handbook of the origin of place-names in wales and monmouthshire

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Uchaf, and Gwaeredog Isaf, near Llanerchymedd. English name — Flatham.Gwyndy. — Gwyn, white, blessed; dy-ty, house ; the name signifies a blessed house. The name was onceused to denote an episcopal residence. In the time of St. Germanus, gwyndai — episcopal residences orhouses — were first allotted to the bishops. It was supposed that a cloister was once in the place where alarge number of virgins devoted themselves entirely to holy service. English name — Blissham.Holyhead. — The Welsh name is Caergybi or according to some, Caer Cybi. Cybi, the son of the King ofCornwall, flourished about the latter half of the fourth century. Having spent some time with Bishop Hilary, inGaul, he returned and took up his abode here. It is said that the Prince of Mona took compassion upon himin his great poverty, and presented him with a castle in the place, wherein he established a small monastery,from which circumstance the castle was called Cdr Cybi — Cybi's Choir. Pennant thinks the right wording isCaergybi, from the afore-mentioned castle, ruins of which are discernible now. The saint also is memorablefor his connection with the Roman pharos or lighthouse on a hill adjacent to the town. At the north end of theparish church the following inscription may be seen: - Sancte Kybi, ora pro nobis, i.e., " Oh ! Saint Cybi, prayfor me." Opinions differ as to the origin of Holyhead. Some think it was so named from the large number ofsacred edifices in the place. Others think the English gave the appellation Holyhead " to the place onaccount of the holy and sanctified life of the ever memorable Saint Kybi. Others maintain that the rightwording is Hollyhead — a translation of Pencelyn, or more correctly, Pen Cyhelyn, Cyhelyn's Head. Penmeans head; and Cyhelyn was reduced to Celyn, which signifies holly-wood, hence Hollyhead, and thenHolyhead.Llanbabo. — Llan in Welsh place-names generally means a church, probably including the churchyard.Pabo Post Prydain was an eminent warrior, and ere the close of his life he devoted himself unreservedly toreligious matters. He founded the church of Llanbabo, where still remains a stone on which his image andthe following inscription may be seen: - " Hie jacet Pabo Post Prud Corpors-te-Prima." English name —Pabo.Llanbadrig. — Iolo's MSS. inform us that Badrig was a saint of the seventh century, a contemporary ofElford, and a fellow of Kybi's seminary. He built the above church, which still bears his name. This is St.Patrick, the great apostle of Ireland. The name Patrick means a senator, a nobleman. English name —Nobleton.Llandegfan. — Some think the church was built by Tydecha and his sister Tegfedd, and that it wasdedicated to the latter in the sixth century; but we rather think that Tegfan, uncle of Elian, and a saint andconfessor in Kybi's seminary gave his name to it. (Williams' " Eminent Welshmen.") Teg fan means a fairspot, or a fine place. English name — Fairton.Llandyssilio. — The church is dedicated to Tyssilio, a celebrated saint of the sixth century. English name—Tysulton.Llan Ddaniel Fab. — Mr. Rowlands writes: — that Daniel, who had a church near that of Llan Aiden, wasson of Daniel, first Bishop of Bangor ; and, therefore, the church is commonly called Llan Ddaniel Fab. Thename signifies " The Church of God, the judge." English name — Danielston or Dansonton.Llanddeusant. — The church is dedicated to dau sant, two saints — Marcellus and Marcellinus. Englishname — Saintham.Llanddyfnan. — The church was dedicated to Dyfnan, son of Brychan, in the fifth century. He is recorded tohave come here from Rome in 180 to convert the Britons to the Christian faith. Dyfnan signifies a deepbrook. English name— Deepbrook.Llanddyfrydog. — Tyfrydog, the son of Arwystl Gloff, was a member of Enlli seminary, and the founder ofthis church, which was dedicated to him in the sixth century. Dyfrydog means full of thought, musing,pensive. Englisn name — Museton.Llanedwen. — The church is supposed to have been built by Edwen, niece or daughter of King Edwin, anda Saxon saintess of the sixth or seventh century. Edwen is probably a feminine form of Edwin, which meansa happy conqueror ; or he who attains felicity. English name— Victorton.Llaneilian. — Eilian Geimiad, the pilgrim son of Gellan Ruddawg, was a saint of a very early date. SomeOrigin of Place-names in Wales & Monmouthshire Page 15
think he was a contemporary of St. Kybi. A few churches in Wales bear his name. English name —Pilgrimton.Llanerchymedd. — This town was anciently called Chehran, clock, bell; tan, part, portion. It is supposedthat the steeple of the church stood on portions of three, if not four parishes, hence the name. Variousstructures are propounded on the origin of the present one. An old tradition says that a man named Tegerinwas preparing a family grave on the spot where the old church stands, and, when he was building the vault,someone asked him — " What do you raise on this land?" His rejoinder was, " Llanerch fy medd" the place ofmy sepulchre. Some derive the name from vn y medd, a mead tavern. Medd, mead, a drink of honey andwater; that ancient beverage was ably prepared and consumed at the above tavern, hence the name.English name — Meadham.Llaneugrad. — The church was dedicated to Lleugrad, son of Caw Cawlwyd, a fellow of Illtyd's seminary,and a saint of the sixth century. English name — Eugrad.Llanfachreth. — A local tradition has it that a ???? once found its way to the place from Holyhead, someoneasked, i* bleyr aeth ? Where did it go ? The answer was, I Ian fach yr aeth, to Lanfach it went; hence lame.We rather think the church was dedicated to Machraith, who flourished in the seventh century, he foundedchurches in Merioneth and Anglesey; hraith signifies the law of surety-ship. English name — Bailton.Llanfaelog. — The church was dedicated about the eventh century to Maelog, son of Caw Cawlwyd. Hardabout there is a little pool called " Llyn Maelog," Maelog's pool. Maelog is a derivative of maelio, to getadvantage. to gain, to profit. English name— Martham.Llanfaes. — Maes, a field. The name denotes a church built on the spot where a memorable battle wasfought in the year 819 between Egbert and the Welsh. English name — Churchfield.Llanfaethlu. — The church was dedicated to Faehlu, son of Caradog Freichfras, in the sixth century. Mathiuor Maethle means a nursing place. English name — Fosterton.Llanfair-Mathafarn-Eithaf. — The names of this the adjoining parish must be compared here in order thatthey may throw light on each other. Llanbedr-goch, or Llanbedr-Mathafarn-Gwion-Goch, the contiguousparish is called Llanbedr, the church dedicated to St. Peter; Mathafarn, a mead tavern or inn; Gwion Goch,the name of the owner. Now take the next. Llanfair, St. Mary's Church; Mathafarn, mead tavern; Eithaf,extreme, furthest ; the suffix eithaf was added to the latter tavern to distinguish it from the other. Some are ofopinion that Mathafarn means a plain of weeping or grief. If so, the adjective eithaf extreme, was added todenote its intensity. We adopt the former. English name — Meadton.Llanfair-pwll-gwyngyll. — Llanfair, St. Mary's Church; pwll, pool; gwyn, white; cyll, hazel wood. Ceris Pool,Menai Straits, is contiguous to this place, and the banks of the straits were sometime covered with whitehazel wood. The name in full is supposed to be Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogeriychwyrndrobwlltysiliogogogogoch— a rather pretty and inviting word to a Saxon tourist. The railway station is called Llanfair P.G., obviously forthe sake of those who cannot master the Welsh consonants. English name — Whitwood.Llanfechell. — Mechell or Mechyll, the son of Eckwydd, was a Welsh bishop, and the church was dedicatedto him in the seventh century. He was buried in Penrhos Llugwy, and Mr. Rowlands (Mona Antiqua) says thatan old stone was found there in the eighteenth century bearing his name. English name — Macatus.Llanfihangel Din Sylwy. — Llanfihangel, St. Michael's Church. Din Sylwy, according to some, is acontraction of Dittos Sylwi, the gazing city; others trace it to Din Sol, the city of the sun. It is generallybelieved that an old British stronghold stood here, and was taken by the Romans during the subjugation ofMona. We offer the following derivation: Din, a hill ; syl-syllu, to gaze; wy-gwy, water; the name, therefore,signifies a church on a hill which commands a view of the river or water. English name — Waterview.Llanfihangel Tre'r Beirdd. — Llanfihangel, St. Michael's Church. Tver Beirdd, the bards' dwelling-place. It issupposed that a Druidic station and a bard's seminary existed here in remote times, from whichcircumstance the village and parish derive the name. English name — Bardston.Llangefni. — The name signifies a church on the river Cefni, which runs through the place. Cefni is probablya contraction of Cefn-llif-y. great or high flood. English name — Floodnam.Origin of Place-names in Wales & Monmouthshire Page 16
Page 1 and 2: HANDBOOK OF THE ORIGIN OF PLACE-NAM
Page 3 and 4: § § § § §The Author begs to st
Page 5 and 6: pitiful cries of the railway offici
Page 7 and 8: Bishop Percy says that "in England,
Page 9 and 10: The city of Chester is still popula
Page 11 and 12: There's Cumwhitton, Cumwhinton, Cum
Page 13 and 14: Llwyn in its primary' sense means a
Page 15 and 16: PLACE-NAMES IN WALES.Wales. — The
Page 17: Church are generally dedicated to e
Page 21 and 22: Rhosbeirio. — Rhos, a moor, a dry
Page 23 and 24: of Brecknock," states that this vic
Page 25 and 26: Cam cnwir ef Cwmdu,Cwm gwyn yw & n
Page 27 and 28: Penderyn. — A corruption probably
Page 29 and 30: Ardudwy. — Ar, upon or above; tud
Page 31 and 32: to mark its pre-eminence over the o
Page 33 and 34: Some think that eirw is a corruptio
Page 35 and 36: present form — Caerfyrddin.Abergw
Page 37 and 38: place of refuge; hence the name. En
Page 39 and 40: Llansawyl. — The church was dedic
Page 41 and 42: eject. The village took its name fr
Page 43 and 44: house, and attempted to kill an inf
Page 45 and 46: Gwydir. — Prima facie one may tak
Page 47 and 48: Nefyn. — The church was probably
Page 49 and 50: DENBIGHSHIRE.Anglicized form of Din
Page 51 and 52: Llangollen. — From Collen, a sain
Page 53 and 54: hands into their pockets to pay a c
Page 55 and 56: Cefn. — The name signifies a ridg
Page 57 and 58: Maesgarmon. — Named in honour of
Page 59 and 60: Abertridwr. — Tridwr, three water
Page 61 and 62: it is said, was originally built by
Page 63 and 64: Cwmllynfell. — Cwm, a narrow vale
Page 65 and 66: Gwarycaeau. — Gwdr, the nape of t
Page 67 and 68: means a cultivated region, a vale,
Page 69 and 70:
Penrhiwfer.- Pen, head, top; rhiw,
Page 71 and 72:
Port Talbot. — So called in 1835
Page 73 and 74:
Trealaw. — This appellation was g
Page 75 and 76:
Aberdyfi. — So called from its si
Page 77 and 78:
Llanddwywe. — From Dwywau, a desc
Page 79 and 80:
Crickhowell and some in the directi
Page 81 and 82:
Griffithstown. — This village was
Page 83 and 84:
and gwy, water. Treiddiod troth tna
Page 85 and 86:
derive Tintern from din, fortified
Page 87 and 88:
Caersws. — It appears that the Ro
Page 89 and 90:
English name — Ervylton.Llanymech
Page 91 and 92:
Angle. — Probably from the angle-
Page 93 and 94:
Gellyswick. — Another hybrid. Gel
Page 95 and 96:
that the two rivers in their flowin
Page 97 and 98:
ecame the bishop of the see, and wa
Page 99 and 100:
earth formerly stood on a summit on
Page 101 and 102:
Pilleth. — A corruption of pwll,
Page 103 and 104:
Howells, Rev. J., Mountain AshHowel
Page 105 and 106:
Williams, D., PenywernWilliams, Rev
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