Cylchgronau Cymru

Chwiliwch trwy dros 450 o deitlau a 1.2 miliwn o dudalennau

THE MOLD RIOT 1831-A NOTE. by M. Bevan-Evans, M.A. Riots were frequent in Flintshire in the early nineteenth century. There was no police force of modem type-in November 1839 the Magistrates resolved that it was not expedient to adopt the new Constabulary Act and not till 1856 was a county police force foimed. Time; were hard. Governments resisted stoutly the principles of concession 11 upon occasions of combination between workmen. Hours were long and wages small and riot was easy. Time and time again the grimy ragged colliers or the gaunt hungry leadminers turned out from the pits to fight the yeomanry who in their splendid regency uniforms-scarlet faced with silver or Oxford grey, with yellow and crimson girdles, black beaver chakos with horse-hair plumes, save on special occasions when the officers wore a 1 igh plume of falling black swan feathers — small gentlemen and their servants and substantial tenants, who represented law and order in the county. Sometimes the miners turned out with political intent to support the candidature of some favourite country gentleman who was seeking election to parliament. The riot of 1831 in Mold is one of many, but it is interesting to meet the working man in a time of such national unrest. There seems to be no account in print of this affair and the story of the trial of the rioters is rich in detail. What follows is taken from the Chester Chronicle for August 12, 1831. FLINTSHIRE ASSIZES. (MOLD SATURDAY LAST MR. BARON BOLLAND, SIR STEPHEN RICHARD GLYNNE HIGH SHERIFF) TURN-OUT COLLIERS John Holley, Job Bowen and Thomas Wynne, colliers, were charged with riotously assembling at Mold, in company with a number of others, and assaulting Joseph Price, on the 6th of July. The Grand Jury threw out the bill for the assault. The Attorney General (with whom was Mr. J. H. Lloyd), in stating the case, said the present case was of great importance to the County of Flint; as in consequence of the general strike at the time of the riot, the prosecutors, who are proprietors of the Bromfield Colliery, near Mold, were obliged to get some men from Anglesey. On the day named in the indictment, upwards of two hundred men came from Flint and other places and compelled the Anglesey men to leave their work, and drove them through the town of Mold, Flint, and on to BagiUt. Mr. Thomas Dodd -1 am one of the proprietors of Bromfield Colliery. At four o'clock on the morning of the 6th July, I was