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The TragedyThe Rebecca Riots were Chief Constable CharlesNapier and his Glamorgan Constabulary’s firsttest of maintaining public order.

The riots erupted spasmodically throughout WestWales in the early 1840s, and voiced farmers’ outrageagainst economic and agrarian depression followingthe end of the Napoleanic Wars.

Employment that depended on the ongoing war hadceased, so workers in industrial areas returned totheir country homes. The introduction of machineryalso exacerbated the situation.

A succession of poor harvests in the countrysidecombined with the heavy taxation necessary to offsethuge National debt and the unpopular tithe system (atax on land that was often paid to wealthy Englishspeaking Landowners in addition to rent), resulted interrible hardship and destitution.

This desperate situation was further aggravated by thereform of the Poor Laws. The Poor Laws originatefrom the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. They stated thatresponsibility for assisting the poor fell entirely on theparish. Relief varied according to the generosity ofindividual parishes and the efficiency of overseeingmagistrates, but the sums given were small and usuallyawarded for a specific purpose.

During 1770 and 1815, Poor Law taxes increased byover 400%. This resulted in relief becomingstringently applied. Any items belonging to the sickand old that could be sold were seized. Paupers'possessions were sold on death and the money usedfor parish funds. Expectant mothers were forciblyremoved from parishes.

In 1832, the Government reformed the Poor Law andworkhouses were built to house the destitute inappalling conditions. Men, women and children wereseparated on entering the workhouses. No oneoutside the workhouse system was allowed relief.

In Carmarthen for example, the Times Newspaperreported that prisoners in the town's jail were betterfed than those in the workhouse. Tolls set up tocharge farmers for the privilege of using poorly

maintained roads became the focus of people’s anger.In response, the farmers went on night raids at tollgates and houses, dressed as women.

RebeccaThe farmers used a biblical quote to explain whythey dressed as women – they were acting thepart of the biblical figure Rebecca as theyattacked the toll gates.The origin of Rebecca is in the Old Testament GenesisXXIV 60:

“And they blessed Rebekah and said unto her, let thyseed possess the gates of those which hate them"

The farmers would act out a scene before destroyingthe gates. This would involve the farmers' leader, a‘blind old woman’, dismounting from a horse andhobbling towards a toll gate. The farmer would ask hisfollowers, also dressed as women:

"What is this my children? There is something in myway. I cannot go on."

"What is it, mother Rebecca? Nothing should stand inyour way," would come the reply.

TheRebecca Riots 1840s

"I do not know my children. I am old and cannot seewell."

"Shall we come and move it out of your way, motherRebecca?"

"Wait!," replied "Rebecca," "It feels like a big gate putacross the road to stop your old mother."

"We will break it down, mother. Nothing should standin your way."

"Perhaps it will open....Oh my dear children, it islocked and bolted. What can be done?"

"It must be taken down, mother. You and yourchildren must be able to pass."

The command, "Off with it then, my children," wouldherald the destruction of the gate with hatchets byseveral of Rebecca's many followers.

The first Rebecca Riot took place at the Toll Gate inEfailwen, with a burly farmer called Twm Carnabethtaking the part of Rebecca.

Maintaining Law and OrderThe farmers took a tremendous risk by rioting,as hanging was the punishment in those days. Fortunately, there was no police force in West Wales.Indeed, there was no police force in the whole ofWales with the notable exception of Glamorganshire.

Special Constables were sworn in to keep the peacewherever possible and the military were used as a lastresort.

The forces of Law and Order found it difficult toovercome the problems of policing large rural areas.False information was frequently passed to themilitary to lead them away from the scene of thefarmers' next target.

Rebecca could, and did, appear anywhere.

The increasing violence, particularly the attack on theCarmarthen Workhouse, led to a large number oftroops becoming resident in the area. TheGovernment sent Commissioners to enquire into thetoll gate system and the Nonconformist Church statedthat whilst they supported the aims of the Rebeccaitesthey could not condone their rioting.

These measures led to a change of mood amongst thefarmers of West Wales and their protests becamemore peaceful.

The Rebecca Riots though were not over though,whilst the rioting now largely ceased in the rural areasof West Wales, they increased in industrial South EastCarmarthenshire and in West Glamorgan.

The first attacks in Pontardulais and Llangyfelach atGlamorgan took place in 1843, and at Llanelli inCarmarthenshire.

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Rebecca and her daughter breaking down a toll gate, "Illustrated London News", 1843

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