Shoni Sguborfawr or Sioni Ysgubor Fawr[1] (Johnny of Big Barn) (1811–1858) was a Welsh criminal, most notable for his part in the Rebecca Riots and his subsequent attempts to blackmail fellow rioters.
Before he reached 30, Shoni had made a name for himself as a hard man, and was seen as one of the toughest men in 'China', which was an undesirable area of Merthyr where the worst and most desperate of an industrial society found themselves.
[2] In 1840, the arrival of the Taff Vale Railway, which made Merthyr the industrial steel manufacturing hub of Britain, was celebrated in 'China' with a bare-knuckle boxing contest between Sguborfawr and Cyfarthfa champion, John Nash.
There, he was housed with fellow convicted rioter David Davies, but the men were separated when Sguborfawr was transported on the Blunell, reaching Norfolk Island on 6 July.
Although placed with several masters, much like his trouble making in Britain, Sguborfawr continued to be anti-social and aggressive; this time his acts included stealing along with being drunk and disorderly.