The French Revolutionary Wars were a series of conflicts across Europe lasting from 1792 to 1801, in which France fought against Britain, Austria, Prussia, Russia and several other European monarchies. The conflict is divided into two periods: the War of the First Coalition (1792-1797) and the War of the Second Coalition (1798-1802).

The conflicts were a direct result of the French Revolution (1789-1799) which stemmed from discontent towards absolute monarchy, dissatisfaction with the Estate System and the bourgeoise, poor harvests, inflated costs, decreased wages, and riots. European nations were shocked to learn of events in France and were fearful of the spread of revolution across the continent.

This document is described as Returns of Persons, Waggons and Carts and Cart Horses for Carrying Soldiers and Baggage. The documents list all ‘persons’ aged between 15 and 60 ‘not engaged in any military capacity’ by township.

This document shows the returns for Seaton Delaval.

The ‘persons’ are males with occasional references to females as owners of waggons, carts or cart horses. There are also occasional references to men exempted from service because of disability. The document was drawn up under the posse comitatus (Latin for force of the county). This was an ancient right that allowed the sheriff of each county to raise a voluntary force to maintain public order.

The printed header to the documents notes the purpose of the force to include ‘to repel invaders’. This return was drawn up in 1797 when both the British government and the wider population were particularly concerned about revolutionary activity in France and feared a French invasion. It was planned that as well as repelling invaders, the voluntary force might be used to evacuate civilians from coastal areas. The returns show the deep concern felt in Britain about the revolutionary activity in France.

The Battle of Fishguard took place on 22^nd-24^th February 1797, where a small number of enemy French Revolutionary forces successfully sailed into Fishguard Bay in southwest Wales. It is regarded as the last invasion of mainland Britain. The invasion collapsed after two days with the invading forces seeming to lose enthusiasm for the attack. They surrendered to a local militia force on 25^th February 1797.

Jemima Nicholson, known as “Jemima Fawr” (Jemima the Great), the 47-year-old wife of the Fishguard cobbler, was regarded as the heroine of Fishguard. During the invasion Jemima marched to Llanwnda beach, where the French forces had set up camp, with a pitchfork and rounded up twelve Frenchmen. She ‘persuaded’ them to accompany her back to town where she locked them inside St Mary’s Chruch and then left to look for more.