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

to mark its pre-eminence over the other parishes of the same name, and to distinguish it from the adjacenttown of Aberystwyth, which was anciently called Llanbadarn Gaerog. English name — Bishop Padarn.Llanbedr-pont-Stephan. — The popular English name is Lampeter, which is an Anglicized form of Llanbedr.We find many churches in Wales bearing the name Pedr, Peter, but who this Peter was is a matter ofconjecture. Most writers point to Peter the Apostle. From a certain document the pont, bridge, appears tohave been erected early in the fifteenth century. " Rhys, the son of David ap Rhys, of Pencarreg, marriedLleuan, daughter of Ieuan David Llwyd ap David Ddu ap David Decka ap Steven, the man who erectedLampeter bridge at his own expense" English name — Peterschurch.Llandain Fach. — Dain means beautiful, fine; fach, little. The name signifies the beautiful little church.English name — Little Church, or Beauchurch.Llandegwy. — Tegwy was a saint of the sixth century, and a descendant of Nudd Hael. The above churchwas dedicated to him. English name — Fairchurch.Llandysiliogogo. — St. Tysilio, a bishop and an eminent author, who flourished about the middle of theseventh century. Brut Tysilio, a copy of which is in the Myv. Arch. and is attributed to him. He was the patronsaint of many churches in Wales. The differentia gogo is a mutation of gogofau, caves, which are verynumerous in the parish. English name — Caveham.Llandysul. — Tysul, a descendant of Cunedda Wledig, and a saint of the sixth century, to whom the abovechurch was dedicated. English name — Tysul.Llanddeiniol. — Deiniol Wyn, or Daniel, assisted his father, Dunawd Fur, in founding the celebratedmonastery at Bangor Iscoed, and he founded several churches, of which Llanddeiniol is reckoned to be one;hence the name. English name — St. Daniel.Llanddewi-Aberarth. — The church was dedicated to Dewi, the patron saint of Wales. Aber, estuary; Arth,the name of the river, near the mouth of which the village is situated. Arth signifies rough, harsh. Englishname — Roughton.Llanddewi-Brefi. — Brefi means bellowing. The traditional ox overstrained himself in endeavouring to drawthe avane (beaver) from the lake, and suddenly expired. The other, having lost his yoke-fellow, would not beconsoled, refused food, and wandered about until he died in a place called Brefi, so called from the dismalmoans of the sacred animal. Dewi, the patron saint of Wales, founded a church and a religious seminary onthe spot; hence Llanddewi-Brefi. English name — Moanham.Llanddyfriog. — Tyfriog, a saint who flourished about the close of the sixth century, founded the church.English name — Tyvriog.Llanfair. — The church was dedicated to St. Mary; hence the name of the little village would be St. Mary'sChurch.Llanfihangel Castell Gwallter. — The church was dedicated to St. Michael. Walter l'Espec built a castle ona hill near the church during the Norman conquest gives the additional name. Omitting the first portion of thename, the English name is – Walter's Castle.Llanfihangel Lledrod. — The church is dedicated to Lledrod which is a compound of lleth, a slope, and rod,a base; the church being built at the foot of a hill. - English name — Foothill.Llanfihangel -y-Creuddyn. — The church is dedicated to ???? and ???hael. Lewis Morris derives Cmiddyn;and dun, a fort, signifying a bloody battle a commot of the same name nearby: the the castle of Dyganwywas situated, English kings, John and Henry III., had pursued their fruitless expeditions against the ???iEnglish name — Churchfort.?????. — St. Ceitho. who flourished in the inded the church, which was dedicated to ??? English name —Ceitho.Note for Readers:A number of place-names are omitted here. Faulty scanning encountered.Origin of Place-names in Wales & Monmouthshire Page 28