This article is about the particular significance of the year 1854 to Wales and its people.
Incumbents
Lord Lieutenant of Anglesey – Henry Paget, 1st Marquess of Anglesey (until 29 April); Henry Paget, 2nd Marquess of Anglesey (from 17 May) Lord Lieutenant of Brecknockshire – John Lloyd Vaughan Watkins Lord Lieutenant of Caernarvonshire – Sir Richard Williams-Bulkeley, 10th Baronet Lord Lieutenant of Cardiganshire – William Edward Powell (until 10 April); Thomas Lloyd, Coedmore (from 16 September) Lord Lieutenant of Carmarthenshire – John Campbell, 1st Earl Cawdor Lord Lieutenant of Denbighshire – Robert Myddelton Biddulph Lord Lieutenant of Flintshire – Sir Stephen Glynne, 9th Baronet Lord Lieutenant of Glamorgan – Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot Lord Lieutenant of Merionethshire – Edward Lloyd-Mostyn, 2nd Baron Mostyn (until 3 April); Robert Davies Pryce (from 7 May) Lord Lieutenant of Monmouthshire – Capel Hanbury Leigh Lord Lieutenant of Montgomeryshire – Charles Hanbury-Tracy, 1st Baron Sudeley Lord Lieutenant of Pembrokeshire – Sir John Owen, 1st Baronet Lord Lieutenant of Radnorshire – John Walsh, 1st Baron Ormathwaite
Bishop of Bangor – Christopher Bethell
Bishop of Llandaff – Alfred Ollivant
Bishop of St Asaph – Thomas Vowler Short
Bishop of St Davids – Connop Thirlwall
Events
Late August — Third cholera pandemic in Cardiff. 31 October — David Davies (Dai'r Cantwr) receives a conditional pardon for his role in the Rebecca Riots. 5 November — At the Battle of Inkerman, Hugh Rowlands carries out the actions that lead to his becoming the first Welshman to win the Victoria Cross. 11 November — In Australia, Welsh-born John Basson Humffray is elected the first president of the Ballarat Reform League. unknown dates Betsi Cadwaladr volunteers to serve as a nurse in the Crimean War. Love Jones-Parry is High Sheriff of Caernarvonshire. The Telegraphic Despatch is published in Swansea, the first newspaper in Wales to come out more than once a week. A penny newspaper, the Herald Cymraeg, is founded at Caernarfon, with James Evans as editor. John Williams (Ab Ithel) becomes editor of the Cambrian Journal.
Arts and literature
New books
English language
Thomas Prichard — The Heroines of Welsh History
Samuel Prideaux Tregelles — Account of the Printed Text of the New Testament
Welsh language
John Edwards (Eos Glan Twrch) — Llais o'r Llwyn: sef Barddoniaeth, ar Amryfal Destynau Samuel Evans (Gomerydd) — Y Gomerydd Owen Wynne Jones — Fy Oriau Hamddenol William Thomas (Islwyn) — Barddoniaeth
Music
David Richards — Y Blwch Cerddorol (collection of hymns and anthems)
Births
1 January — Peter Morris, baseball player (died 1884 in the United States) 8 April — Robert Arthur Williams (Berw), clergyman and poet (died 1926) 17 April — Sir John Eldon Bankes, judge (died 1946) 30 April — William Critchlow Harris, Welsh-Canadian architect (died 1913) 10 July — John Lloyd Williams, botanist and composer (died 1945) 16 December — J. D. Rees, colonial administrator (died 1922)