Jemima Commemorated
Pembrokeshire has just witnessed the first unveiling of a purple plaque in the county. Celebrating Fishguard’s own Jemima Nicholas who was instrumental in helping repel the French invaders of 1797, the plaque was unveiled at the Town Hall at the weekend by Jane Hutt, Welsh Government minister for social justice and chief whip.
Jemima Nicholas would have been about 47 at the time of the invasion and it is part of local folklore that she and a group of women, armed with pitchforks, captured around a dozen of the 1,400 soldiers led by Captain William Tate who had sailed from France on what was to become known as the last invasion of Britain. Jemima and her companions marched the prisoners to St Mary’s Church where they were kept overnight. A peace treaty was signed in the Royal Oak between Captain Tate and Lord Cawdor a few days later.
A parade including Army Cadets, Fishguard Sea Cadets and Pembrokeshire Yeomanry preceded the unveiling of the plaque to commemorate the occasion with poetry, a talk, singing and a chance to enjoy Fishguard’s tapestry situated in the library.
