Years of R&R Riot & Revolt
If you cannot make it to Maenclochog on Sunday, unfortunately I cannot this year as I am called away to other parts but I dare say, I will find time to partake in some French Wine and food as would be suitable to the occasion. So why did the Welsh fail to rise unlike the Irish would, that have something to do with possibly lingering memories of the bad bitter endings to medieval revolts and then the protestant reformations successful hi - jacking of the native language to increasing British Imperialist ends and not least in popular loyalty to the English Crown. From, dare I say it, increasingly so between the years 1277 - 1282, Owain Glyndwr would change all that but the conclusion was bitter as it was for the people of Paris and Belleville in particular following the Paris Commune of 1871. Bitter conclusions would go a long way to pacification of people but for the Welsh there was to be a cop out from total and utter disastrous subjection, that was ironically opportunities of having lost the War, they began to win the peace in filling the socio - economic gaps left by those colonist families that had been killed our ran off.
The post Glyndwr period was one of both a reclamation of land that previously had been ethnically cleansed as in 'Y Berfeddwlad' (Denbighshire) and Bro Morgannwg. Peasantry had been brought to an end and many serfs and bond people took to the margins of the mountainous common lands to carve out communities of Tai Unnos Small Holdings and even Tai Unnos Townships around slate, lead and lime stone quarries. The populations would later become what we describe as the 'People of the Pitchfork' who would rise to resist enclosures with the cry of 'Trech Gwlad Nag Arglwydd'. Others, in the post Glyndwr war period would for a time remain Gwerin Owain Outlaw Rebels, others mercenaries and then many just 'cut throats' who would become the 'Hit Men' of the Marcher Lords, even across the border in 'Y Blaenau Diroedd'. Many then would find gainful use for their continuing war like nature in providing the Tudors with a ready and useful army of followers to put the Tudors/Richmond pretenders on the throne of England. Ironically, these Welsh Followers would be used to put down Catholic revolts in England and not least the Cornish revolt and march on London most brutally put down on Blackheath Common by Welsh Captains and Soldiers.
The long use of the Welsh Protests Soldiers against the Irish Catholics right up to present times but little is said of mysterious glimpses in the records of Welsh fighting with the Irish against the English in the late 16th Century. I am of the mind that these might have been the descendants of Gwerin Owain many of whom had also fled to France with Henry Gwyn and Son. It is ironic that despite all the loyalty shown by the Welsh those who were outside or not going to submit and bend to the new Tudor/Richmond will and ways would have the 'Hanging Judge' Rowland Lee sent into Wales to hang 100's of 'Banditti' post revolt and hanging of Rhys ap Gruffydd 1529 and prior to the 1536 Act of Union. This all sounds a bit like pacification to me and be mindful that it is the 'Victorious' who write the History and Tudor Welsh History was to be well written to order by David Powell that would glorify that old myth of the 'Crown of Britain' whilst Glyndwr as in time other popular heroes would be condemned as 'criminals' and kicked into the shadows of our history, heroes as Lewis Lewis, Edward Morgan and Frances Evans et al of 19th century radical riot and revolt leaders, people and workers.
So, why no 'Welsh Rising' in 1797? Much about Religion, the native protest population would have thought the French would restore Catholicism and instigate a reign of terror as urban republican radicals had against the Catholic peasantry of Brittany and the Laguedoc. As hinted at above the native language had been hi - jacked to favour English Protestantism and loyalty to the English Crown. Just read the Welsh Ballads of the period and note how anti - Irish/American/French radicalism they were, The Welsh were as they are today totally Brit brain washed as we well see with their Investitures, Jubilees and just wait for it 'Royal Babies'. But what about the Irish, well for starters Wolfe Tone and the United Irishmen were Northern 'English Speaking' Protestants who won the support of a Catholic 'Gaelic Speaking' peasantry who thought the French were on the way to restore the Stuarts and Catholicism or at least that is the new 'retro' take on their rising in support of the French. Further, keep in mind that late 19th century Irish Republicanism was greatly a product of post USA Civil War Irish - American Radicalism. Nothing is that simple or straight forward in history of course but neither is history quite B&W or as patriotically colorful as we might wish, one thing for sure that the Republicanism of Iolo and compatriots was 'British Republicanism' as was that of later Chartists and today the same.
Unfortunatly the contemporay political radical Republicanism of Cliff Bere got over tainted with the romantic Nationalism of Harri Web and it was this 'Nationalist Republicanism' that survived within ranks of 'Alternative Nationalism' as in 'Patriotic Front' to 'Cymdeithas y Cymodwyr' and later 'Welsh Independence Party' over passed 50 years and continues to linger in the Patriotic Fringe of such as now gone Cymru Rydd and just about hanging on as a pretense 'Balchder Cymru'. There are a number of fb fantasy Welsh Republican groups but following more in tradition of the 'Welsh Socialist Republican Movement' is 'Partisans Cymru of the Great Unrest' working towards establishment of a 'Wales Socialist Republican Party'. Despite advocating the establishment of a WRM III, I am now of the opinion that is a no hope dream and it best to give full support to Great Unrest Initiative, information on which is available from Partisan Cymru blog:
This blog here will now close down in a short time after this Bastille Day as it serves no other great purpose that will not be taken up by the above and possibly the below link:
For further Information on 1797 read below and note in particular Chapter 1:The People of Pembrokeshire.
