The Rebecca Riots
At the middle of the 19th Century, toll roads, called
Turnpike roads provided the transport infastructure. They were
paid for by Trusts, who had the right to levy tolls for usage,
and several toll houses can still be seen in Lampeter and the
surrounding area. the trusts were unpopular, as they had a tendency
to put many toll gates on routes that were used by farmers causing
them to pay an unfair amount. This anger spilled over into violence
in Wales in 1839 when toll gates were burned by men dressed
as women, and calling themselves the "Daughters of Rebecca"
The night of August 1st 1843 was the first, and
indeed only attack in Lampeter, and was described in "The Welshman",
a pro-Rebecca paper, as follows,
At Lampeter on Tuesday night, the
Rebeccaites made a great demonstration. They mustered to the
number of about 450 and were preceeded with a band of music.
They demolished the Pontfaen gate about 200 yards from Lampeter
and then marched therough the town to the Maesyfelin gate, which
they broke into pieces, after that they returned through the
town and broke the Pound Gate, errected in the Parish road leading
to Llanfair, the fragments of this gate were thrown into the
river Teify over Lampeter Bridge. The Cellan gate was the next
to be demolished and the destruction of Gat Fach, the Cwmmann
Gate, concluded the night's work. There was not much secrecy
displayed in these operation, the gatemen in every instance
been warned of their approach. All the demonstrators were armed
and fired volleys into the air while marching. There were six
gates destroyed during the night in or near Lampeter. The Rebeccaites
in procession passed repeatedly through the the town without
a shot fired in anger," |
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