Swansea Connection - Rebecca Riots

 Just for Fun. A starters for 10. Who is Rebecca and what’s the connection between Dylan Thomas and Wynford Vaughan-Thomas?

During the turbulent period of 1839 – 1843, we can see what the effect the turnpike gates had around South Wales. At this time, the agricultural communities were in a dire situation; the bad weather of 1837/38 caused the farms to produce poor harvests, which affected the rising cost of butter and sheep. The following years the prices in the agricultural market fell, and Robert Peel’s government was blamed for cheap imported cattle and food stock.

To add insult to injury, the Turnpike Trusts, imposed extortionate tolls, on the toll gates, and during the 1830s a group of English toll-renters took over this region’s trusts.

Things came to a head during 1839, with the first appearance of ‘Rebecca’. The name ‘Rebecca‘ was that of the mythical leader. ‘She‘ had helpers like ‘Charlotte‘, ‘Nelly’ and ‘Miss Cromwell‘ and followers or daughters. The name came from the Bible, ‘And they blessed Rebekah, and said unto her, Thou art our sister, by thou the mother of thousands of millions and let thy seed possess the gate of those that hate them’ (Genesis 24 Verse 60). The toll gates were seen as the property of the gentry (‘those that hate them’) as they were often the trustees of the turnpikes. The gates became a symbol of many different discontents about the land and the church. The rioters wore women’s clothes and blackened their faces for disguise, but also perhaps to suggest the idea that women were entitled to act to defend their families. Normally respectable people may have felt that in disguise they were symbolising their community rather than breaking the law as an individual.

The riots began in Efailwen, Carmarthenshire; the early attacks were sporadic isolated outbursts, occurring around South Wales.

The Rebecca Riots concluded on 6th July 1843, when around 150-200 rioters attacked the Pontardulais gate, and several rioters were captured. The main trouble-makers were tried and convicted and transported to Australia. One of the JPs sitting in judgement was Lewis Llewellyn Dillwyn. It is his daughter, Amy, who wrote The Rebecca Rioter, 1880.

Sketty Toll Gate House,

One rioter who slipped away on the night at Pontarddulais was Daniel Lewis. His grandson was journalist Wynford Vaughan-Thomas, who had a remarkable career as a journalist. In answer to the first question, what’s the connection between Dylan and Wynford? Wynford was taught English by D.J. Thomas, Dylan’s father, at Swansea Grammar School which became part of the now close Mount Pleasant campus. Dylan wrote the screenplay for Rebecca’s Daughters in 1948, but it was 44 years before Karl Francis directed the film in 1992.

Here’s another little mystery for you to solve.

At one time there was a memorial plaque to David Vaughan Thomas – pictured left – (father of Wynford) on a house of the same name in Walter Road; it has disappeared. Anyone know where it is?