The Institute for the Study of Welsh Estates (ISWE) and the South Wales Record Society (SWRS) jointly hosted a book launch of the Society鈥檚 latest volume, edited by Dr Lowri Ann Rees (School of History, Law and Social Sciences), .
An introduction by the Chair of SWRS, Dr David Jenkins, was followed by a conversation between Lowri and the Director of ISWE, Dr Shaun Evans. They discussed the significance of the collection of letters written by the Middleton Hall land agent, Thomas Herbert Cooke, during his time in south-west Wales.
Rich in detail, the letters provide fascinating insights into the role of the land agent, the management of landed estates, and life and work in 1840s rural Wales, revealing the impressions and attitudes of a newcomer to the local area. Significantly, Cooke鈥檚 time in south-west Wales coincided with the height of the Rebecca Riots, a series of protests against the payment of tolls to use the roads. Cooke鈥檚 letters capture in detail the sense of fear and uncertainty within the community and vivid descriptions of encounters with Rebeccaites. As such, they are a highly significant source in the study of rural unrest in nineteenth century Wales.