Efailwen

On May 13 at Efailwen near St Clears, Rebecca and her daughters made the first of many stands for the rights of the people of Wales. In the early 19th century rural Wales faced a crisis. A rapidly increasing population strained resources to breaking point.

Thomas Rees - Twm Carnabwth - led the first attack on the Efailwen tollgate on 13 May 1839, disguised with a blackened face, a wig and a woman's nightgown. The name Rebecca is believed by historians to be a biblical reference, although another story ...

On May 13, 1839, under cover of night, a band of men armed to the teeth and disguised in women's clothing descended upon the village of Efailwen, on the border between Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire. Their target was the newly constructed tollgate.