwg
• Edward Tegla Davies – Stori Sam
• Edward Morgan Humphreys – Dirgelwch Gallt Y Ffrwd
• Ifor Williams (ed.) – Canu Aneirin

New drama

• James Kitchener Davies – Susannah
• Charles Langbridge Morgan – The Flashing Stream
• Emlyn Williams – The Corn is Green

Music

• Tudor Davies plays the lead in the first English-language production of Verdi's Don Carlos, at Sadler's Wells.

Film

• Naunton Wayne appears as Caldicott in The Lady Vanishes.

Broadcasting

• 1 March – BBC Radio broadcasts the world première of Arwel Hughes's latest composition, Tydi a Roddaist.

Sport

• Empire Games
  • Wales win three medals at the 1938 Empire Games, Denis Reardon, (middleweight boxing), Jim Alford (1 mile run) and Jeanne Greenland (110 yard backstroke).
• Rugby union
  • 5 February – Scotland beat Wales 8–6 at Murrayfield, Edinburgh

Births

• 6 January – William Edwards, politician (d. 2007)
• 1 February – Cynog Dafis, politician
• 22 January – Brook Williams, actor (d. 2005)
• 2 March – Deddie Davies, actress (d. 2016)
• 20 April – Andrew Vicari, portrait painter (d. 2016)
• 25 April – John Davies, historian (d. 2015)
• 14 May – Clive Rowlands, rugby player and coach (d. 2023)
• 25 May – Trevor Peck, footballer (d. 2014)
• 31 May – John Prescott, Deputy Prime Minister of the UK (d. 2024)
• 13 June – Gwynne Howell, bass
• 6 July – Tony Lewis, cricketer and commentator
• 23 July – Meic Stephens, literary editor (d. 2018)
• 6 August – Rees Davies, historian (d. 2005)
• 12 September
  • Richard Booth, secondhand bookseller (d. 2019)
  • Patrick Mower, Welsh-descended actor
• 9 October – Denzil Davies, politician (d. 2018)
• 22 October – Dai Davies , English-born Welsh sports journalist (d. 2008)
• 1 November – Delwyn Williams, politician
• 4 December – Richard Meade, equestrian (d. 2015)
• 15 December – Michael Bogdanov, theatre director (d. 2017 in Greece)

Deaths

• 3 February – James Bevan, First Wales rugby union captain, 81
• 9 February – Dick Hellings, Wales international rugby player, 63
• 30 March – Jack Elliott, Wales international rugby player, 66
• 16 April – Sir William Price, industrialist
• 8 May – George Ormsby-Gore, 3rd Baron Harlech, 83
• 28 May – Alfred Brice, Wales international rugby player, 66
• 23 June – Clement Edwards, politician, 69
• 22 July – Giotto Griffiths, Wales international rugby player, 73
• 22 October (in Dublin) – Sir John Purser Griffith, civil engineer, 90
• 4 November – John Thomas Job, minister, hymn-writer and poet, 71
• 28 November – Reginald Arthur (Reggie) Gibbs, shipowner and rugby footballer, 56
• 29 December (at sea) – Eluned Morgan, writer, 68
• date unknown – Gwynfil Evans (Barry Western), novelist

References

References

1. (2006). "The Human Tradition in Modern Britain". Rowman & Littlefield.
2. "John James Williams".
3. (20 October 2009). "Aberystwyth's great storm of 1938".
4. Cardiff (Wales). City Council. Development Committee. (1960). "The City and Port of Cardiff; the Official Handbook: "Cardiff Blue Book."". E.J. Burrow.
5. (1992). "The Welsh industrial heritage: a review : based upon the proceedings of a joint Cadw/CBA conference held in Cardiff, 5 December 1986". Council for British Archaeology.
6. Cardiff Naturalists' Society. (1937). "Transactions of the Cardiff Naturalists' Society".
7. T. S. Eliot. (15 January 2019). "Letters of T. S. Eliot Volume 8: 1936–1938". Faber & Faber.
8. Helen Grime. (6 October 2015). "Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies, Twentieth-Century Actress". Routledge.
9. Elena Puw Morgan. (1999). "Y graith". Gwasg Gomer.
10. Edward Larrissy. (2016). "The Cambridge Companion to British Poetry, 1945-2010". Cambridge University Press.
11. David Greer. (1997). "A Numerous and Fashionable Audience: The Story of Elsie Swinton". Thames Publishing.
12. Meic Stephens. (April 1986). "The Oxford companion to the literature of Wales". Oxford University Press.
13. Meic Stephens. (April 1986). "The Oxford companion to the literature of Wales". Oxford University Press.
14. Colin Chambers. (14 May 2006). "The Continuum Companion to Twentieth Century Theatre". A&C Black.
15. Roberta M. Milgram. (1991). "Counseling Gifted and Talented Children: A Guide for Teachers, Counselors, and Parents". ABC-CLIO.
16. Jeffrey Richards. (1997). "Films and British National Identity: From Dickens to Dad's Army". Manchester University Press.
17. [[Patrick Hannan (presenter). (5 September 2007). "Will Edwards".
18. (2000). "People in the Assembly: Cynog Dafis". BBC News.
19. Harris M. Lentz III. (24 October 2008). "Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2005: Film, Television, Radio, Theatre, Dance, Music, Cartoons and Pop Culture". McFarland.
20. Hayward, Anthony. (2 January 2017). "Deddie Davies obituary".
21. (February 2021). "Andrew Vicari".
22. Russell Davies. (25 February 2015). "John Davies obituary".
23. (30 July 2023). "How a village boy overcame childhood trauma to become Welsh rugby's indisputable leader".
24. Silk, Huw. (30 May 2014). "Poppies star of the 1970s dies". Northamptonshire Telegraph.
25. A. T. Lane. (1995). "Biographical Dictionary of European Labor Leaders". Greenwood Publishing Group.
26. (2001). "Hymns and Arias: Great Welsh Voices". University of Wales Press.
27. Sam Adams. (5 July 2018). "Meic Stephens obituary".
28. John Watts. (26 May 2005). "Sir Rees Davies".
29. (29 August 2019). "Obituary: Richard Booth died on August 20th". The Economist.
30. Julia Langdon. (15 October 2018). "Denzil Davies obituary".
31. Michael Blair. (21 May 2008). "Obituary: Dai Davies".
32. Victoria Spicer. (12 January 2015). "Richard Meade obituary".
33. Michael Coveney. (18 April 2017). "Michael Bogdanov obituary".
34. {{acad
35. (1923). "Kelly's Handbook of Distinguished People 1938". Kelly.
36. (1938). "The Law Journal". Law journal.
37. Enaf Morrice Job. "Job, John Thomas (1867-1938), Calvinistic Methodist minister, hymn writer, and poet".
38. "MORGAN, ELUNED (1870–1938), writer".
39. Meic Stephens. (April 1986). "The Oxford companion to the literature of Wales". Oxford University Press.