The on-line version of the Cambrian’s account of the attack on the Pontardulais gate (in the issue) is, unfortunately, poorly-scanned. I’ll see how much of it I can recover:
Conflict between the Rebeccaites and the Constables.
Seven of the Former Taken Prisoners, and Two Dangerously Wounded.
Information was received by the authorities on
, that an attack upon the
Pontardulais gate had been contemplated, and was to be carried into effect
during the night. A force of Rural Police, consisting of Mr. Superintendent
Peake, two sergeants, and four policemen, proceeded towards that place. They
were soon afterwards [join]ed by
Capt. Napier, J.D. Llewelyn,
and L.Ll. Dillwyn, Esqrs.,
and accompanied by Matthew Moggridge,
Esq., and [Mr.?] Attwood. When
about two or three fields distant from Pontardulais, they heard the firing of
guns, rockets, the blowing of horns, and the noise of a great number of
horses, [more] resembling a cavalry regiment than a party of Rebeccaites. It
is stated, that with the blowing of ox-horns, tin-[horns], and different other
wind instruments, in addition to [?] feigned voices — resembling a host of
old market-women, they made a most hideous and indescribable noise. The
[party] came from the direction of Llanon. After having given three cheers,
when opposite the Pontardulais Inn, they arrived at the gate, which is but a
short distance from the Inn. They commenced an attack upon it with saws,
[?]ges, &c.,
and soon succeeded in breaking down the gate, as well as the side-rails, and
also had commenced demolishing the house, having broken the windows, and a
portion of the corner of the house nearest the Inn; they had also knocked in
the door, but the posts had not been cut down. When the work of destruction
had proceeded thus far, the magistrates and the Police, who were well armed,
advanced. The number of Rebeccaites assembled at this time was estimated to
consist of 150 to 200 persons, the majority of whom were on horseback. They
were all disguised, many of them having their faces blackened, and dressed in
women’s clothes; others wore bonnets, white shirts, and some appeared with
their coats turned. Becca, on this occasion, was mounted, and wore a large
white cloak. When the police appeared, the rioters immediately fired a volley
at them, but, fortunately, without effect. The police immediately fired in
return. The distance between the constables and the rioters did not now exceed
ten to fifteen yards. A desperate conflict ensued, which lasted about fifteen
minutes, when the mob commenced retreating and flying all directions. The
groans of several of the wounded were distinctly heard.
The mob having dispersed, it was found that three of them had been captured,
together with their horses, and among them the renowned Rebecca, who was
found dangerously wounded on the bridge. He was dressed in female [attire],
with bonnet, veil,
&c., in
addition to which his face was blackened. His name is David Hughes, the son of
a [farmer] residing in the neighbourhood of Llanon. Another person, named John
Jones, was also dangerously wounded.
In the course of quarter of an hour the Dragoons, who had been dispatched from
Swansea, arrived. Four of the rioters, who attempted to make their escape,
were also apprehended, having been met by a party of Dragoons, who were
coming from Llanelly. The four were secured, and brought back to Pontardulais,
but were subsequently taken to Llanelly, while the three prisoners who were
captured by the police during the conflict, were brought to Swansea in a
phæton; they arrived about . A number of horns, two guns, two sledge-hammers, and
the various other implements of war which were taken from the rioters, were
deposited in the Station-house, together with the white cloak worn by
Rebecca, and the shirt worn by the other wounded man, which were literally
dyed with blood.
It has been stated to us, that the rioters had placed sentinels on horseback,
in several parts of the road, at distances [of] two miles from the gate,
expecting that the Dragoons [would] be their pursuers, but their tactics
were entirely [muffled], as the Magistrates and Police proceeded across the
fields, which could not have been well done by horsemen.
The wounded men were immediately attended to by
Dr. Bird, who ordered them to
be conveyed on stretchers to the Infirmary of the Swansea House of Correction.
Both of them are in a very precarious — some say, dying state. It appeared
that David Hughes had received a gunshot in the left arm, on the outside of
the elbow joint. The ball, which was quite flattened when extracted, had
passed upwards from the elbow, shattering the bone of the arm at its lower
[end], and was extracted at the back part of the same arm, midway between the
shoulder and elbow; he had also a contused wound on the head. There is doubt
as to the possibility of eventually saving the wounded arm of this man. John
Jones, the other wounded man, is also in a very precarious state. He had
received several wounds in the back, which appear to have been inflicted by
shot, or slugs, a circumstance which proves that, by their unskilfulness and
want of order, the rioters fired at each other, for the police used neither
slugs nor shot. Jones has also been stabbed, and had three wounds on the head,
which had been apparently inflicted with swords. He is in a very low and
depressed state, and Dr. Bird
is fearful some of the slugs or shot might have passed into the large cavities
of the body, but there was no further evidence of that than the exhausted and
depressed powers of life evinced in the man.
In the pocket of the leader were found a quantity of percussion-caps, powder,
&c., and about
3l. in money, and the
following Becca notice:– “Daniel Jones, of Brynhir — Meet [us] at Llan, on
; if you don’t, this shall
be your last notice. –Becca.”
It appears that all the persons who composed the mob had come from
Carmarthenshire. — The conduct of the small police force, in opposition to so
numerous a mob, has excited considerable astonishment and admiration.
Examination of the Prisoners at Llanelly.
The following magistrates met at the Union House, R.J. Nevill, J.H. Rees, and
Wm. Chambers,
Esqrs., when the following
prisoners were brought before them:– William Hugh, a lad of 15 years of age,
the son of a very respectable farmer of Talyclew, dressed in woman’s
clothes — Thomas Williams, a servant to a farmer at Llangennech — Henry
Rogers, a farm servant at Pennllwyngwyn, and Lewis Davies, farmer, of Scybor
Ucha, near Pontarddulais. It having been explained to them, in Welsh, that
they were brought up for the purpose of hearing the evidence that would be
adduced against them.
Mr. Wm. Chambers,
jun., was sworn as the first
witness, and deposed as follows:– I am a justice of the peace acting for this
county. I received information that there was to be an attack made last night
upon the Pontarddulais and Hendy Bridge gates; and in consequence of such
information, I applied to
Capt. Scott of the
76th Regiment of Foot, stationed here, to furnish
me with a sufficient number of soldiers to protect the Hendy gate. He did so,
and we proceeded accordingly; and at about
, having
arrived at the wooden bridge over the Gwilly on the railway, we saw a rocket
fired. Previous to our reaching this bridge, we had concealed the soldiers.
The rocket was fired in the direction between Mynydd Sylen and Llanedy. We
had between twenty and thirty soldiers with us. The rocket appeared as if it
came from the bogs at Llanon. We went on until we arrived near the Gwilly
bridge, which is between the Hendy gate and Pontarddulais, and when there we
heard the blowing of horns, which were sounded to one particular note, which
was repeated several times. In the course of four or five seconds after the
last blow of the horn, we heard the report of fire arms in the direction of
the Pontarddulais gait. All this while, the soldiers were still concealed
under the side of the hedge, and I was in advance of where they were about one
hundred yards. Hearing the firearms, I immediately returned to the soldiers,
and got them to move into the field, in which I was, south to the railway,
and requested
Capt. Scott to order his men
to load, which they did, and fixed their bayonets. We then proceeded with all
haste to very near the wooden bridge over the Gwilly. When we had arrived
there I divided the men into two
parties — Capt. Scott and
myself, and put the other under the charge of Mr. Payne, with directions that
he should go, as we were going, under cover of the hedges, and cut off the
retreat of the people from the Hendy Bridge towards Llanelly. The firing which
we heard continued from about seven to ten minutes, pretty rapidly, for during
that time I should say that there were from seventy to eighty shots fired. Not
being aware that any of the police were near the Pontardulais gate, I thought
the firing to be a sort of feu-de-joie, which such persons
do according to their usual practice when they have destroyed a gate. After
they had destroyed the Pontardulais gate, I fully anticipated an attack would
be made on the Hendy Bridge gate, my information leading me to suppose that
they were both to be attacked. While we were there, I saw a man coming down
the railway — he was not running, but walking very fast; at this time the
soldiers were hid, and only one of us could be seen at a time. With the
assistance of Capt. Scott, I
caught hold of the man by the collar — the prisoner now present, Lewis Davies,
is the man. He was dressed in his usual dress, but he had the upper part of
his face blacked, and the lower part done with red ochre; he had a straw hat
on. As soon as he was taken, he put his head down, and his right hand up, and
put something under the tail of his coat. I immediately put my hand under, and
drew forth the woman’s cap now produced. I then left him in charge of Sergeant
Gibb, with one or two men, and ran, as fast as I could, up towards the
turnpike-road, between Pontardulais and Llanelly, which position was east of
the Hendy gate. I got the soldiers up into the position, and put them under
the hedge separating the field from the road. I then heard some people coming
along the road, and moved towards Pontardulais, beyond the soldiers, to peep
over the hedge, and see who they were, as they appeared to me to be going in
the direction from Hendy gate to Pontardulais; they were three or four. The
moon shone brightly, and I fancy they saw the edge of my hat over the hedge,
for they immediately whispered and turned back, and the boy prisoner,
Wm. Hugh, who was disguised in
woman’s clothes, got over the gate into the field where we were; but as soon
as he saw the soldiers he turned back again, and ran in the direction of Hendy
Bridge gate. The soldiers followed him, and some of them caught him at the
bottom of the hill. Two others went up the road, towards Pontardulais, and
another over the hedge, towards the farm. I was following them, but hearing
the boy shrieking out, I ran back in that direction, to prevent his making any
more noise. He was much frightened, and I told him not to be frightened, and
he should not be hurt. I also asked him who he was. He was disguised in
woman’s apparel, and his face was covered with black. He told me his name was
Hugh, and that his father had just got over the hedge, and a servant-boy,
whose name he mentioned. When I first caught him, I thought he was a girl, but
on observing he had a trousers on, I saw he was a boy. Just before these
people came up the road, I heard a noise in the direction of Swansea, which I
thought was that of carriages bringing up the troops, but soon found it was
the galloping of cavalry. I then said to
Capt. Scott, it is no use our
waiting here, and I made as quick an advance as possible in the direction of
Pontardulais along the turnpike road — the boy being left a prisoner in
charge of Sergeant Gibb. When we arrived at Pontardulais, I saw the dragoons
gallop up just as we turned the corner. They took us for a body of the
Rebeccaites coming back to the gate and were about to charge us, but we
called out “Halt!” and some of the men presented bayonets, when we said we
were friends. We went on to the Pontardulais gate, and found the gate was
entirely destroyed, the toll-board destroyed, shot marks on the top of the
windows, and the inside gutted. There were three men lying handcuffed on the
floor. I know it to be a dwelling-house. I then recognised a number of
Glamorganshire Magistrates, and
Capt. Napier, and some of the
Rural Police. I was asked to go as a Carmarthenshire Magistrate, and search
some of the houses up the hill towards Llanon, where I heard there were a
number of men who had escaped, but who were wounded. I did not find any, but
there was plenty of time for them to be removed. I then returned home. I
forgot to say that in returning, the boy Hugh said to me, I have thrown my
horn away into the hedge. I returned and searched the hedge for it, and found
a cow’s horn [horn produced], which, at my request, the boy blew for me.
Henry Gibb sworn:– I am a sergeant in the 76th
Foot. Last night I was out with the soldiers and the Magistrates. I had one
of the prisoners given to my charge. I heard a shrieking in the field, and
some men running. On looking down the road, I saw the two prisoners Henry
Rogers and Thomas Williams walk up the railroad very fast. I took them into
custody, and told them they were to fall in with the rest, and stand at ease.
They said they had not done any harm. I asked them what they were doing, and
told them I would let them go free if they would tell where the rest were
gone. They said they had only been out to look at it.
Rebecca notices were served calling upon the people to assemble on
near Llanon. The police
having got hold of one of them, the most judicious steps were taken by
Capt. Napier to apprehend the
rioters. The police were concealed in a field within a hundred yards of the
Pontarddulais gate. At about on the night in question, the Rebeccaites assembled in a
long body near Llanon, The Rebecca who is shot was dressed in bonnet and veil,
&c., armed
with a gun and mounted on a horse. As they marched along, they kept blowing
their horns and firing their guns. An eye witness says, there were at least
one hundred horses, who were marching in regular procession, most of them
having two people on each — the procession being headed by Rebecca, and all
her daughters being disguised in white dresses, bonnets, and caps. Upon their
arriving near Pontarddulais they were heard by the gatekeeper, who states that
the gate had been “threatened” for some time past, and about
he was
alarmed by shouts and the firing of guns. They were about a mile off when he
first heard them. He immediately removed the rest of his furniture into the
garden at the back of his house, which he thus saved. When he saw the mob at
the top of the hill coming down towards him, he felt much alarmed, and ran to
hide himself in a field about one hundred yards from the gate. Arriving at the
gate, they immediately proceeded to pull it down: one gate was broken to
pieces, and also the rails on each side of the gate-posts. The windows and
door of the house were smashed in, and the inside completely gutted; a part of
the wall of the house was also pulled down, shewing that a few minutes longer
would have sufficed to raze it to the ground; there are also a great quantity
of bullet marks about the windows and front part of the house. When they got
thus far, Captain Napier, whose great object was to capture the ringleader and
others while actually engaged in the work, rushed, together with his men, from
their hiding place, and commanded them to desist; but, in attempting to
capture some of them, was immediately fired upon, and a desperate struggle
ensued, during which the horse of Rebecca was shot, and she also wounded in
the arm, besides wounding another man, who is taken, and several who made
their escape. The Rebeccaites then soon fled, leaving three of their body, two
of whom were seriously wounded, in the hands of the police. At this moment, a
part of the 76th Regiment, under the command of
Capt. Scott, accompanied by
Mr. W. Chambers, jun., arrived
from Llanelly, having taken four prisoners while fleeing. In four or five
minutes afterwards the Dragoons, commanded by
Capt. Fane, came up. The
Rebeccaites had in the meanwhile fled in the direction of Llanedy and Llanon
carrying their wounded with them.
On being asked what he had to say in self-defence, Lewis Davies made a long
statement, the substance of which was that he was compelled to accompany the
mob by threats from ten or twelve persons, who called for him, with guns,
&c., on the
night in question.
The prisoner, Henry Rogers, said he was a farm servant at Penllwyngwyn, and
only went to see the mob.
Thomas Williams, servant to John Thomas, Llangennech Mill, said that he
accompanied Rogers to see them, and was apprehended in returning home.
William Hugh said that while he was in bed, a crowd of persons came to his
house at Talyclew, and compelled him to go with them. He preceded to put on
his own clothes, and they dressed him in women’s clothes, and put in his hand
the horn which was found with him. When an opportunity offered, he turned
back, and in crossing a gate, met the soldiers, who apprehended him.
The inquiry was then adjourned: and the further examination of the prisoners
will be held at Swansea, where, they arrived .
The first witness for the prosecution was the son of one of the magistrates judging the examination? Nice.
