1888 in Wales

Centuries:	17th; 18th; 19th; 20th; 21st;
Decades:	1860s; 1870s; 1880s; 1890s; 1900s;
See also:	List of years in Wales; 1888 in The United Kingdom Ireland Scotland

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1888 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

May — Owen Glynne Jones climbs Cadair Idris by the east ridge of the Cyfrwy.
13 May — The young Beatrix Potter records a trip to Machynlleth in her diary.
14 May — Five miners are killed in an accident at the Aber Colliery, Porth, Rhondda.
August — Joshua Hughes, Bishop of St Asaph, has a seizure while staying in Scotland, and is paralysed until his death a few months later.^[1]
27 September — New dock at Milford Haven opened.
5 October — Five sailors are drowned at Colwyn Bay while returning to their ship by boat.
University of Wales, Bangor, opens its agriculture department — the first in a British university.
The Welsh Parliamentary Liberal Party is formed.
Opening of the Dowlais steelworks at East Moors, Cardiff.
Henry Morton Stanley "discovers" Lake Edward and names it after the Prince of Wales.
R. J. Lloyd Price opens a whisky distillery at Frongoch.
Llantwit Major Roman Villa is discovered.
A Welsh Presbyterian Chapel opens in Charing Cross Road, London.

Daniel Owen — Y Siswrn
J. Rhys — Lectures of the Origin and Growth of Religion as Illustrated by Celtic

Cricket — Glamorgan County Cricket Club founded.
Golf — Tenby Links becomes the first golf course in Wales. The first competition held by the club is held on 25 October over 9 holes and is won by Mr T A Rees
Rugby union
- Briton Ferry RFC, Builth Wells RFC, Llantrisant RFC, Newbridge RFC and Tonna RFC are founded.
- Willie Thomas is the only Welsh international to take part in the first overseas tour by a British rugby union team.
- Wales win their first international game against Scotland, during the 1888 Home Nations Championship.
- Wales face their first international opposition, the New Zealand Native football team. Wales win by a goal to nil.

February — Grace Wynne Griffiths, novelist (died 1963)
23 March - Fred Hando, writer and artist (died 1970)
29 April - Fred Dyer, Boxer and baritone singer
14 May — Nansi Richards, harpist (died 1979)
21 May — William Cove, politician (died 1963)
24 May — Howell Lewis, Wales international rugby player (died 1971)
16 August — T. E. Lawrence, writer and war hero (died 1935)
24 August — Valentine Baker, pilot and war hero (died 1942)
5 September — Rhys Hopkin Morris, politician (died 1956)
19 October — Peter Freeman, politician (died 1956)
27 November — Ezer Griffiths, physicist (died 1962)
29 December — Reg Plummer, Wales and British Lion rugby union player (died 1953)

23 February — Evan Davies (Myfyr Morganwg), poet and archdruid, 87
29 February — Thomas Price, Baptist minister and author, 67
7 March — Hugh Hughes (Cadfan), Patagonian colonist, 63
16 March — Thomas Thomas, chapel architect and minister, c. 81
22 March — Henry Robertson, Scottish engineer and founder of Brymbo Steel Works, 72
7 June — Charles William Nevill, industrialist and politician, 72
2 August — David Davies (Dewi Emlyn), poet, 70
5 August — Charles Octavius Swinnerton Morgan, politician, historian and antiquary, 84
20 August — Henry Richard, politician and peace campaigner, 76
20 September - Elias Owen, footballer, 35 (suicide)^[2]
date unknown — John Evans (Y Bardd Cocos), poet