Gossip in the First Decade of Victoria's ReignAshton, John
History
Gossip in the First Decade of Victoria's Reign
Ashton, John
Great Britain -- Social life and customs -- 19th century
“This system has continued for a length of time; and, although a
reward of £50 has been offered, not one of the offenders has been
discovered. About 100 constables have been sworn in, and three
constables from London are down there; but all precautions are
ineffectual; for so surely as the constables show the slightest
diminution of their vigilance, Rebecca and her daughters appear, and
level the gates. A very short time ago, the policemen were after a
fellow whom they suspected to belong to the gang and, while at a
public house, baiting their horse, Rebecca and her daughters suddenly
came in sight, and the affrighted officers of the law were obliged to
fly for their lives. The gates have now been re-erected, and no
fresh act of violence has occurred since the 16th ult., but the
organisation of the depredators still continues; and, it is feared,
will break out with fresh violence if the constabulary force be
removed.”
That this movement was serious and no joke, is evidenced by the fact that
I have, in my notes, 45 paragraphs in the _Times_ on the subject.
From Pembroke and Caermarthen, it gradually spread to Cardiganshire, on
one side, and to Radnorshire and Glamorganshire, on the other.
Brecknockshire, alone of the South Wales counties, enjoyed exemption from
these disturbances. The destruction which the rioters effected in some
of these districts was most extensive and unsparing. There were, at the
time of the outbreak, between 100 and 150 gates, including side bars and
chains, in the county of Caermarthen; of these, no less than between 70
and 80 were destroyed, the toll-houses, as well as the gates and posts,
being, in many cases, razed to the ground; in some trusts not a single
gate was left standing. In Pembrokeshire, and in one of the divisions of
Cardiganshire, the destruction was carried on in the same wholesale
manner. The trustees, at first, re-erected the gates which had been
broken down, but they were again as speedily demolished by the rioters;
again they were rebuilt, and again they were levelled with the ground.
The trustees were, at length, compelled to desist, and the roads were
left free of toll. None of these counties, except Glamorgan, possessed a
paid constabulary, or any other force which could be of avail in checking
the proceedings of the rioters; and the magistrates finding all local
efforts unavailing, were obliged to appeal to Government for protection
and support.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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