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From: Megan Roberts <>
Subject: RE: [CAE] 1757 Battle
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2005 17:40:23 +0000 (GMT)
In-Reply-To: <AIEOIHCGJIIJHLCGNFLFEEEDCAAA.david.r.price.t21@btinternet.com>


I thought that I would update the listers on my progress. Thanks to David's suggestion about Aled Eames book my invaluable research assistant (Dad) has got a copy from Llangefni's Library and this reveals a number of interesting things:

One of the Buckelys (a well known Anglesey family for those who don't know), wrote in his diary at the begining of 1758 that the riots the previous year had been the worst so far. Apparently the crops had failed and men from Beaumaris and Llannerchymedd march on the warehouses at Holyhead.

Holyhead at that time had ships coming in from the West Indies and unloading their cargo, before they were put into smaller ships for onward shipment. William Morris was then the Customs officer in Holyhead, and my ancester was master of a customs ship.

In addition to food riots, they also had to deal with smugglers and wreckers. I gather that one of the main centres for smuggling was the Isle of Man, which was then privately owned?

Dad has also got copies of the other books mentioned by David, and if he learns anything more that I think the list might be interested in I will let you know.

Thanks to everyone who has helped and offered advice.

kind regards

Megan

David Price <> wrote:
Megan,

The picture is getting a little clearer. This must be a reference to
smuggling in Anglesey. Meirion Hughes (one of the most knowledgeable
contributors to this List) has suggested to me that William Morris is
probably one of the famous 'Morris Brothers' who's letters (over 1000!) have
left an invaluable record of the social and cultural life of Anglesey in the
mid 18th century. William Morris (d.1763) worked as a customs officer at
Holyhead.

The place-names in the letter seem to be places in the north-west corner of
Anglesey. There's a house called Ty Gwyn in Llanynghenedl parish, Brynddu is
in Llanfechell parish, and could Llanfaur be Llanfawr (now part of
Holyhead)?. I'm very unsure about my earlier suggestion that Giriol might be
Seiriol, although Ynys Seiriol, or Priestholm ('Puffin Island') was
certainly used by smugglers. There is a brief chapter on smuggling in Helen
Ramage, 'Portraits of an Island:18th century Anglesey' (1987). She doesn't
mention an 1757 incident, but in 1772, a Captain Gambold seized smuggled
goods from a ship at Holyhead. You probably already know about him, the
captain of a customs-cutter - there is an account of the Gambold family in
the 'Dictionary of Welsh Biography'.

I hope this helps. Why don't you ask for help on the Anglesey List? Much has
been written on the Morrises, and many letters have been published.

Regards,
David
-----Original Message-----
From: Megan Roberts [mailto:]
Sent: 09 December 2004 21:18
To:
Subject: RE: [CAE] 1757 Battle


David

Thanks for the suggestions. You may well be right about Penrhyn Giriol.

I am no further forward than when I wrote my original note. However, I do
know that the year is correct, because I have traced another reference. The
National Library in Aberystwyth has a letter in their Powis Castle
correspondence the extract of which when you do a search on the web comes up
as "1757, Sept. 28.---- to Captn. Gambold at Cardigan. Informed that Mr.
Jones's mob is to be down tomorrow by break of day or Friday, Saturday or
Sunday. Impossible and dangerous for a stranger to find you [Ciambold] out.
Told by two of Jones's men that lodged at Llanbadarn."

The Gambold family is my mother’s family and they hail from Cardigan and
Pembrokeshire, and I know that two of them about this time were Captains in
the Customs and Excise Service. I believe that one of the principal bases
for the Excise was/is Holyhead, and 20 years later Bangor has a marriage
bond for one Elizabeth Gambold from Beaumaris. I found another reference
which suggests that they chased tea pirates, so maybe this is all to do with
crime rather than war, perhaps smugglers or wreckers or similar.

I am going to try and find Customs and Excise records, as well as asking the
Pemb list to which I belong if they have any ideas. If I find anything out I
will let you all know. The mystery to me now is not so much about the family
connection, but rather "what was is all about?!"
Thanks again
Megan

David Price wrote:
Megan,
I tried to send this reply ages ago, but for some reason the message was
lost in cyber-space.

This 'battle' is very curious. I wonder if all the place names and date are
correct? Could it possibly be an incident in the 'English' Civil War. Could
Penrhyn Giriol refer to the peninsula at the south east corner of Anglesey,
near Ynys Seiriol? In 1648, the Parliamentary army was routed by the
Royalists at Y Dalar Hir, near Aber, Caernarvonshire (opposite 'Penrhyn
Seiriol'), but soon afterwards the Royalists were defeated at Red Hill, near
Beaumaris.

Or could the letter refer to the so-called 'last invasion of Britain' in
1797, when French forces, under the command of an American called Tate,
landed in Fishguard?

I hope someone can solve this puzzle!

David Price, Bangor

-----Original Message-----
From: Megan Roberts [mailto:]
Sent: 23 November 2004 20:08
To:
Subject: [CAE] 1757 Battle


I have acquired my late aunt's family history papers and in these I have
come across a transcript which baffling me and I hope that someone out there
might be able to shed some light on it.

The document is headed up "William Morris letter to the Cardigan Exercise" -
however, I suspect it should read "excise". The original is partly in Welsh
and partly in English - the transcript is all English. The letter was dated
January 1757. Below are some extracts from it.

"I was called up with the alarm that an army of about 400 or 500 men were
marching through Llanynghenadl to attack this fortress" . The only place I
can find with the name Llanynghenadl is on Anglesey.

"and the two strong places where the attack was threatened to be made, viz.
Llanfaur and Ynys Rug - at the latter places were some corn warehouses"

"the enemy had advanced as far as Tygywn y Capel ............ Ours had not
marched further than Penllech Nest"

"the enemy opposite Penrhyn Giriol."

Anyone squeamish should not read the next bit ..."About two o'clock the
prisoners began to come in: some scalpd, some marked with the sign of the
cross on their heads and backs, but all damage done was behind, except a few
that the skins of their foreheads hanging over their eyes"

"The garrison at Ynys Rug"

"The prisoners were secured in the King's warehouse for security, etc.,
except the wounded who are put into torture by Holyday."

"Their (the enemy) General was sent, guarded with a larty of armed light
horse to Byrnddu, there to answer etc."

So my questions are where are all these places, and who were the enemy and
what was it about?

Hope there is someone out there who can help.

Thanks
Megan Roberts


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