Welsh Journals

The Scotch Cattle in Monmouthshire c. 1820-1825 Marie-Elaine Bidder The Scotch Cattle movement is one of the least known of the popular protests in Wales, being overshadowed by the Chartists and the Merthyr Rising of 1831. These bands of men, however, held the allegiance of the South Wales Colliers which was the envy and horror of employers, Chapel, union and friendly society. They were bent on wreaking vengeance on suspected blacklegs or informers. The population of the 'Black Domain' from c. 1820-1835 lived in fear of being their victims. The term 'Scotch Cattle' had various explanations. One M.P., Thomas Wood of Brecon, believed it to refer to the cows' hides worn by the Cattle members. Another explanation was that it derived from the term 'to slash' since victims of the Cattle sometimes had their faces slashed. Another possibility is that the word 'Scotch' meant 'to stop' as suggested by the 'scotch' or wheel wedge on the mine-workers trolleys. On the other hand, it may have been that the men, disguised with blackened faces and wearing animal skins, reminded observers of the black faced breeds of ferocious Scottish cattle. Dr. Evans, the historian of the South Wales miners, noted that several employers had Scottish cattle. Again, the name may have been taken from the word 'to scotch' which means to hinder or obstruct. They certainly hampered employers and their agents and bailiffs, who were their main victims. It is impossible to say with confidence which of these explanations is the best one. One of the major factors underlying the movement was the living and working conditions the people of South Wales had to endure. The term 'Black Domain', first used by commissioners investigating conditions in South Wales in the 1840s, seems a particularly apt description, the areas within the Domain extended from Rhymney to Abergavenny and from Llangynidr to Caerphilly, and was divided into two distinct regions. In the North, the heart of the Domain, were the deep valleys of the Rhymney, Sirhowy, Ebbw Fach, Ebbw Fawr, Afan Llwyd and Clydach. Each contained several mining villages, 'crowded monotonous places lying stark against the bleak landscape'1 They were isolated communities but they were expanding at a rate which few areas in Britain could equal. The dramatic rise in population caused obvious problems. Housing shortage meant mass overcrowding. Sanitation and drainage problems subsequently