One of the earliest travellers in Wales was Pennant who in 1786 described this Margaret of Penllyn, then aged about ninety years old as:

The greatest hunter, shooter and fisher of her time… She kept a dozen at least of dogs, terriers, grey-hounds, spaniels, all excellent in their kinds. She killed more foxes in one year than all the confederate hunts do in ten; rowed stoutly and was queen of the lakes, fiddled excellently and knew all our old music; did not neglect the mechanical arts for she was a very good joiner, and at the age fo seventy was the best wrestler in the country, and few young men dared to try a fall with her. She was also blacksmith, shoe-maker, boat-builder and maker of harps. She shoed her own horses, made her own shoes and built her own boats, while she was under contract to convey the copper ore down the lakes. All the neighbouring bards paid their addresses to her and celebrated her exploits in pure British verse.