Description by George Eyre Evans:

"The gathering [mentioned in this letter] was held on the summit of Mynydd Selen, a mountain in the parish of Llanelli, on 25 August. Upwards of 3,000 people attended the meeting and William Chambers, junior, was elected chairman."

Transcription:

"Carmarthen, 22 Augt., 1843.

My dear Sir,

I will speak to Col. Love as soon as he returns about the payment for the bedding provided at Llanelly for the Troops; he will be here, I think, before the end of the week. I do not know what the Poor Law Commissioners may decide as regards the putting up of Troops in their Union Houses; but it will prove most inconvenient, if not worse, should they order them out. Our Poor Law Commissioner here, Mr. Day, has had a bad accident at Golden Grove; he got a fall and has strained his knee most severly. I think I shall write to the Home Office about their question of lodging Troops in the Unions. Pray let me know what is this meeting I hear about as likely to take place at or near Mynydd Selen on Friday. I am told notices have been put on to the Chapel doors to the people to attend at 10 or 11 that morning. Pray have you any people on whom you can at all depend for information as to the exact spot of meeting, etc., etc., and what passed at any of them that may have been held? I wish to have also, if you please, some idea of what is felt by the magistrates as to allowing the meeting to take place or not. I think if it is to petition, that they must, and it is attended by the Farmers and there are no arms, I would allow it, but I would also have persons there to find out the feelings shewn, and to report their observations for our future guidance. I also think it is a good thing to encourage meetings by day, so that the night meetings may cease. You have saved yourself one difficulty by bailing your prisoners, as I am going to have my prisoners apply for bail before a Judge in Chambers.

Believe me,
Yours truly,
Geo. Rice Trevor."

[Source: George Eyre Evans, 'Rebecca Riots: Unpublished letters, 1843-44', The Transactions of the Carmarthenshire Antiquarian Society and Field Club, vol. XXIII, p. 64]