The Rebecca riots were a series of disturbances and direct action that spread across south-west Wales in the early 1840s. They were carried out by local farmers, workers and others who dressed in dramatic costumes and acted under the symbolic leadership of “Rebecca”.
This talk will look at the success of the rioters in resisting the imposition of tolls on road travel, for which they are best remembered. But it will also show that “Rebeccaism” was a wide-ranging popular movement, generated by the social, political and economic turbulence of the early industrial era and a remote and neglectful ruling class.
Rhian’s recent historical works include: Petticoat Heroes: Gender, Culture and Popular Protest in the Rebecca Riots (2016), and Rebecca’s Country: A Welsh Story of Riot and Resistance (2024), both published by University of Wales Press.
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