From the Monmouthshire Merlin:
Rebeccaism in Wales.
Destruction of Dolehirion Gate, near Llandovery.
This gate was demolished some time since, and subsequently replaced by
another; but as Rebecca had given intimation of intention to destroy the
second gate, it was considered prudent to have a guard of constables to
protect it.
At day-light, on , the constables went home, but
scarcely had they left, when the Rebeccaites came and demolished the gate, and
were in the act of unroofing the gate house, when the chief constable, who had
received information of the outrage, galloped back to the gate, when the
Rebeccaites all scampered off. The policemen, however, identified two of them,
named Thomas Morgan and Thomas Lewis, who were subsequently apprehended, and
committed to take their trial for the offence.
From the Monmouthshire Merlin (Henry Tobit Evans dates the described attack to ):
Rebecca in Breconshire.
We regret to state that the exemption from the prevailing outrages, hitherto
enjoyed by this county, exists no longer, an attack having been made last week
upon the Cefn Llandewi gate, upon the road leading from Llandovery to Builth,
and situate about a mile and a half from the village of Llangamarch. Its
destruction was effected by a party of men, who fastened the door of the
toll-house, and threatened the gate-keeper with destruction if he ventured
out. At a meeting of magistrates held at Brecon on Saturday, it was determined
to re-erect the gate, and to send a party of the Brecon borough police to
watch it; and accordingly three men went over on Monday, but before they could
reach the spot, the Rebeccaites, who, by some means had ascertained that
something of the kind would be done, set fire to the house in the absence of
the keeper, who of course did not venture to stay on the spot alone after the
previous outrage. A large reward has been offered for the apprehension of the
guilty parties, and on Wednesday last a meeting of the magistrates was held at
the Shire Hall, Brecon, to take the affair into consideration at which Colonel
Wood, M.P.
for the county, the Lord Lieutenant, the High Sheriff, the
Rev. Lord Hereford, and a
large body of influential countrymen attended. Resolutions were passed
expressive of the regret and disappointment produced by such an outrage after
the conciliatory measures voluntarily adopted by the turnpike trustees, and of
a determination to use all possible means for the discovery of the offenders;
they also requested the support and co-operation of all classes in sustaining
the laws and suppression of outrages. The police still remain at Llangamarch,
and we understand that a meeting of the inhabitants of that district has been
convened for the purpose of recording their abhorrence of such violations of
the law. — Silurian.
