Letter from Colonel Trevor (Lord Dynevor) to [?William Chambers], 19 July 1844 [page 1 of 3]

Description

Description by George Eyre Evans:

"A Rebecca leader." [mentioned in this letter] was David Evans, who at the Summer Assizes, opened before Sir Robert Monsy Rolfe, at Carmarthen on 13 July, 1844, was tried for being concerned in pulling down and destroying Llanfihangel-ar-Arth Gate on 16 July, and found "guilty of being in the company, but not guilty of demolishing." On Wednesday, 17 July, he was again tried for destroying Gwarallt Gate. The jury, having been locked up all night not agreeing, the Judge ordered the prisoner to be discharged, but told him that he might be called again at the next or any Assizes to be tried for the same offence before another jury."

Transcription:

"Hyde Park Gardens,
19 July, 1844.

My dear Sir,

The account is correct you send me as to 10s. being due for the conveyance of the Troop carriage from Swansea to Llanelly. Will you be kind enough to pay the money and remind me to pay it you again.

I am sorry to have missed seeing you at Carmarthen, though we had but little business. I am sorry to say our Petty Jury disgraced themselves most terribly in acquitting a Rebecca leader, in spite of his own acknowledgment of having been present at the time a Toll-house was destroyed, on which occasion two witnesses swore he was actively engaged. He said "I did no more that the others" who, however, pulled the house down amongst them.

Yours truly,
Geo. Rice Trevor."

[Source: George Eyre Evans, 'Rebecca Riots: Unpublished letters, 1843-44', The Transcations of the Carmarthenshire Antiquarian Society and Field Club, vol. XXIII, pp. 76-77]