In the global village no one is surprised to learn that an Anglesey lad is making a living in, say, Sao Paolo, or Singapore, or Seoul, but in the eighteenth century being far removed from country, kindred and friends was more unusual, and more of a thing. The famous eighteenth century Welsh poet Goronwy Owen (1723-1769) hailed originally from Llanafan Mathafarn Eithaf, but died as a plantation owner in Virginia at the age of 46, worn out by poverty, loss of loved ones, ill health and addiction to drink. The story of Owen Tudor, a couple of centuries earlier, is a happier one. Originally from Penmynydd he was involved in a relationship with Henry V's widow that led to the establishment of the Tudor dynasty. That boy done well.

Not so well known is another Anglesey lad, whose memorial plaque is to be found on the wall of the King's Chapel in Gibraltar. The plaque itself is a beautiful object, with lovely calligraphy (see photo) and, carefully pondered, reveals a lot about the eighteenth century.

There's more about William Paget in an article that appeared in the Anglesey Antiquarians' Magazine some years ago - the compositor having just completed a course in not how to do it. The author of the article dug up a fair bit of info about William, especially about the severe and obstinate conflict at Miconi (Mykonos) in the Greek archipelago, but was not able to cast any light on that intriguing reference to the dagger of an assassin in a foreign land. The logs of the Romney also show that William was behaving erratically prior to his death on the voyage west back to Gib. The Pagets of course were an aristocratic family, and about to become more prominent due to the exploits of William's younger brother Henry William Paget (1768-1854) who was Wellington's right hand man at the battle of Waterloo, then elevated to First Marquess of Anglesey, and who now surveys the Menai Straits from the top of his lofty column in Llanfairpwll.

Added to the enigma of William is the puzzle of why he doesn't figure in Aled Eames's book Ships and Seamen of Anglesey, given that his exploits are discussed in William Laird Clowes's History of the Royal Navy, and that there is a long and circumstantial account of the fight at Miconi in William James's Naval History of Great Britain 1793-1820. Westminster educated boys who figure in Burke's Peerage are not generally seen as belonging to the weriniaeth. As an Anglesey gentleman rather than a hogyn Sir Fon or an Anglesey lad, could it be said that William Paget is thereby penalised for being a class act rather than an ethnic one? It would have been interesting to hear Aled's views, but, alas, he is no longer with us.... At all events, it's an interesting dilemma for the local historian.