History of the Language Timeline

8th century Offa’s Dyke built – recognising the border between the Britons (Cymry) and the Anglo-Saxons

900-950 Hywel Dda – Welsh law written down

1176 first National Eisteddfod

1257 English king Henry III recognises Llywelyn ap Gruffudd as Prince of Wales

1284 Statute of Rhuddlan – conquest of Wales

1404-12 Owain Glyndŵr – Prince of Wales

1536 Act of Union & Annexation

1567 William Salesbury’s New Testament published

1588 Bishop William Morgan’s Welsh Bible published

1630 Beibl Bach, first Welsh language Bible for private homes, published with the support of the Myddelton family.

18th century Welsh Methodist Revival – Welsh used in chapel

1839-44 Rebecca Riots against tolls and rural poverty

1847 Treason of the Blue Books – rise in national feeling in Wales

1858 Eisteddfod Fawr Llangollen – Welsh cultural leaders decide to revive national eisteddfod tradition

1861 First modern National Eisteddfod held in Aberdare

1880 National Eisteddfod Society formed

1886 Welsh Liberals found Cymru Fydd to campaign for home rule

1911, 1969 Modern investitures of the Princes of Wales

1914 Welsh Church Act – Church of England no longer the state religion in Wales

1922 Foundation of the Urdd Gobaith Cymru (Welsh Youth Movement)

1939 First Welsh language state primary school

1955 First Welsh language state secondary school

1955 Cardiff made official capital of Wales

1962 Saunders Lewis’s lecture ‘The Fate of the Language’ encourages the formation of the Welsh Language Society

1962 Welsh Language Society formed

1967, 1993 Welsh Language Acts

1967 Welsh recognised by the legal system

1979 Wales votes against devolution

1982 S4C starts broadcasting

1993 Welsh given equal status to English in public life in Wales

1997 Wales votes narrowly for devolution

You can download a series of maps of Wales showing:

History of the Language - PDF format 211Kb

Wales & Slavery - PDF format 189Kb

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