Eleanor 'Nellie' Phillips -1891 - yn 103 oed/ when 103 years old.

Un o’r trigolion olaf a oedd yn cofio digwyddiadau 1797.

One of the last inhabitants to remember the events of 1797. 

Pan oedd yn 9 mlwydd oed, ac yn forwyn yn Fferm Cilshafe, uwch ben Cwm Abergwaun, sylwodd ar y llongau Ffrengig yn cyrraedd.  Roedd yn mofyn y da i’w godro ar y pryd. Bu’n adrodd hanes y digwyddiadau am weddill ei hoes.

At the age of 9, while a maid at Cilshafe Farm, above Lower Fishguard, she noticed the arrival of the French ships. She was fetching the cows home at milking time. She recounted the story of the ‘French Invasion’, to all who wished to listen, for the rest of her life.

ANCIENT HISTORY. – NEW LIGHT ON THE FISHGUARD INVASION.

There are already those who class the invasion of Fishguard in the early part of 1797 with the mythical adventures of Hercules and Romulus. But the invasion of Fishguard is a historical fact. ‘The Haverfordwest Telegraph’ has been sent a copy of ‘The Morning Chronicle’ for Monday, February 27, 1797, in which there is a detailed account, taken from the official despatches of the invasion of Fishguard by a body of 1,200 French troops. Information of the landing was received from Lord Milford, Lord Lieutenant for the county of Pembroke, that two frigates, a corvette, and a lugger appeared off the coast of Pembrokeshire on February 22nd, and in the evening disembarked some 1,200 troops. The enemy could not, however, have had any very terrible designs, because they were without field glasses.

After some quotations from the ‘London Gazette’ concerning the exploit, our ancient print continues :— It is very pleasing to hear of the zeal with which the natives of Wales poured down from their mountains to resist this inroad. It appears that about  3,000 countrymen and miners assembled, armed with forks, scythes, and other ready weapons, besides the militia and volunteers of Pembroke, and Cardigan. Lord Cawdor took the command, but not being a military man he submitted to the directions of Capt. Mansell, who put a little fort at Fishguard into a good state of defence, and took such judicious positions as soon convinced the French that they had no choice left but to lay down their arms—the French vessels having disappeared off the coast. The only difficulty he found was to restrain the impetuosity of the mountaineers, who fell upon the French without order, indeed, but with irresistible fury. Some few of them were killed by this irregular attack but on the arrival of the militia and volunteers, the invaders surrendered prisoners of war.”

Lord Milford afterwards sent the following despatch to the Home Secretary Haverfordwest, February 24,  Nine o clock p.m. I have the honour and pleasure to inform your Grace that the whole of the French troops, amounting to near 1,400 men, have surrendered, and are now on their march to Haverfordwest. I have taken the first opportunity of announcing this good news to your Grace, and shall have the honour of writing again to your Grace by tomorrow’s post.”