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

Llansawyl. — The church was dedicated to Sawyl y a saint of the eighth century. English name —Stopchurch.Llandybie. — Tybie was a daughter of Brychan, and a saint of the fifth century. History tells us she wasmurdered at a place where a church was afterwards built and consecrated to her memory. English name —Tybton.Llandeilo. — The church was dedicated to St. Teilo - a descendant of Cunedda Wledig, and one of the mostpopular saints in the ancient British Church. A large number of churches in Wales bear his name. In the"Liber Landavensis" he is written Teiliau. He was St. Teliaus, the patron saint of Llandaff. He departed this lifeat Llandeilo Fawr, and was interred at Llandaff in 566. English name-Teiloton.Llandefeisent. — Tyfei Sant, a nephew of St. Teilo. He lived in an early period of the sixth century. Theabove church was dedicated to him. English name — Growchurch.Llanboidy. — Boidy, probably, is a corruption of bendy, an ox house. Most of our parish churches have beendedicated to saints, but this is one of the few exceptions. The church might have been built in conjunctionwith the ox-house, or, perhaps, the oxen had to perform the same duties there as their kindred at Brevi.Some think the church was dedicated to St. Brynach. English name — Oxchurch.Llandovery. — An Anglicized form of Llanym-ddyfri, which means a church between waters. The " Myvyrian" calls it Llanymddywy. The town is situate on the river Towy, at the confluence ot the rivers Gwytherig andBran, the latter joining the Towy a little distance below the town. English name — Waterchurch.Llanelli. — The church was dedicated to Ellyw, a descendant of Brychan, and a saint of the fifth century.Llanelliw is the proper name. On a map published in 1788 by a Mr. William Owen it is spelt Llanelliw. Englishname — Elywton.Llandysilio. — The church was dedicated to St. Tyssilio. English name — Tysilio.Llanddarog. — The church was dedicated to St. Twrog. English name — Towerchurch.Llanddowror. — A corruption of Llanddyfrgwyr the church of the men of the water, so called on account ofthe seven sons of Mainaur Mathru, who were called Dyfrgwyr, water-men, because they were found in thewater, escaped from the water, and were maintained by fishes of the water. They devoted themselves toreligious life; hence the above church was dedicated to them. English name — Waterton.Llanfihangel-ar-Arth. — The church was dedicated to St. Michael, and is situated on a hill above the Teivi.Ar-arth or ar-y-garth means on the hill. English name — Church Hill.Llanfynydd. — The name signifies a church on the mountain. English name — Mountain Church.Llanybydder. — Bydder is a corruption of Pedr y Peter. The church is dedicated to St. Peter; hence the rightwording is Llanbedr. English name — Peterchurch.Llanybri. — Bri is, according to one writer, a corruption of beyr, the Norse for farmstead; but we are inducedto think it is a mutation of bu t up high, or bryn, a hill. English name — Highton.Llanllwch. — Llwch - an inlet of water, a lake. The church is situated in a low place, which is frequentlycovered by floods and the tide, leaving many pools and lakes behind them. Many places in Wales derivetheir names from this word, as :- Sawdde, Amlwch, Talyllychau, &c. English name - Lakechurch.Llechfron. — Lluchy stone; gron-crwn, roundcular. English name— Roundstone.Llwynhendy. — Llwyn, bush; hendy, old. There was a bush near an old homestead called, concerning whicha local dispute arose, and in order distinguish it henceforth from other bushes it is called Llwyn-hendy.English name — Bushham.Machynys. -~ Annslet at the estuary of the ???? Some think the name is a mutation of the little island butviewing the fact that a monastery, was established here in 513 by 910, we incline to derive it from the nameof the institution, mynach-ynys reduced to machynys, monk's island. English name — Monk's Island.Origin of Place-names in Wales & Monmouthshire Page 36