Caroline Lewis was probably born in 1811, at Glascoed, and baptised at Monkswood Parish Church on 13/10/1811, the daughter of Phillip and Mary Lewis. She had at least one sibling, Phillip Lewis, who was her younger brother.

She married James Meredith, and the two of them played major roles in the Glascoed Common disputes of 1860/61, aka “the Glascoed Riots!” Caroline was quoted as follows in the Free Press’ account of the petty sessions court case at Usk.

“Caroline Meredith, wife of the last witness, said she heard guns fired and something come to the wall like shots. Was very much frightened, and had been frightened ever since. – Cross-examined: Was not too much frightened to fight with another woman ……”

 In the earlier Free Press account of the events, the “fight” was described in a “tongue in cheek” way as follows: “As it was, there occurred nothing less harmless than little dog-fighting by way of relaxation for the men, and some hair-pulling among the women for their mutual delectation.”

“Was told by Thos. Edwards, one of the defendants, that Mrs Meredith had threatened to shoot the first man that came there. Saw no guns brought, nor anyone assaulted.”

So our Caroline could either be seen as a feisty woman (she was in her early fifties at this point) or as a sorely put upon lady who was doing everything she could to defend her home and her family. I prefer the former, since it is more juicy, but really it is for the reader to judge the evidence.

RECORDS

Census: 1841, 1851, 1861