This article is about the particular significance of the year 1831 to Wales and its people.
Incumbents Lord Lieutenant of Anglesey – Henry Paget, 1st Marquess of Anglesey Lord Lieutenant of Brecknockshire – Henry Somerset, 6th Duke of Beaufort Lord Lieutenant of Caernarvonshire – Peter Drummond-Burrell, 22nd Baron Willoughby de Eresby Lord Lieutenant of Cardiganshire – William Edward Powell Lord Lieutenant of Carmarthenshire – George Rice, 3rd Baron Dynevor Lord Lieutenant of Denbighshire – Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, 5th Baronet Lord Lieutenant of Flintshire – Robert Grosvenor, 1st Marquess of Westminster Lord Lieutenant of Glamorgan – John Crichton-Stuart, 2nd Marquess of Bute Lord Lieutenant of Merionethshire – Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, 5th Baronet Lord Lieutenant of Montgomeryshire – Edward Herbert, 2nd Earl of Powis Lord Lieutenant of Pembrokeshire – Sir John Owen, 1st Baronet Lord Lieutenant of Radnorshire – George Rodney, 3rd Baron Rodney
Bishop of Bangor – Christopher Bethell Bishop of Llandaff – Edward Copleston Bishop of St Asaph – William Carey Bishop of St Davids – John Jenkinson
Events 28 April–1 June – In the UK general election: Robert Fulke Greville is defeated in Pembrokeshire by Sir John Owen of Orielton. Edward Lloyd-Mostyn, 2nd Baron Mostyn becomes MP for Flintshire. John Jones of Ystrad is injured in rioting during the election at Carmarthen, causing polling there to be postponed. 3 June – The Merthyr Rising reaches its climax. 5 August – Charles Darwin travels from Shrewsbury to Llangollen with his tutor, Rev Adam Sedgwick, to carry out geological studies. They remain in Wales for more than two weeks. 18 August – The paddle steamer Rothsay Castle is wrecked at the eastern end of the Menai Strait with the loss of 93 lives. August – John Jones of Ystrad holds the constituency of Carmarthen. 22 October – John Jones of Ystrad and Robert Fulke Greville fight a duel at Tafarnspite. Repeal of the slate tax. Port Talbot ironworks opens. William Rees (Gwilym Hiraethog) becomes a minister.
Arts and literature New books John Evans (I. D. Ffraid) – Hanes yr Iddewon
New publications Autumn – Y Drysorfa, a Calvinistic Methodist publication, restarts under the editorship of John Parry.
Music
Births 13 January – William Hugh Evans, minister and author (d. 1909) May – Dewi Havhesp, poet (d. 1884) 3 May – Sir Walter Vaughan Morgan, Lord Mayor of London (d. 1916) 16 May – David E. Hughes, musician and professor of music (d. 1900) 21 July – Edward Lewis, Welsh-born New Zealand clergyman (d. 1913) 16 October – John Jones (Eos Bradwen), composer (d. 1899) 8 December William Dykins, poet (d. 1872) Edward Payson Evans, historian and linguist (d. 1917) 14 December – Griffith John, missionary (d. 1912) 20 December – William T. Davies, Governor of Pennsylvania (d. 1912) date unknown – William Davies (Gwilym Teilo), writer (d. 1892)
Deaths 1 January – Charles Heath, printer, writer, and radical Mayor of Monmouth, about 70 7 January – Edward "Celtic" Davies, author, 74 17 April – Sir Thomas Mostyn, 6th Baronet, politician, 54 30 April – Elizabeth Herbert, Countess of Pembroke, 93 18 May – John Vaughan, 3rd Earl of Lisburne, landowner and politician, 62 8 June – Sarah Siddons, actress, 75 11 August – Cradock Glascott, Evangelical clergyman and associate of the Wesley brothers, 88 13 August – Dic Penderyn, labourer, 23 (executed) probable – Joseph Davies, editor of Y Brud a Sylwydd, age unknown
See also 1831 in Ireland
References