This article is about the particular significance of the year 1947 to Wales and its people.
Incumbents
Archbishop of Wales – David Prosser, Bishop of St David's Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales Crwys (outgoing) Wil Ifan (incoming)
Events 1 January - Nationalisation of the coal mining industry under the new National Coal Board. 1 March - Opening of Ysgol Gymraeg Dewi Sant, Llanelli, the first Welsh-medium school. 15 March - Cambrian Slate Quarry at Glyn Ceiriog formally notifies closure. 2-3 April - A British ship, the 1,580 ton Stancliffe, runs aground off Sharpness loaded with 3,000 tons of timber. Local shipyard engineer, Ivor Langford, manages to cut the vessel in two and sail both parts down to Cardiff Docks. There the two halves are joined together and the ship sails again under the new name of . 23 April - Wreck of the Samtampa on Sker rocks and loss of the Mumbles life-boat, Edward, Prince of Wales. 11 July - Ifan ab Owen Edwards is knighted. September - Cardiff Castle is donated by the Marquess of Bute to the city of Cardiff. 12 November - Chancellor of the Exchequer Hugh Dalton inadvertently reveals some of the contents of his Budget while on his way to the House of Commons to deliver his speech, effectively finishing his political career. 13 December - Royal Naval Air Station Dale, Pembrokeshire, closes. Founded in this year are: Age Concern Cymru. BBC Welsh Chorus. Steel Company of Wales. Wales Gas Board. Sir Frederick John Alban becomes President of the Society of Incorporated Accountants and Chairman of the Welsh Hospitals Board. David Brynmor Anthony is awarded the Médaille de Vermeil de la Reconnaissance Française by the government of France.
Arts and literature June 11–15 - First Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod is held. First Cerdd Dant festival is held. Caradog Prichard begins writing for The Daily Telegraph.
Awards National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Colwyn Bay) National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair - John Tudor Jones (John Eilian), "Maelgwn Gwynedd" National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown - Griffith John Roberts, "Glyn y Groes" National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal - withheld
New books English language William Ewart Berry - British Newspapers and their Controllers Jack Jones - Off to Philadelphia in the Morning Michael Gareth Llewelyn - White Wheat John Cowper Powys – Obstinate Cymric Sir James Frederick Rees - Studies in Welsh history
Welsh language J. Eirian Davies - Awen y Wawr William Jones - Adar Rhiannon a Cherddi Eraill Elizabeth Watkin-Jones - Y Cwlwm Cêl and Y Dryslwyn
Music David Wynne - Sonata No. 1 for keyboard
Film Cymru a Chynilo, A 7-minute public information about Post Office Savings is made in English and Welsh, narrated by Hugh Griffith.
Broadcasting Dylan Thomas - The Return Journey
Sport Cricket - Wilf Wooller is appointed Captain-Secretary of Glamorgan CCC. Rugby Union 20 December - Wales beat Australia 6–0 at the National Stadium, Cardiff.
Births 2 February - Frank Hennessy, folk singer and radio presenter 5 February - Paul James Wheeler, rugby player 11 February - Douglas Davies, theologian 22 February - Bleddyn Williams, rugby player (died 2009) 12 March - Rod Richards, politician 18 March - Roger Kenneth Evans, politician 27 March - Craig Defoy, golfer 27 April - Pete Ham, musician (died 1975) 16 May - Owen Money, born Lynn Mittell, entertainer 1 June - Jonathan Pryce, born John Price, actor 4 June - Mickey Evans footballer 12 July - Gareth Edwards, rugby player 17 July(in England) - Queen Camilla (Princess of Wales, 2005–2022) 2 August - Iolo Ceredig Jones, chess player 30 August - Alwyn Jones, biophysicist 9 September - Clive Shell, rugby player (died 2012) 24 September(in Loughborough) - Mick Bates AM, politician 5 October Dennis Avoth, heavyweight boxer (born in Egypt; died 2023) Phil Carradice, writer and broadcaster 16 October Steve Derrett, footballer Terry Griffiths, snooker player 29 October - Val Feld, politician (died 2001) November - Beverley Humphreys, singer and broadcaster 24 November - Paul Griffiths, music critic, fiction writer and librettist 5 December - Don Touhig, politician unknown date - Sheila Morrow, president of Great Britain Hockey
Deaths 10 January - Lillie Goodisson, nurse, late 80sMeredith Foley, Goodisson, Lillie Elizabeth (1860?-1947), Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 9, Melbourne University Press, 1983, pp 47-48. 26 February - Percy Phillips OBE, Wales international rugby player and civil servant 16 March - Jack Powell, footballer, 86 24 March - John Henry Evans, Mormon teacher and writer, 74 26 March - Charles Alexander Harris, governor of Newfoundland, 91 31 March - John Phillips, Dean of Monmouth, 67PHILLIPS, Very Rev. John Leoline', Who Was Who, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 1920–2015; online edn, Oxford University Press, 2014; online edn, April 2014 accessed 23 March 2015 and ordained in 1909."Crockford's Clerical Directory, 1929 p1017 London, OUP, 1929 15 May - Arthur Harding, Wales international rugby union captain, 68 23 May - Richard Griffith (Carneddog), poet and journalist, 85 25 May - Samuel Clark, rugby official and international rugby player 20 June - Sir John Edward Lloyd, historian, 86 30 June - Jerry Shea, Welsh rugby union and rugby league player, 54 5 July - Jack Evans, Wales international rugby player, 72 7 July James Henry Howard, minister and writer, 70 Johnny Basham, boxer, 56 23 July - David James Jones, philosopher, 60 10 August - David Evan Jones, missionary, 77 12 October - William Brace, politician, 82 18 October - Alexander Bland, Wales international rugby player, 80 16 November - Thomas Griffiths, Australian Army general, 82 22 November - James J. Davis, United States politician, 74 23 November Sir George Lockwood Morris, industrialist and Welsh international rugby player, 88 Matthew W. Davies, musician, 65 12 December - William John Evans, musician and composer, 81 15 December - Arthur Machen, writer, 74 23 December - John Samuel, Wales international rugby player
See also 1947 in Northern Ireland
References