1927 in Wales

← 1926 1925 1924 1927 in Wales → 1928 1929 1930
Centuries:	18th 19th 20th 21st
Decades:	1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s
See also:	List of years in Wales 1927 in The United Kingdom Ireland Scotland

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

Incumbents

• Prince of Wales - Edward
• Princess of Wales – vacant
• Archbishop of Wales – Alfred Edwards, Bishop of St Asaph
• Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales – Elfed

Events

• 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 Ireland rugby union match at Cardiff Arms Park.
• 1 March - In a mining accident at Marine Colliery, Ebbw Vale, 52 miners are killed.
• 3 March - J. G. Parry-Thomas is killed at Pendine, attempting to break Campbell's record.
• 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.
• 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.
• 29 June - A total eclipse of the sun is 98% visible in Cardiff despite clouds.
• 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.^[1]
• 18 September - The 'Red Sunday in Rhondda Valley' demonstration calls for a protest march on London.^[2]
• 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.
• 25 December - A Christmas Day blizzard affects Cardiff and much of South Wales.
• Coleg Harlech, founded by Thomas Jones (T. J.), opens. Its aims resemble those of a modern community college.
• The highest railway in the British Isles is constructed at the Grwyne Fawr reservoir in Powys.
• Pontsticill Reservoir opened.

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
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown - Caradog Prichard

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, The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog and Downhill.

Broadcasting

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

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.

Births

• 12 January - Richard Bebb, actor (d. 2006)
• 8 February - Sir Stanley Baker, actor (d. 1976)
• 2 March - Ray Prosser, Wales and British Lion rugby player
• 25 April – Ernest Zobole, artist (d. 1999)
• 3 May – Stanley Saunders, educator and musician
• 11 May – Bernard Fox, actor
• 5 June - Tommy Harris, rugby player (d. 2006)
• 14 June - Elaine Hugh-Jones, pianist and composer
• 2 July - John Tripp, poet (d. 1986)
• 4 July – Patricia Kern, mezzo-soprano (d. 2015)
• 30 July - Jocelyn Hay, née Board, broadcasting campaigner (d. 2014)
• 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)
• 19 November - Cliff Curvis, British and Commonwealth boxing champion (d. 2009)
• 2 December - Jimmy Sangster, screenwriter (d. 2011)
• 7 December - Helen Watts, opera singer

Deaths

• 2 February (in Paris) - Isambard Owen, educationist, 76
• 5 February - Frances Hoggan, first registered woman doctor in Wales, 83
• 3 March - J. G. Parry-Thomas, engineer and racing driver (b. 1884)
• 20 April - Frank Hill, Wales international rugby captain, 61
• 10 May - Francis Edwards, politician (b. 1852)
• 2 June - Ralph Champneys Williams, colonial governor (b. 1848)
• 8 July - George Frederick Harding, Wales international rugby player (b. 1858)
• 29 July - Freddie Welsh (Frederick Hall Thomas), boxer (b. 1886)
• 1 September - William John Parry, author and political activist, 84
• 18 September - Joe Johns, Welsh lightweight boxing champion, 35
• 16 October - Evan Roberts, Wales international rugby player, 66
• 4 November - Beriah Gwynfe Evans, author (b. 1848)
• 14 December - Alfred Thomas, 1st Baron Pontypridd, 87
• 26 December - Jack Whitfield, Wales rugby union captain, 35

Notes