Description by George Eyre Evans:
"On 11th October, about fifty of the A division of London police, under Inspector Martin, had arrived at Carmarthen, and also several Companies of the 76th Regiment.
On 12th October a most wanton act of incendiarism was committed on the farm of Penllwynys, near Llanddarog, occupied by a Mr Thomas. A large quantity of corn was fired, and had not the inhabitants of the neighbourhood exerted themselves in extinguishing the fire, the whole of the premises would have been consumed.
That same night an attack was made on the house of Mr R. P. Beynon, St. Clears, one of the magistrates of the county.
On Sunday, 15th October, twenty-one London Police arrived in Camarthen, and were divided into sections among the Military throughout the county.
On the 16th October four of the Metropolitan Police, led by Jones, a Llandovery police officer, arrested a leader of the Rebeccaites, named John Jones, a farmer living at Danygarn, near Llangadoch.
On the 19th October, two days before this circular letter was sent round to the Magistrates, the haggard of Mr. Henry Thomas, of the White Lion Inn, in the village of Llanddarog, was wantonly fired by the Rebeccaites."
Transcription:
"Carmarthen, 21 October, 1843.
Sir, Circular.
I request you assemble the Gentlemen who act as Magistrates in the Petty Sessions over which you preside, with as little delay as possible, and to inform them that Police Constables and Military are now distributed over the County, so as to give them every facility towards restoring peace and order.
I wish you to inform the Magistrates of your district that the Police stationed in it are placed at their disposal, and have orders to obtain every information in their power as to what may be going on in it; and that if they are in want of any assistance from a Magistrate they are to apply at the Cross Hands, Pontardulais, Lanon, and Gellywednen, to Mr. Nevill at Pontyberem, to yourself or some one at Llanlley, and Llanelly the same, and at Kidwelly and Trimsaran, Mr. Hugh Rees.
The troops are placed in their present position to afford assistance and support to the civil power, and whenever it becomes necessary to call on them to act they must be attended by a Magistrate, excepting when the Constables are placed in a situation of danger in the excution of their duty, which on such an emergency occuring or on any attack being made upon them, the Military will afford them the aid without waiting for the order or presence of a Magistrate.
These means of restoring peace and preventing outrage having been placed at the disposal of the Magistrates, I venture to express a confident hope that by their zeal and personal exertions on all necessary occasions they will controul and put down the spirit of insubordination and resistance to the Law which have so long prevailed in the County.
I have received the express order of the Secretary of State to impress as strongly as I am able upon the minds of the Magistracy of the County the necessity of their using every means in their power towards the attainment of that and
I am, Sir, yours obediently, Geo. Rice Trevor, Vice-Lt."
[Source: George Eyre Evans, 'Rebecca Riots: Unpublished letters, 1843-44', The Transcations of the Carmarthenshire Antiquarian Society and Field Club, vol. XXIII, pp. 70-71]