This article is about the particular significance of the year 1816 to Wales and its people.
Incumbents Lord Lieutenant of Anglesey – Henry Paget, 1st Marquess of Anglesey Lord Lieutenant of Brecknockshire and Monmouthshire – Henry Somerset, 6th Duke of Beaufort Lord Lieutenant of Caernarvonshire – Thomas Bulkeley, 7th Viscount Bulkeley Lord Lieutenant of Cardiganshire – Thomas Johnes (until 23 April) 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 Clive, 1st Earl of Powis Lord Lieutenant of Pembrokeshire – Richard Philipps, 1st Baron Milford Lord Lieutenant of Radnorshire – George Rodney, 3rd Baron Rodney
Bishop of Bangor – Henry Majendie Bishop of Llandaff – Richard Watson (until 4 July) Herbert Marsh (from 25 August) Bishop of St Asaph – John Luxmoore Bishop of St Davids – Thomas Burgess
Events 10 February - Pembroke Dock's first Royal Navy ships are launched: HMS Ariadne and HMS Valorous. 7 May - Hay Railway opens throughout. 24 July - Old Wye Bridge, Chepstow (rebuilt in cast iron), is opened across the River Wye. 9 October - Fanny Imlay, half-sister of Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin, takes a room at the Mackworth Arms in Swansea, and instructs the maid not to disturb her. The following day she is found dead, having taken a fatal dose of laudanum. Nantyglo Round Towers built. Taliesin Williams, son of Iolo Morganwg, opens a school at Merthyr Tydfil.
Arts and literature New books English language Ann Hatton - Chronicles of an Illustrious House Samuel Johnson - A Diary of a Journey Into North Wales, in the Year 1774 Welsh language Jane Ellis - Cerddi (first published Welsh language book by a woman) Joseph Harris (Gomer) - Traethawd ar Briodol Dduwdod ein Harglwydd Iesu Grist
Music John Ellis - Mawl yr Arglwydd (collection of hymns)
Births 11 January - Henry Robertson, Scots engineer responsible for building the North Wales Mineral Railway (d. 1888) 7 March - Huw Derfel Hughes, poet and historian (d. 1890) 3 June - John Ormsby-Gore, 1st Baron Harlech, politician (d. 1876) 11 June - Thomas William Davids, ecclesiastical historian (d. 1884) 16 August - Charles John Vaughan, dean of Llandaff and co-founder of University of Wales, Cardiff date unknown Edward Edwards (Pencerdd Ceredigion), musician (d. 1897) Edward Meredith Price, composer (d. 1898)
Deaths 23 April - Thomas Johnes, landowner and politician, 67 18 June - Thomas Henry, apothecary, 81 29 June - David Williams, Enlightenment philosopher, 78 4 July - Richard Watson, Bishop of Llandaff, 78 17 July - John Lewis, missionary, about 24 (fever) 10 October - Fanny Imlay, half-sister of Mary Shelley, 22 (committed suicide at the Mackworth Arms in Swansea) date unknown Benjamin Davies, first Baptist minister at Haverfordwest (age unknown) David Jones, barrister ("the Welsh Freeholder"), c.51
See also 1816 in Ireland
References