Penny Cottage

Image: © John Atherton Taken: 13 Apr 2007

Penny Cottage, site of tollgate on the roads between Llansawel, Frwdfal, and Crugybar and subject of attention during the Rebecca Riots. The Rebecca Riots took place between 1839 and 1842. They were a protest against the high tolls having to be paid on the Turnpike Roads. One theory is that this Protest took its name from the manner in which the protest was conducted. The first of the 'Rebecca' riots was on 6th June 1839. Here a group of Welsh farmers attacked a Toll House. They tore down the toll gate, smashed up the toll Keepers house and burnt it to the ground. The leader of this protest, Twn Carnabwth, reputedly wore women’s clothes as a disguise when this attack was made (you could be hung for rioting in those days). Legend has it that these clothes were borrowed from a lady called Rebecca, hence the name Rebecca Riots. The other theory is that the origin of Rebecca is in the Old Testament Genesis XXIV 60:- "And they blessed Rebekah and said unto her, let thy seed possess the gates of those which hate them"

Images are licensed for reuse under creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0