Did you know that the last hostile land invasion of the island of Great Britain took place in Cymru in the year 1797? This was considered to be the recent landing of a foreign force on British Soil and therefore called, ‘Battle of Fishguard.’

At this point, the French Revolution had been raging on for almost a decade and its influence was spreading to foreign lands. The Society of United Irishmen, an underground republican association founded with the intention of freeing Ireland from the shackles of England, had built a good report with England’s then-traditional enemy, France. With France now deep into republicanism and staunchly opposed to the Le Ancien Régime, it was perhaps a natural fit for French general, Lazare Hoche, to devise an attack on British shores with the aim of making an ally in Ireland.

1,400 troops from La Legion Noire battalion (made up of hundreds of soldiers not required by young general Napoleon Bonaparte during his Italian Campaign) were sent by sea to Cymru, with the intention to land on the south side and make move to Bristol.

It was around 2 a.m. on February 23rd when the French had succeeded in landing ashore with 17 boatloads of troops; an estimated 47 barrels of gunpowder and enough weaponry to succeed with their plan.

Within hours, the French had taken hold of Garnwnda and Carngelli, securing defensive positions. It was not to be for the French forces, however, and within hours they had surrendered. Many tales have been told of what led to the French surrender in Fishguard but the most common account is of a folklore heroine and local Welsh women.

The Battle of Fishguard has become synonymous with the folklore heroine, Jemima Nicholas, who has is said to have convinced local women to dress in the cloaks and high black steeple-crowned hats of soldiers – with the women often said to have worn het Gymreig (the Welsh hat) to trick the French, on what was an unclear and stormy day, into believing that British soldiers had been sent to outnumber and overpower the French.

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Sally George

Sally is a proud wife of a Welshman, editor & writer of Welsh Histories. She’s all about stories—that shout ‘anything Welsh.’ Drop her an email if you have an advice, insight, experience, or a story to share.