Rebecca Riots in Wales 1842-1844

Inspiration for the The Rebecca Riots of 1842-44 probably came from similar rioting in Wales during 1839. The riots began as a rural protest against increased tolls introduced by the turnpike trusts responsible for the maintenance of roads in West Wales. Dressed up in women's clothing, gangs of men made surprise nighttime attacks on tollgates, destroying them with axes and torches. The leader of the raid would be referred to as "Rebecca" and his followers were known as "daughters". It is believed the origin of "Rebecca" was the biblical quote: And they blessed Rebekah, and said to her, "Our sister, be the mother of thousands of ten thousands; and may your descendants possess the gate of those who hate them!" (Genesis 24:60).

The first Rebecca riot took place sometime in 1842; during the winter and spring of 1843 attacks on tollgates spread. The employment of Special Constables failed to contain the violence in West Wales. On June 19, 1843, Rebeccaites marched into the town of Carmarthen where they attacked the Carmarthen Workhouse and burned it down. As many as 2000 people took part in this protest, including some of the impoverished townsfolk. This incident marked a broadening of the protest beyond the destruction of tollgates.

British authorities responded with the deployment of a large number of troops to the area and an investigation of the turnpike trusts was launched. Local clergy spoke out against the violence. In July 1843 Thomas Campbell Foster, a reporter for The Times who managed to attend some nighttime meetings of the Rebeccaites, noted that the mood of the peasants was changing. Most farmers now favored protesting peacefully in the open and during the daytime.

While the riots in the rural areas of West Wales ended about this time, Rebecca rioting had already spread to industrial South East Carmarthenshire and West Glamorgan. Urban workers became involved in the riots. Generally, the level of violence was increasing and spreading to targets other than tollgates. Workhouses, salmon weirs, as well as the property of landowners, clergymen, solicitors and almost anyone else who had somehow offended one of the Rebeccaites, were all subject to attack.

On the evening of September 6, 1843, at the village of Pontardulais, a gang of more than 100 Rebeccaites intended to attack the tollgate. Authorities had been warned about the attack and lay in wait. Captain Charles Napier of the Glamorgan Constabulary, leading a small number of policemen and soldiers challenged the rioters who fired shots at them for about 10 minutes and then tried to escape. Seven of the rioters, including the leader John Hughs, were arrested. This was the first time anyone had been apprehended by authorities for involvement in the Rebecca Riots.

Among the ringleaders of the "Rebecca" movement in West Glamorgan were John Jones and David Davies. These two men were probably involved in the attack on the Hendy Toll House on the following Saturday ( September 16, 1843). During this raid, the toll keeper, 75-year-old Sarah Davies, was killed. This was the first and only death resulting from the Rebecca Riots. The murder led to a loss of popular support for the Rebeccaites. In addition the government had sent 150 more policemen from London and additional troops into the West Wales area, more farmers were agreeing to be sworn as Special Constables and higher rewards were being offered for information about the rioters. Jones and Davies were ultimately arrested, tried and convicted, along with some of their followers.

A Commission of Enquiry was set up in October 1843 under the chairmanship of Thomas Frankland Lewis and its report was published in March 1844. The report made recommendations for reforming the turnpike trusts, including the equalization of tolls and the setting up of Road Boards in each county to take control of the roads. By this time, the "Rebecca" riots had subsided. The raids stopped entirely later in the year, after turnpike trust laws were amended and the number of tollgates was reduced. By the end of the riots about 120 tollgates and other targets had been destroyed.

References

Encyclopedia of World History, 557-8; Dictionary of Wars, 388; South Wales Police: The Rebecca Riots; The Rebecca Riots; A Report on the Turnpike Trusts; Gathering the Jewels: The Rebecca Riots.

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