Rebecca Riots Homepage

On the night of 6th June 1839 the tollgate at Efailwen was destroyed and the tollhouse set on fire. To this day we don’t know who carried out this act of destruction. Those who took part had blackened faces and a number wore women’s clothes.

This was the second time in as many months, that the tollgate and house at Efailwen had been attacked. The incidents marked the start of a series of events, which spread to many communities in Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire, known as the Rebecca Riots.

The Rebecca Riots provided a powerful expression of the community’s cultural identity and the image of Rebecca pervades the life of those who live in this area today.