Jemima Nicholas (also spelt Niclas; bapt. 2 March 1755 – 16 July 1832), also known as Jemima Fawr, was a Welsh heroine during the 1797 Battle of Fishguard (commonly known as the last invasion of mainland Britain).
Jemima Nicholas | |
---|---|
Born | Llanrhian, Wales |
Baptised | 2 March 1775 |
Died | 16 July 1832 (aged 82) Fishguard, Wales |
Occupation(s) | Cobbler, homemaker |
Jemima Nicholas was the daughter of Elinor and William Nicholas of Llanrhian, and was baptised on 2 March 1755 in Mathry.[1] She was a cobbler,[2] or a cobbler's wife.[3]
In 1797, 1,400 French troops, many of them drawn from prisons,[4] sailed from Camaret and landed at Llanwnda in Wales.[5] According to folk legend, armed with a pitchfork, Nicholas led a group of women and rounded up 12 French soldiers who had been drinking, and held them captive inside a church overnight. The French surrendered shortly afterwards at the Royal Oak pub.[1] She was awarded a lifetime pension for her efforts.[6]
A Jemima Nicholas was also involved with rioting in Fishguard in 1824, though she was not convicted of any crime.[7]
Nicholas died at the age of 82 on 16 July 1832.[2] A memorial stone was installed in the churchyard of St Mary's, Fishguard, in 1897, on the occasion of the invasion's centennial.[8] She is featured in the Last Invasion Tapestry commissioned by the Fishguard Arts Society for the 200th anniversary of the invasion. The 100-foot-long tapestry is housed in its own gallery on the first floor of Fishguard Town Hall.[9][10]
In 2019, a hat said to have belonged to Jemima Nicholas sold by one of her brother's descendants at a charity auction, for £5,000. The buyer was a distant relative who lived in Australia.[11][12]
The town of Fishguard has an official Jemima Nicholas re-enactor. She was played by Yvonne Fox, until her death in 2010,[13] and has been portrayed by Jacqui Scarr since 2013.[14]
A children's book about Nicholas, Jemima Nicholas: Heroine of the Fishguard Invasion by Sian Lewis, was published in 2012, as part of a series on Welsh women's history.[6][15]
Jemima Nicholas was included in the list of 100+ Welsh women who have made a significant contribution to Welsh life produced by WEN Wales.[16]
In February 2024, a Purple Plaque in her memory was installed in Fishguard.[17]
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