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

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