Welsh Journals

THE CARMARTHEN RIOTS OF 18311 FROM the last months of 1830 until the summer of 1832 Britain passed through what has become known as 'the Reform crisis'. At certain times during this crisis it seemed to some observers that the country was on the brink of a revolution. In Wales there was considerable industrial violence. The great issue of reform also helped to inflame feelings, and brawls were frequent during the contested elections of 1831 for Caernarvon, Monmouth, Pembrokeshire, Montgomeryshire and Brecknockshire. This, of course, was almost to be expected: the only extraordinary political demonstrations were the Merthyr riots of June 1831 and the troubles at Carmarthen. The latter were exceptional because of their intensity and duration. The borough of Carmarthen had a long tradition of violence associated with parliamentary and borough elections. In the middle years of the eighteenth century, there had been serious rioting and even shooting in the town. By the end of that century two rival factions faced each other, the 'Red' party of Dynevor, and the stronger 'Blues' represented by the Whig houses of Golden Grove and Cwmgwili. In 1796 when the Red candidate, a London banker named Magens, was illegally elected for the borough, pistols were fired in the streets and inhabitants barricaded their houses. Six years later rioting again broke out during the expensive 'Lecsiwn Fawr'. Elections were also contested in 1812 and six years later when there was considerable political unrest in other parts of Wales. In 1821 the Red party finally wrested the parliamentary seat from the Blues, and the victor, John Jones of Ystrad, became a popular hero. Although he sometimes acted as a Tory, Jones was strongly independent. In common with most members of parliament, his main concern was local politics, and after his election triumph he made a successful bid to gain control of the town council. Meanwhile in 1820, with the death of Lord Cawdor, leadership of the Blue or Whig party in Carmarthen passed to certain radical townsmen. No doubt they enthusiastically supported the illumination in November of that year which celebrated the abandonment of 1 I should like to thank Professor David Williams for his help in the preparation of this material.