1956 in Wales

Centuries:	18th; 19th; 20th; 21st;
Decades:	1930s; 1940s; 1950s; 1960s; 1970s;
See also:	List of years in Wales; 1956 in The United Kingdom Scotland

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1956 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

Archbishop of Wales – John Morgan, Bishop of Llandaff[1]
Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales – Dyfnallt

Events

April – One of the last Welsh-built naval vessels afloat, former iron screw frigate HMS Inconstant (1868), built at Pembroke Dock, arrives in Belgium to be broken up.[2]
2 April – Huw Wheldon marries Jacqueline Clarke.
24 April – A 250,000 signature petition is presented to the Westminster parliament by the all-party Parliament for Wales Campaign.
9 May – The Gower Peninsula becomes the first area in the British Isles to be designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.[3]
9 July – Mettoy introduce Corgi Toys model cars, manufactured at Fforestfach in South Wales.
September – Bangor Normal College and Trinity College, Carmarthen, introduce courses in Welsh-medium teaching.
4 September – Opening of the first Welsh-medium secondary school in Wales – Ysgol Glan Clwyd, Rhyl.[4][5]
22 November – In a mining accident at Lewis Merthyr Colliery, seven men are killed.[6]
exact date unknown – Aberystwyth's town clock is demolished as unsafe.[7]

Arts and literature

Welsh language periodical Y Faner is bought by Huw T. Edwards and thus saved from going out of business.[8]
Morecambe and Wise are reunited by chance at the Swansea Empire Theatre.
22 November – The New Scientist is launched[9] by Percy Cudlipp, who becomes its first editor.

Awards

National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Aberdare)
National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair – Mathonwy Hughes, "Gwraig"[10]
National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown – withheld[11]
National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal – W. T. Gruffydd, "Y Pwrpas Mawr"[12]

English language

Margiad Evans – A Candle Ahead
Bertrand Russell – Portraits from Memory and Other Essays

Welsh language

Huw T. Edwards – Tros y Tresi[13]
Islwyn Ffowc Elis – Yn Ôl i Leifior[14]
David Rees Griffiths – Caneuon Amanwy
Kate Roberts – Y Byw sy'n Cysgu
Waldo Williams – Dail Pren

Music

February – Release of Shirley Bassey's first single, Burn My Candle (At Both Ends)
William Mathias – Suite for Trumpet and Piano, Op.4
Grace Williams – Symphony No. 2

Film

Richard Burton stars in Alexander the Great; William Squire also appears.
Glynis Johns stars in The Court Jester.
Edmund Gwenn makes his last film appearance.
Moby Dick partly filmed at Lower Fishguard.

Broadcasting

The BBC Light Programme becomes available on VHF from Wenvoe.

Welsh-language television

Granada Television begins producing up to an hour a week of current affairs and education programmes in Welsh to serve the overlap audience in north Wales.

English-language television

June – First televised English-language play produced in Wales, Wind of Heaven.

Sport

Boxing
- 27 August – Joe Erskine defeats Johnny Williams in Cardiff to win the vacant British heavyweight title.
Rugby Union
- Wales under the captaincy of Cliff Morgan, win the Five Nations Championship for the fifth time this decade.
- 24 March – Wales beat France 5–3 in a game held at the National Stadium, Cardiff
BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year – Joe Erskine[15]

Births

7 January – Johnny Owen, boxer (died 1980)
7 April – Christine Chapman AM, politician
May – Iwan Bala, artist
14 June – Keith Pontin, international footballer (died 2020)
22 July – Richard Gwyn writer
7 September – Byron Stevenson, footballer (died 2007)
3 November – Carl Harris, international footballer
4 December – Nia Griffith MP, politician, born in Ireland
19 December – John Griffiths, politician
23 December – Robert Gwilym, actor
date unknown – David Nott, surgeon

Deaths

Frank Brangwyn, died 11 June

Winifred Coombe Tennant, died 31 August

4 January – Robert Williams Parry, poet, 71[16]
10 January – Jack Johns, cricketer, 70
14 January – Sam Ramsey, Wales international rugby union player
23 January – William Harris, academic and translator, 71[17]
1 February – John Lloyd-Jones, academic, 70[18]
22 February – Nathaniel Walters, Wales international rugby player, 80
27 February – Tudor Rees, lawyer, judge and Liberal politician, 75[19]
19 May – Peter Freeman, politician, 67[20]
8 June – Walter Rice, 7th Baron Dynevor, soldier, civil servant and politician, 82[21]
5 July – Fred Birt, Welsh international rugby union player, 69
11 June – Frank Brangwyn, artist, 89[22]
17 August – William Havard, Bishop of St. Davids and international rugby player, 66
31 August – Winifred Coombe Tennant, politician and philanthropist, 81[23]
13 September – David Davies, footballer, 77
20 September – Arthur Tysilio Johnson, farmer and author, 83
1 October – J. O. Francis, dramatist, 74[24]
11 October – David James Davies, economist and politician, 63[25]
16 October – Robert Evans (Cybi), historian, 84
18 October – Harry Parry, jazz musician, 44[26]
22 November – Rhys Hopkin Morris MP, politician, 68[27]
16 December – Nina Hamnett, artist, 66[28]
28 December – John Dyfnallt Owen, poet and archdruid, 83[29]

References

Mary Gwendoline Ellis. "Morgan, John (1886-1957), Archbishop of Wales". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
Phillips, Lawrie; Lieutenant Commander (2014). Pembroke Dockyard and the Old Navy: A Bicentennial History. Stroud, Gloucestershire, UK: The History Press. p. 192. ISBN 978-0-7509-5214-9.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
Jones, Gareth E. (1987). The Conservation of Ecosystems and Species. Croom Helm. ISBN 978-0-7099-1463-1.
"Teaching through Welsh". Western Mail. Cardiff. 1956-09-04. p. 5.
Nash, Roy (2011). Schooling in Rural Societies. Routledge. pp. 93–. ISBN 978-0-415-50490-4.
Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons (1957). House of Commons Papers. H.M. Stationery Office.
"Town Clock". VADS. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
"Huw T. Edwards Papers". Archives Wales. Retrieved 13 December 2018.
Mick O'Hare (16 November 2016). "Old Scientist: Happily upholding ideals since issue number 1". New Scientist. Retrieved 13 December 2018.
"Winners of the Chair". National Eisteddfod of Wales. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
"Winners of the Crown". National Eisteddfod of Wales. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
"Winners of the Prose Medal". National Eisteddfod of Wales. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
Dictionary of Labour Biography: Volume XI. Palgrave Macmillan UK. 2016. p. 65. ISBN 9780230500181.
Bibliotheca Celtica: A Register of Publications Relating to Wales and the Celtic Peoples & Languages. National Library of Wales. 1957. p. 17.
"BBC Wales Sport Personality winners". BBC Sport. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
Bedwyr Lewis Jones (1 January 1972). Robert Williams Parry. University of Wales Press [for] the Welsh Arts Council. p. 73.
Ellis, Mary Gwendoline (2001). "Harris, William Henry (1884–1956), priest, Professor of Welsh, St David's College, Lampeter". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales. Retrieved 18 February 2009.
Thomas Parry (2001). "Lloyd-Jones, John (1885–1956), scholar and poet". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
Obituary, The Times, 28 February 1956
"Mr. P. Freeman,M.P - An energetic reformer". The Times. No. 53536. London. 21 May 1956. p. 10.
Christopher Dignam (2001). "Rhys, Walter FitzUryan, 7th Baron Dynevor (1873-1956), nobleman and politician". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
Frank Brangwyn (1958). The Water-colours of Sir Frank Brangwyn, R.A., 1867-1956. F. Lewis. p. 27.
Deirdre Beddoe. "Tennant, Winifred Margaret Coombe". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/70091. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
Mary Auronwy James (2001). "Francis, John Oswald (1882-1956), dramatist". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
Ceinwen Hannah Thomas (2001). "Davies, David James (1893-1956), economist". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
Davies, John; Jenkins, Nigel; Menna, Baines; Lynch, Peredur I., eds. (2008). The Welsh Academy Encyclopaedia of Wales. Cardiff: University of Wales Press. p. 651. ISBN 978-0-7083-1953-6.
Peter Barberis (28 January 2005). Liberal Lion: Jo Grimond, A Political Life. I.B.Tauris. p. 71. ISBN 978-1-85043-627-0.
Denise Hooker (October 1986). Nina Hamnett, queen of Bohemia. Constable. p. 258.
"Owen, John Dyfnallt ('Dyfnallt'; 1873-1956), minister (Congl.), poet, writer, journalist and Archdruid of Wales". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales. Retrieved 13 March 2019.

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[1] Mary Gwendoline Ellis. "Morgan, John (1886-1957), Archbishop of Wales". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales. Retrieved 29 March 2020.

[2] Phillips, Lawrie; Lieutenant Commander (2014). Pembroke Dockyard and the Old Navy: A Bicentennial History. Stroud, Gloucestershire, UK: The History Press. p. 192. ISBN 978-0-7509-5214-9.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

[3] Jones, Gareth E. (1987). The Conservation of Ecosystems and Species. Croom Helm. ISBN 978-0-7099-1463-1.

[4] "Teaching through Welsh". Western Mail. Cardiff. 1956-09-04. p. 5.

[5] Nash, Roy (2011). Schooling in Rural Societies. Routledge. pp. 93–. ISBN 978-0-415-50490-4.

[6] Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons (1957). House of Commons Papers. H.M. Stationery Office.

[7] "Town Clock". VADS. Retrieved 15 February 2022.

[8] "Huw T. Edwards Papers". Archives Wales. Retrieved 13 December 2018.

[9] Mick O'Hare (16 November 2016). "Old Scientist: Happily upholding ideals since issue number 1". New Scientist. Retrieved 13 December 2018.

[10] "Winners of the Chair". National Eisteddfod of Wales. Retrieved 7 November 2019.

[11] "Winners of the Crown". National Eisteddfod of Wales. Retrieved 7 November 2019.

[12] "Winners of the Prose Medal". National Eisteddfod of Wales. Retrieved 7 November 2019.

[13] Dictionary of Labour Biography: Volume XI. Palgrave Macmillan UK. 2016. p. 65. ISBN 9780230500181.

[14] Bibliotheca Celtica: A Register of Publications Relating to Wales and the Celtic Peoples & Languages. National Library of Wales. 1957. p. 17.

[15] "BBC Wales Sport Personality winners". BBC Sport. Retrieved 29 July 2021.

[16] Bedwyr Lewis Jones (1 January 1972). Robert Williams Parry. University of Wales Press [for] the Welsh Arts Council. p. 73.

[DWB-17] Ellis, Mary Gwendoline (2001). "Harris, William Henry (1884–1956), priest, Professor of Welsh, St David's College, Lampeter". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales. Retrieved 18 February 2009.

[18] Thomas Parry (2001). "Lloyd-Jones, John (1885–1956), scholar and poet". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales. Retrieved 15 February 2022.

[19] Obituary, The Times, 28 February 1956

[20] "Mr. P. Freeman,M.P - An energetic reformer". The Times. No. 53536. London. 21 May 1956. p. 10.

[21] Christopher Dignam (2001). "Rhys, Walter FitzUryan, 7th Baron Dynevor (1873-1956), nobleman and politician". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales. Retrieved 15 February 2022.

[22] Frank Brangwyn (1958). The Water-colours of Sir Frank Brangwyn, R.A., 1867-1956. F. Lewis. p. 27.

[23] Deirdre Beddoe. "Tennant, Winifred Margaret Coombe". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/70091. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)

[24] Mary Auronwy James (2001). "Francis, John Oswald (1882-1956), dramatist". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales. Retrieved 15 February 2022.

[25] Ceinwen Hannah Thomas (2001). "Davies, David James (1893-1956), economist". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales. Retrieved 15 February 2022.

[26] Davies, John; Jenkins, Nigel; Menna, Baines; Lynch, Peredur I., eds. (2008). The Welsh Academy Encyclopaedia of Wales. Cardiff: University of Wales Press. p. 651. ISBN 978-0-7083-1953-6.

[27] Peter Barberis (28 January 2005). Liberal Lion: Jo Grimond, A Political Life. I.B.Tauris. p. 71. ISBN 978-1-85043-627-0.

[28] Denise Hooker (October 1986). Nina Hamnett, queen of Bohemia. Constable. p. 258.

[29] "Owen, John Dyfnallt ('Dyfnallt'; 1873-1956), minister (Congl.), poet, writer, journalist and Archdruid of Wales". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales. Retrieved 13 March 2019.