Picturing the Battle of Fishguard | Portreadu Brwydr Abergwaun
The French invasion of Fishguard is perhaps the most colourful event in the long history of this small port town in Pembrokeshire. | Efallai mai ymosodiad y Ffrancod ar Abergwaun yw'r digwyddiad mwyaf lliwgar yn hanes hir y dref borthladd fach hon yn Sir Benfro.
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On 22 February 1797, the locals in the area around Fishguard and the Pencaer Peninsula remarked that for a day in winter it was an uncommonly fine and warm morning. Little did they know that this day would be marked down in the history books less for the remarkable weather, but for a contingent of the French Légion Noire landing at Carreg Wastad point with the intent of invading Britain and trying to rouse a disaffected population to overthrow the king and establish a republic. Owing to the relative isolation of western Pembrokeshire and an unexpected display of patriotism by the local Welsh, the French invaders found their plans foiled and surrendered themselves on Goodwick Sands only two days later.
News of the event travelled only very slowly. By the time London heard of French armies landing in Britain, which caused a mild invasion panic among the population and even resulted in a financial crisis, the French soldiers had already been rounded up and distributed across the various local jails in Haverfordwest and Pembroke, while their commanding officer, the Irish-American William Tate, was transferred to London.
Although today this event is popularly referred to as 'The Last Invasion of Britain' and is commemorated in a beautifully rendered tapestry, there appear to be very few contemporary depictions of the events. This gallery combines some of these early and later images to try and capture some of the flavour of the locations and the people who were involved.
Ar 22 Chwefror 1797, soniodd pobl leol yng nghyffiniau Abergwaun a Phenrhyn Pencaer ei bod yn fore anarferol o braf a chynnes o ystyried ei bod yn aeaf. Nid oedd ganddynt unrhyw syniad y byddai'r diwrnod hwn yn cael ei gofio mewn hanes am rywbeth ac eithrio'r tywydd hynod, ond yn hytrach, am fod mintai o Légion Noire Ffrainc wedi glanio wrth bwynt Carreg Wastad gyda'r bwriad o ymosod ar Brydain a cheisio cynhyrfu poblogaeth anfodlon i ddiorseddu'r brenin a sefydlu gweriniaeth. O ganlyniad i natur eithaf anghysbell gorllewin Sir Benfro a gwladgarwch annisgwyl y Cymry lleol, rhwystrwyd cynlluniau'r Ffrancod ac fe'u gwelwyd yn ildio ar Draeth Wdig ddau ddiwrnod yn ddiweddarach.
Roedd hi wedi cymryd cryn amser i'r newyddion fynd ar led. Erbyn i Lundain glywed bod byddinoedd y Ffrancod wedi glanio ym Mhrydain, a achosodd ychydig banig ymhlith y boblogaeth ac a arweiniodd at argyfwng ariannol hyd yn oed, roedd y milwyr Ffrengig eisoes wedi cael eu hanfon i'r carchardai amrywiol yn Hwlffordd ac ym Mhenfro, a throsglwyddwyd eu prif swyddog, William Tate, Americanwr Gwyddelig, i Lundain.
Er y cyfeirir at y digwyddiad hwn heddiw fel 'Yr Ymosodiad Olaf ar Brydain' a chaiff ei gofio mewn tapestri prydferth, mae'n ymddangos nad oes fawr iawn o bortreadau cyfoes yn bodoli o'r digwyddiadau. Mae'r oriel hon yn cyfuno rhai o'r delweddau cynnar a diweddarach hyn er mwyn ceisio rhoi blas o rai o'r lleoliadau a'r bobl a fu'n rhan o'r digwyddiad.