Jemima Nicholas was born in Mathry, Pembrokeshire in March c.1750-55 and was a shoemaker.

During the Battle of Fishguard (the last invasion of Britain), Jemima single-handedly rounded up a dozen French soldiers and forced them to surrender at the Royal Oak pub in Fishguard. Armed with a pitch fork, she approached the soldiers and, as Fishguard volunteer H.L. Williams wrote in his memoir in 1842, ‘whether alarmed at her courage, or persuaded by her, she conducted them to and confined them in, the guard house in Fishguard Church,’

Napoleon’s invasion occurred on 22^nd February 1797 when Jemima was in her mid-forties. The local vicar at the time recalled: ‘… This woman was called Jemima fawr i.e. Jemima the great from her heroine acts she having marched against the French who landed hereabouts in 1797 and being of such personal powers as to be able to overcome most men in a fight. I recalled her well. She followed the trade of a Shoemaker & made me when a small boy several pairs of shoes….’

Jemima Nicholas died in Fishguard Main Street in July 1832, aged 82 years. She is buried in St. Mary’s Churchyard, where a headstone, erected in 1897, describes her as ‘The Welsh Heroine’.

Ganed Jemima Nicholas ym Mathri, Sir Benfro, ym mis Mawrth, tua.1750-55 ac roedd yn wneuthurwraig esgidiau.

Yn ystod Brwydr Abergwaun (ymosodiad olaf Prydain), casglodd Jemima ddwsin o filwyr Ffrengig at ei gilydd, a’u gorfodi i ildio, yn nhafarn y Royal Oak yn Abergwaun, a hynny ar ei phen ei hun. Gyda phicfforch yn ei llaw, aeth at y milwyr a, fel yr ysgrifennodd gwirfoddolwr yn Abergwaun, H.L.Williams,  yn ei gofiant yn 1842, ‘whether alarmed at her courage, or persuaded by her, she conducted them to and confined them in, the guard house in Fishguard Church.’

Glaniodd Napoleon ar 22 Chwefror 1797 pan yr oedd Jemima yn ei phedwardegau canol. Cofia’r ficer lleol ar y pryd: ‘… Cyfeiriwyd at y fenyw hon fel Jemima Fawr oherwydd ei gweithredoedd arwrol,  a hithau wedi gorymdeithio yn erbyn y Ffrancod a laniodd yn y cyffiniau hyn yn 1797 ac am fod ganddi bwerau personol cystal i fedru goresgyn y rhan fwyaf o ddynion mewn brwydr. Cofiais hi’n iawn. Gwnâi waith gwneuthuriwr esgidiau a gwnaeth sawl pâr o esgidiau i mi pan yn fachgen’

Bu farw Jemima Niclas ar Brif Stryd Abergwaun ym mis Gorffennaf 1832, yn 82 oed. Mae wedi ei chladdu ym Mynwent y Santes Fair, lle y mae carreg fedd a godwyd yn 1897 yn ei disgrifio fel ‘The Welsh Heroine’.