Days when South Wales was seething with revolutionary anger will be explored at this Friday’s meeting of Monmouth Field and History Society at the Priory at 7pm in a talk entitled “'Very bad feeling was shown by the lower orders': The Newport incident of October 1831.”

The fire had already been lit with the Merthyr rising in June 1831 and the execution of Dic Penderyn in August. A wave of protests spread across the country, erupting in Bristol at the end of October.

Army units, stationed in Wales in the aftermath of the Merthyr rising, were called upon to suppress the rioters in Bristol. On Monday 31 October, after marching from Cardiff, a unit of infantry arrived in Newport, Monmouthshire and were confronted by a hostile crowd of the ‘lower orders’.

Dr Roger Ball, of the University of the West of England, will discuss the details of the ‘Newport incident’ and try to identify who the protesters were and their motivations in opposing the British Army.

Guests are welcome to attend (£5). This is the last of the history society’s winter programme of talks. On 20 April there will be an outing to study the alabasters in the Herbert Chapel in Abergavenny priory church.

Bookings are being taken for the all-day outing to Kenilworth Castle on 11 July. Email info@ monmouthhistory.co.uk for details.