Letter from William Chambers, 13 September 1843 [page 1 of 3]

Description

In this letter, William Chambers explains why he will not be attending a certain meeting and why he took part in the mass meeting on Mynydd Sylen. He also refers to various attacks including that on Hendy tollhouse.

Transcription by Evan D. Jones:

'Llanelly house. Sept 13th, 1843.

Sir,

I think it right to inform you why I do not attend your meeting today. Having taken the chair at Mynydd Sylen, I should again have attended but the manner in which I have been treated by parties whose cause I have always done my best to support fills me with surprize and disgust. The lie of my having shot the man round the corner of the Inn at Pontardulais arises probably from my having performed the only act of kindness I could to the unfortunate men whom I first saw wounded in the gate house by getting them water. Once established this lie was, I have no doubt, sedulously retailed by persons who were anxious to sever the good understanding that had existed always between me, and the Farmers of this neighbourhood. How well they succeeded I need not tell you. All the Pontardulais firing was over before I left the Gwilly wooden bridge, there I took the first person, then went across to the Turnpike road, staid there some time, took another, waited again and then went on to Pontardulais, all this on foot, and meeting the Dragoons by the Inn, so that it is impossible I could have shot the man. These must be convincing proofs to you, and must be to all reasonable men. You know that as a magistrate my duty is imperative. I deny a report circulated that I have acted contrary to my declaration on Mynydd Sylen - I said then, I would oppose night meetings. The Mynydd Sylen meeting passed an unanimous resolution to that effect, how well did they keep to that! I repeat what I said in my address to the inhabitants of Llanelly, that neither I nor any one with me have as yet fired a shot, I was ...'

Source: Evan D. Jones, 'A File of "Rebecca" Papers', The Carmarthen Antiquary: The Transactions of the Carmarthen Antiquarian Society and Field Club, Vol. I (3 & 4), 1943 & 1944, 38.