HANDBOOK

OF THE ORIGIN

PLACE NAMES

WALES AND MONMOUTHSHIRE

The Rev. THOMAS MORGAN,

DOWLAIS.

Happy is he ;.'Iio knows the origin of things."

MERTHYK TYDFIL:
PRI.NTED FOR THE AUTHOR AY H. W. SOUTHEY,
" EXPRESS " OFFICE,

B

g^7m

To
The Right Honourable
WILLIAM EWART GLADSTONE,
IN TOKEN OK PKOKOUNIJ RESPECT I''OR HIM
AS
The Most Honourable and Distinguished Resident
in the Principality ok Wales,
Ubis IDolume is S)eDlcate&
UY
THE AUTHOR.

CONTENTS.

Introduction ...
Prefixes and Suffixe-.
Wales and Counties-
Anglesey Brecon
Cardigan Carmarthen
Carnarvon 
Denbigh
FlintGlamorganMerioneth ...
Monmouth ...
Montgomery
Pembroke ...
Radnor
Li~,i OF Subscribers

1—9
9—26
29-4141-56 56-70 70 -85
J?6-ioi

156- 164
164-183183-192192—208
209—215
216 — 221

PREFACE.

line Author's chief reason for publishing this work may be
\h stated very briefly.

About two years' ago the proprietor of the Merlhyr Express news
paper announced in his valuable [)aper the following competition : —
" l''or,thc best Es.say in English on the origin of the Names of Places
in Wales, giving their English equivalents 1st Prize, ;^5 5s, ; 2nd
Prize, £2. Zs,''
Only two essays were received, one from " Llywarch ab Llewellyn "
and the other from "Taliesin." The adjudicators decided that
" Taliesin has brought to bear in the treatment of the subject incom
parably greater literary resources than his competitor, and has made a
[)raiseworthy attempt to supply the topographical and historical infor
mation, tradition, and folk-lore associated with places which assist in
elucidating the origin of names, even when they do not effectively clear
up their etymology. On the whole, Ihe adjudicators have derived
much pleasure from the perusal of this Essay, and think it exhibits an
amount of research which entitles it to the Iirst prize.''
The Essay was subsequently printed in several chapters in the
Merthyr Express, with tho following appellatory note as a standing
heading for each chapter : " The Author of this Essay, assuming that
his attempts at deriving the origin of many place-names are imperfect,
and some, perchance, incorrect, invites criticism thereon, either private
or public. Since many of the villages in the rural districts have been
omitted owing to the Author's imperfect topographical knowledge of
the sequestered nooks, any information relating to the same would be
gladly received. ' In the multitude of counsellors there is safety.'"
It is to be regretted that very few criticisms were received. The
full meaning of Byron's words, "Critics all arc ready-made,'' was not
realised in this case; l)ut, perhaps, ns liisraeli once remarked,

" To-morrow the critics will commence." In writing upon a subject,
so full of intricacies and difficulties, the Author is far from being satistied
with his etymological attempts in many instances. Far be it from him
to say " 1 am Sir Oracle,
And when I ope my Up?, let no dog bark.''
His experience ofttimes, when exploring the different fields of
research, is aptly described in Milton's words :
"The oracles are dumb,
No voice or hideous hum
Runs thro' the arched roof in words deceiving."
The most difficult names have been left almost unnoticed by our
tourists and topographers, and in our endeavour to throw light upon
these obscure names it is probable that we have not altogether avoided
errors. In numerous instances we were deeply sensible of our failure
to realise the import of the proverb, " Happy is he who knows the
origin oi things." In anticipation of the discovery of many errors by
Welsh phildlogists and antiquarians, the Author humbly claims their
sympathetic consideration, and invokes their valuable assistance to
rectify the same when the opportunity is afforded them.
During the issue of the Essay a large number of friends, both in
England and Wales, expressed a strong desire to see it re-published in
book form. Mr. Henry Richard, MP., wrote, "I really think you
ought to put your Essay into a more permanent form." Mr. Southey,
the prize donor, not only consented, but urgently requested the Author
to accede to their desire Steps were accordingly taken to test the
extent of this feeling, with the result that a sufficient number of copies
was subscribed for to indemnify the Author against loss, and thereupon
it was decided to submit the Essay, with amplilications and emendations,
to the 1 eading public.
The Author begs to state that he has succeeded in gaining access
to some of the most reliable sources of information, and has consulted
not a few of the best authorities in different localities, for which assist
ance he desires to express his gratitude and obligations. He also
acknowledges his indebtedness to the following works : "Cymru,"by
Rev. Owen Jones ; " Parthsyllydd," by Dr. Emlyn Jones; " Geiriadur
Bywgraphyddol," by Rev. J. T. Jones ; Myv. Arch ; lolo MSS.; lago
Emlyn's Prize Essay on "The Philosophical Construction of Celtic
Nomenclature, &c. ;' Professor Rhyss " Lectures on Welsh Philology ;"
Rev. 1. Taylor's "Words and Places;" Jones s "History of Brecon-
shire," &c.

He has had to consider some ingenious conjectures, far-fetched
derivations, and wild etymological dreams with great patience and
caution before arriving at his own conclusions. In a large number of
examples he had no option but to endeavour to ascertain their origin
by conjecture. It was once intended to supplement a chapter on Welsh place-
names in England, but what with the amplifications and appendices of
the Essay, together with the addition of the place-names of Monmouth
shire, the dimensions assigned to the book have been altogether
occupied. Should the contents of this little volume be the means of
throwing any light on this interesting branch of Welsh literature, and
thereby enhance the vitality of the dear old language in the estimation
of the reader, the Author will be m^re than amply compensated.
Dowlais, J.inuary, 1887. THOMAS MORGAN.

TIE OEIGIN OF PLACE-NAMES
WALES AND MONMOUTHSHIRE.

INTRODUCTION.

ct±
fT is surprising that a subject so deeply interesting,
and so full of historical value, should not have
*»^ induced some competent Welsh scholar to explore
every possible field of research, and give the results of
his etymological investigations to the public in a perma
nent form.
Welsh nomenclature has not had the attention it
deserves. This interesting field has been sadly neglected.
Very few have made it the ambition of their life to enter
therein, and glean every possible information necessary
to throw light upon our Welsh place-names. The
renowned Lewis Morris was deeply engrossed in this
branch of literature, and the publication of his Celtic
Remains would, assuredly, be an invaluable boon to
Welsh literati. lago Emlyn's Essay which gained the
prize at Carmarthen Eisteddfod, September, 1867, is
eminently calculated to be an admirable quota rendered
by the Eisteddfod to the elucidation of this subect.
Most of our Eisteddfodic productions are locked up in
impenetrable secrecy, but this, fortunately, has seen the
light of day.
With the exception of the above-mentioned essay
our national institution has done but very little to fill
this gap in Welsh literature. Worthy attempts have
been made by some Welsh topographists to clear up the
etymology of a moiety of our place-names. Others have
endeavoured to explain their origin and meaning, but
owing to their imperfect acquaintance with the ver
nacular, many of their attempts have been futile and

unsatisfactory : as Caermarthen, the county of Merlin,
a Welsh enchanter ; Denbigh, a dwelling in the vale ;
Pembroke, the hill over the brook; Douglas is given to
mean black-water ; Pontypridd, bridge of beauty ; Tyr
Escop, Bishop's tower ; Llanfawr, the church of four
saints, &c. &c. We might quote a large number of
similar misleading explanations of Welsh words and
names that are found in English books written evidently
by other than Welsh etymologists. The attempts made
by Englishmen and others ignorant of the language of
dear old Cambria to explain Celtic names are often
failures and something more. Alt maen, high rock, in
the Lake district has been transformed into the Old
Man of Coniston ; Bryn Huel or Htial, hill of shackles, is
now spelt Brown Willy, a Cornish ridge, and Pensant
has been designated Penzance.
Tourists' Guides to Wales may be quite safe and
trustworthy in their geographical information, but the
majority of them are woefully misleading in their
etymological peregrinations. Some of their derivations
really deserve to be remitted to the cabinet of philo
logical curiosities. Out of many hundred place-names
in Wales very few of them are explained satisfactorily
by gazetteers, and the most abstruse of them are left
intact. It is needless to say that Welsh philologists only can
deal satisfactorily with purely Welsh names, and even
they find it no easy task to investigate and ascertain
the origin of many of them, especially those that
have undergone so many processes of corruption
and mutation. " Many Welsh appellations and local
names" writes one eminent Welsh historian, "have
been so long corrupted that it would be affectation to
attempt to reform them." We may be allowed to give
a few instances of names that have already been grossly
mutilated : Llechwedd has been dislocated at Leckwith ;
Llys y Fro Nudd has been cruelly distorted into
Lisworney ; Caerau has been pulled down to Carew ;
Magwyr has been almost ruined in Magor ; Cnwc-glas
has been twisted into the form of Knucklas ; Merthyr
has been brutally martyred at Marthrey ; Tafarn Yspytty
(hospitimn) has been long converted into Spite Tavern ;

Meinciau has been minced into Minke ; Gwentllwghas been
changed into Wentlooge ; Myddfai has been muffled in
Mothv^y ; Sarnau has been beaten down into Sarney,
&c. &c. Considering the rapid strides of English education
in the Principality we fear the time is not far distant
when a moiety of our mutilated Welsh place-names will
be nothing less than a series of enigmatical problems
even to children of Welsh parentage. Many of them
already seem to them as a meaningless and unpronounce
able jumble of letters. This process of mutilation
appears to be getting more prevalent. Our English
friends, not only do not exhibit any sign of bringing
forth fruit worthy of repentance, but they seem to
persist in the error of their way in dealing with Welsh
names. Brynmawr, big hill, is pronounced with stentorian
voice Brynmor, which signifies the hill by the sea. A
complete stranger to the place, yet conversant with the
Welsh tongue, on hearing the latter pronunciation of
the name, would naturally expect he was going to
inhale the salubrious sea-air ; whereas, after little
enquiry, he would find himself in a tantalized mood
distantly situated from the sea. A few miles distant, at
Nantybwch, the buck's brook, he might be pardoned if
he concluded from the pitiful cries ofthe railway ofScials
that there were none-to-book at that station. If he pursued
his journey to Llwydcoed, grey wood, which is pronounced
by the railway men Lycod, he would naturally conclude
that the place must have been sometime noted for rats,
because Llygod is the Welsh for rats.
in going through Loughor, provided his geo
graphical knowledge were deficient, he would imagine
himself to have reached Lloegr, which is the Welsh
name for England. And a few miles lower down he
would find himself at Llaneliy, which is pronounced by
certain parties Lan-healthy, where he would be induced
to call his inhaling powers into full play, positively
thinking he was landed in a place famous for its
salubriousness. In North Wales he would discover
the same aptitude in the art of mispronunciation.
Amid the din of the " fiery horse " he might hear a name
pronounced Aber-jeel, the suffix of which would remind

him at once of the Hindostanee for a morass, or a
shallow lake ; but a few minutes talk with a villager
would soon relieve him from the nightmare of this
confusion of tongues by furnishing him with the right
pronunciation, Aber-gele, an out-and-out Welsh name.
At Dolgellau, which is pronounced Dol-jelly, he might
almost imagine the name to imply a doll made of jelly ;
and at Llangollen, pronounced Lan-jolen, he would, both
from a geographical and 'Etymological point of view,
indulge himself in little self-congratulation on being
conveyed to a jolly place.
Now he has travelled far enough to be thoroughly
convinced of the necessity of making an effort to save
our local names from the relentless hands of the
foreigner before they become so distorted as to be
difficult of recognition even by Welsh etymologists.
Pure Welsh names should be left mtact — those
that have undergone any changes should, if possible, be
restored to their primitive form, and English equivalents
or names should be given to each and every one of
them. An attempt is being made in this book to assign
English names to all the places that bear Welsh or
quasi- Welsh appellations. This was by no means an
easy task.
Fear and trembling haunted us all along the line,
lest we should fail to give intelligible, short, and easily-
pronounced names in English garb. Perhaps we have
sacrificed too much upon the altar of conciseness. A
full, literal translation of many of our place-names,
designed for English Appellations, would be none less
than an etymological onus to others than Welshmen,
so we were naturally led to the other extreme. In
order to avoid a repetition of a literary ordeal to our
dim-Cymraeg friends, we felt " 'tis better to be brief than
tedious." The enticing name Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogery-
chwyrndrobwlltysiliogogcgogoch has been reduced to Whit-
wood. It is said that a Welsh celebrity at a certain
railway station asked for a ticket to the last-named
place, and the retort given, ex cathedra, was that such a
place was not in existence ; whereas, if he had only
asked for a ticket to Llanfair P.G., the clipped form of

the name, he would have been supplied with it
instantaneously. Llanfair-mathafarn-eit.iaf has been
abbreviated to Meadton, &c. &c. These longitudinal
designations should be preserved intact, and transmitted
to the Welsh cabinet of curiosities in nomenclature,
and brief English names, such as Whitwood, Meadton,
&c., should be adopted for the common purposes of
everyday life.
In pursuing the study of Welsh place-names we
were forcibly reminded of Home Tooke's observation,
as to " letters, like soldiers, being very apt to desert and
drop off in a long march." Contraction increases our
difficulties in endeavouring to get at the full and correct
import of words. If the American tendency — to pro
nounce words exactly as they are spelt and written —
were a universal principle, the burdens of philologists
would be considerably lessened. Such is not the case
in Welsh nomenclature. Although every Welsh letter
is supposed to have its own distinct sound, wherever
placed, many of them have dropped off in long marches,
and some indeed in exceedingly short marches, and it
is with great difficulty we have induced some of them
to return to their proper places in the etymological
army — some, probably, never to return ; hence the
primary form of many a name cannot be obtained nor
the true meaning ascertained.
Latinized and Anglicized forms of Welsh names con
siderably enhance our difficulties. Mon was transmuted
to Mona, Aherconwy to Aberconovium, Abergafenito Aberga-
vennium, Aberogwr to Ogmore, Nedd tp Nidium, Coed-dy to
Coyty, Talyfan to Talavan, Sili to Sully, Llys-y-Fro-Nudd
to Lisworney, Llanyffydd to Lamphey, Llandeg to Lanteague,
Gwynfa to Wenvoe, &c. Our names, like our fathers,
were mercilessly treated by our foreign invaders.
Hybridism is another element that renders Welsh
nomenclature exceedingly difficult and perplexing.
Different nations visited our shores, and played sad havoc
with our local names, especially those having gutterals
in them. " We have names of such barbarous origin,"
writes one, " compounded one-half of one language and
the other of another, that it is impossible to fix a
criterion how they ought to be spelt." The Flemish

colony in Pembrokeshire, in the reign of Henry I., and
the Norman settlement in the south of Glamorgan, in
the nth century, are chiefly responsible for this etymo
logical jumble. The Norman Conquest affected the
English language more than anything that happened
either before or after it, but very little of its effect is
found in the Welsh, except in place-names. These
hybrid names, albeit, are full of historical value, because
they give us geographical clues to the inroads and
settlements of these foreign invaders.
Alluding to the desirability of getting a correct
definition of an effete nomenclature, one writer remarks,
" It must be borne in mind that the nomenclature of our
country greatly explains the early history of Britain
from the time of the first colonists, the settlement of
the Druids, and their subsequent power both in civil
and rehgious matters, and its continuance down to the
age of Suetonius, and later still, as the old superstition
was not quite eradicated for many ages afterwards.
Their mythology has left its marks on numerous
places, even where their lithonic structures have been
demohshed." After all it is, as Defoe ironically remarks
in his " True-born Englishmen,"
With easy pains you may distinguish
Your Roman-Saxon-Danish-Norman-English.
Personal names enter very largely into Welsh
names of places. The first place-name we have on
record was formed after this fashion, " And he (Cain)
builded a city, and called the name of the city after the
name of his son, Enoch." Gen. iv., 17.
These personal names are invariably in the
vernacular affixed to words, ipore or less, of a
descriptive character, as T relates ; tre, the descriptive
first, then comes the personal, Lales; Porthmadog, porth,
the descriptive, then follows the name Madog. The
majority of names beginning with Llan belong to this
section. In Saxon and Norse names the reverse of this
is the general rule. The descriptive part of the name
comes last, preceded by a personal or common name,
such as Tenby; Ten, a mutation of Dane, and by, the
Norse for a dwelling, hence the dwelling-place of the

Danes. Walton, Walter's town ; Williamston, William's
town; Gomfreston, Gomfre's town ; &c.
It was customarj' in olden times in Wales for men
to take their names from the places where they were
born or resided, as Pennant, Mosfyn, &c., and often
times the case was reversed. Brecon was called after
Brychan ; Cardigan after Ceredig ; Merioneth after
Meirion ; Eaeyrnion after Edeyrn ; Dogfeilir after Dogfael ;
Merthyr Tydfil after Tydfil, Brychan's daughter, &c.
The names of popular Welsh saints have been bestowed
so liberally on the Llanau as to occasion no little
confusion. A similar practise prevails in the United
State from respect to their popular Presidents. The
Rev. Isaac Taylor tells us that no less than 169 places
bear the name of Washington, 86 that of Jefferson, 132
that of Jackson, 71 that of Munroe, and 62 that of
Harrison. Hagiology has left a deep and wide impress
upon our nomenclature. St. Mary's name has been
bestowed upon upwards of 150 churches and chapels in
the Welsh sees, that of St. Michael's upon about 100,
and that of St. David's upon 60 or 70.
A great number of our place-names describe
graphically the physical features of the country.
Mountains, hills, and mounds, rocks and cliffs, glens
and combes, moors and woods, rivers and brooks, all
contribute their quota to the treasury of our nomencla
ture. Many of them are traced to local traditions which
rarely command more than a local circulation. In
making enquiries at different localities we were more
than amused to observe the prevalent tendency of the
inhabitants to trace the origin of their local names to
traditionary sources. The philologist is often super
seded by the traditionist. Graphic and descriptive
names are frequently explained from a traditional
stand-point. Machynllaith — a name descriptive of the
geographical position of the place — was very dogmati
cally referred by one to an ancient legend concerning
some " mochyn-yn-y-llaeth," the pig in the milk. Troed-
rhiwfuwch, explained another, means Troed-rhyw-fuwch,
the foot of some cow, in allusion to a local tradition
about a cow that had gone astray. Manorbier, the third

8
opines, has reference to a severe conflict between a
man and a bear in times gone by. Wrexham, says the
fourth, is obviously a corruption of Gwraig Sam, Sam's
wife. Crymmych, the fifth avers, is a transposition of
" Ychyn crymu," the ox stooping, &c., &c. The reader
may take these fanciful and untenable derivations for
their worth as evidences of the tenacity with which
some people hold to their folk-lore.
The majority of our place-names, as might have
been expected, have been derived from pure Celtic
sources. Bishop Percy says that " in England, although the
names of the towns and villages are almost universally
df Anglo-Saxon derivation, yet hills, forests, rivers, &c.,
have generally preserved their old Celtic names." In
illustrating the prevalence of Celtic names in Britain,
the Rev. Isaac Taylor writes : " Throughout the whole
island almost every river-name is Celtic, most of the
shire-names contain Celtic roots, and a fair sprinkling
of names of hills, valleys, and fortresses, bear witness
that the Celt was the aboriginal possessor of the soil ;
while in the border counties of Salop, Hereford,
Gloucester, Dorset, Somerset, and Devon, and in the
mountain fastnesses of Derbyshire and Cumberland,
not only are the names of the great natural features of
the country derived from the Celtic speech, but we find
occasional village-names, with the prefixes lan and tre,
interspersed among the Saxon patronymics."
What is true of England is pre-eminently true of
W^ales, where the great bulk of place-names are
distinctly Cymric, everywhere thrusting themselves
upon our notice as standing proofs ofthe vitality ofthe
language of our progenitors. Many are the false
prophets that have sarcastically declared, from time to
time, that the days of the Welsh language have been
numbered. We might observe, en passant, that it
contains more vitality than the Gaelic. The latter is
only talked in some parts of Scotland, but the Cymric
is the domestic language of the vast majority of the
Welsh people, wheresoever situated. It is calculated
that more than a million of the inhabitants of Wales
and Monmouthshire use the vernacular in domestic

conversation, in literary and newspaper reading, and in
religious exercises. What with the continuation of the
Cymric in the curriculum of our Universities and
Theological Colleges, its introduction as a specific
subject into our public elementary schools, the ardency
and faithfulness with which it is taught in our Sunday
schools from Caergybi to Caerdydd, the ever-increasing
attention paid and the new life infused into it by
various institutions, as the Eisteddfod, the Honourable
Society of Cymrodorion, the Society for Utilising the
Welsh language, and the proverbial clannishness ofthe
Kymry ; looking retrospectively and prospectively our
conviction is that the dear old language contains germs
of a long and healthy life, and when it shall cease to be
a vernacular much of its intrinsic value and glory will
be preserved in its local names.

PREFIXES AND SUFFIXES.
We shall now deal briefly with the chief prefixes
and suffixes that occur so frequently as components in
names of places in Wales, in order to avoid entering
largely into details in tracing their origin in the subse
quent pages. Many of them contain the geographical
and historical clues to a large number of names, and
since they enter so extensively into Welsh nomen
clature, we think it essential to offer a few explanatory
notes thereon.
Aber means the mouth of a river, a particular
point at which the lesser water discharges itself into
the greater. In the old Welsh it is spelt aper, and
Professor Rhys, Oxford, derives it from the root ber,
the Celtic equivalent of fer, in Lat. fer-o, Greek phero,
English bear. It originally meant a volume of water
which a river bears or brings into the sea, or into another
river ; but it is now genert^lly used to denote an estuary,
the mouth of a river. Some think it is cognate with the
Irish inver : Inverary, mouth of the Airy ; and that inver
and aber are suitable test-words in discriminating
bet'ween the two chief branches of the Celts. Mr.

IO

Taylor says that " if we draw a line across the map
from a point a little south of Inverary to one a little
north of Aberdeen we shall find (with very few excep
tions) the invers lie to the north-west of the line, and the
abers to the south-east ofit." The Welsh form occurs
repeatedly in Brittany: Abervrack, Avranches. The
Norman French haver is identified with the Welsh
aber. In the lowlands of Scotland we find it in Aber
deen, Abernethy, Abercorn, Abertay, &c., and in
England we find it in Aberford, Berwick, &c.
Wherever found in Welsh place-names it is almost
invariably followed by a proper or common name.
indicating a brook or river flowing into another river,
or the sea.
AcH is a Celtic derivative particle denoting water.
Agh in Ireland means a ford, och signifies the same in
Scotland, and the Latin aqua has the same meaning.
The Sanscrit ux, uks, means to water. We find many
brooks and rivers called Clydach, sheltering water ;
Achddu means black water, 3.nd gwyach is a general term
for several species of water-fowl.
Afon, a river, comes probably from the Celtic
awon, the moving water. In the Manx language it is
written Aon, in tbe Gaelic abhainn (pronounced avain),
and in the Itinerary of Antonius it isAbona. It is found
in English in the form oi Avon, which, in the opinion of
Professor Rhys, appears to have been entitled to a w as
early as the time of Tacitus. This form occasions
redundancy in the English language. To say " Bristol
is on the river Avon " is tantamount to saying " Bristol
is on the river river." Afon, a common name, has
become a proper name in England, but in Wales it is
the generic term for a river.
Ar signifies " ploughed land." Arddu, to plough.
The Greek word for a plough is arotron, the Latin is
ardtrum, the Norse is ardr, the Irish is arathar, and the
Welsh is aradr. The English " harrow " was originally
a rude instrument drawn over ploughed land to level it
and break the clods, and to cover seed when sown.
Ploughing and reaping are called " earing and harvest."
Compare Gen. xlv., 6. ; Ex. xxxiv., 21.

II
When ar is ustul as a suflix it generally has an
.'igiieiiltural signi(ie;i(ion, iiiit wlien usihI as a |)rt;ri.\ it
is ;i pi'eposilion, iiUMning on, upon : Ardwr, on tho
w;tler ; Ar({oed, on or ;il)ove a, wootl.
Hi'.TTWs forms a part of a l.tige nninber of onr local
naiiK^s. Some lliink it is a Wi^lsliiriiid loini of IIk^ Latin
liealiis, blessed, aiul tii.at it lefeis lo llie religious institti-
tions of ,S'/. lieiino. Olliers dtM'ive, it fioni ahhaiis, an
appiiiulage lo a inonasliuy or an aiibiiy, taking it as one
oi' llie few Laliii words wllieli fonnd a |M^iiii;tneiit place.
in tlic Welsii iangnag(^
It is cleri vcul by sonic from bod-ricys, ;i jilace of
slielliM', bnt llie most prtwalent oiiinioii is that the
wortl is ;i Weisliilied foini of 6c(i(/-//ii».sv', an ecclesiastical
term signifying a hosiiilal or ainis-honse, when; the poor
])raye(l for iheil" fonnilers and lii'iielactois.
" Heads ;ii'e, used by i\'oinaii (~.itholics lokecplheni
righl as lo Ihe nnniher of lluar inaycis, om^ head of
thoii' ros.n V heiiig dropjied every linn^ a pr.'iyer issaitl ;
lleiu'iMJun r.inslereneiMif ihe n;inie hom that which is
connled (Ihe iir.iyers) lo that whicli is used to count
Ihem. The old phra.se lo ' bid one's be.ads' means lo
s;iy one's piiiyets (Imp. Diet)." In a recent coniinnni-
ciilion lo ns, I'lolessor Khys s.-iys " Hellvvs would he
phonologieally aeeonnled for (exactly hy supposing it to
be the ICnglish hfd-lii'is or house of piayei', bul if that
origin he the eorri>et oiu^ lo .issnnie, there is the historical
dillienlly : wlieri^ is there any aeeonnt of this institution
bearing an ICnglish name?" There is tlu^ rub. Wi;
cannol Iind a single, inslanee of the name being
perpeln.'iletl in ICnglaiul. The Kev. J. Davies, h'.S.A.,
Pandy, is of opinion tli.-it "Jiitttics was lu'ver.ui institution
jiropeiiy speaUing, and it never evisled as a distinct
religions house, but niulonbtcdly it >lid exist in sonic
instances ;is a. cell in connection wiih largi^ Ahhi'ys.
Soon afler llu^ principal Ahheys had been loniulcd in
tills eonnlry, and their lanu> as seals of j)iety and
learning had spread far and wide, pilgrims b(>gan to
(lock to them, many of whom h,ul long dislanees to
travel, on account of which houses of prayer, called
Jifiid-lioii.sf.<!, were eii>eteil at long intervals along their

course into which the ' wearied pilgrims ' entered to
offer prayers on their way to and from the Abbey. I
believe we never have a Bead-house (Bettws) but on the
way to an Abbey. When the Abbeys were suppressed,
most of these Bead-houses fell into ruin, as a matter of
course, while a few of them may have developed into
parish Churches and Chapels of Ease, after the
Reformation. I do not think it has a Welsh origin,
for the reason that the thing itself was imported from
Normandy, and I am of opinion that Bettws as a place-
name was not in existence prior to the Norman Survey."
Blaen means extremity, the top of anything. It
is frequently used as a prefix in the names of places
that are situated at the extreme end of a valley or near
the sources of brooks and rivers. Blaenau afonydd, the
sources of rivers. Dwfr y blaenau, water or stream from
the height. Bod originally meant a lord's residence. Having
fixed upon a certain spot of land, he would build a
dwelling-house thereon, which was called bod, and the
name of the builder or owner was added to distinguish
it from other dwelling-houses, hence we have Bodowain,
Bodedeyrn, &c. He had two residences— jr Hafod, the
summer residence, and Gauafod, the winter residence.
But in course of time bod was used to designate any
house or dweUing-place. Compare the English " abode."
Bron means a round protuberance, and is equiva
lent to the English breast. In place-names it signifies
the breast of a hill. Ar frest y mynydd, is a very common
expression, meaning on the breast of the mountain.
Bryn seems to be a compound of bre, a mountain,
and the diminutive yn ; hence hreyn, afterwards con
tracted into bryn, a small mountain, a hill. It enters
largely into Welsh place-names, and we find it also"
Anghcized in Breandown, a high ridge near Weston-
super-Mare ; Brendon, a part of the great ridge of
Exmoor ; Brinsop, Hereford, &c.
BwLCH signifies a break or breach. It is generally
found in names of places where there is a narrow pass
in the mountains.

13
Caer is one of our enchorial names for a wall or
mound for defence, the wall of a city or castle, a fortress.
Perhaps the root is cau, to shut up, to fence, to enclose
with a hedge. Cae means a field enclosed with hedges.
Caerau were the most ancient military earthworks in the
Principality, and when the Britons began to build cities
they surrounded them by a fortified wall called catr.
The city of Chester is still popularly called Caer,
from the ancient wall that has encircled it for ages.
Chester — a Saxonized form of the Latin castrum, a fort,
and one of the six words recognised as directly inherited
from the Roman invaders — is a common prefix and
suffix in English place-names ; as Colchester, Man
chester, Chesterford, Chesterton. In the Anglian and
Danish districts we find " Chester " is replaced by
"caster"; as Doncaster, Lancaster, &c., but both
forms are allied to castrum, which is a Latinization of
the Celtic coer. As the Latin castrum will always be an
etymological souvenir to future generations of the
Roman incursions, and the havoc they committed here
ere " Britannia ruled the waves," even so the Celtic
word caer, which is found in so many Welsh and a few
English place-names, will ever be an historical finger
post, pointing to the necessity which was laid upon our
forefathers to defend themselves against foreign bands
of invaders. The word is also a standing proof in
England that the dominion of the ancient Kymry was
sometimes considerably more extensive than that of
little Wales. If the reader will be so fortunate as to
find a map of England which was published in the time
of Ella, the first Bretwalda of the Saxon race, the
recurrent caer would make him almost imagine he was
perusing the map of Wales. There he would find
Caer-legion, Chester, which is still called Caerlleon ;
Caer-Badon, Bath ; Caer-Glou, Gloucester ; Caer-Ebrawe,
Eboracum of the Romans, and the Saxon York ; and
Caer-Lundene, London, &c. In course of time the vowel
e was elided, hence we have such examples as Carmar
then, Cardiff, Carlisle, Carsey, Carsop, Pencarow
(Pencaerau), Carew, &c.
Carn, Carnedd, or Cairn, means a heap of stones.
These cairns or tumuli are found in large numbers in

Wales. They were, according to some, either family
cemeteries or monuments raised to commemorate the
relics of a number of heroes who fell in defence of their
country. But others are inclined to think they were
thrown, as tokens of disgrace, over executed malefactors.
Dr. Owen Pugh says — " The carneddau and the tumuli
of earth were the common monuments that the ancient
Britons erected in honour of their great men. Which
of the two kinds was probably determined by the
circumstance of the country being stony or otherwise.
These modes of interment continued in use many years
after the introduction of Christianity ; but when the
custom of burying in churches became general, the
former ways were not only disused, but condemned as
fit only for the great criminals. When the carnedd was
considered as the honourable tomb of a warrior, every
passenger threw his additional stone out of reverence
to his memory. When this heap came to be disgraced
by being the mark where the guilty was liid, the
custom for everyone that passed to fling his stone; still
continued, but nowise a token of detestation."
Professor Rhys, in his " Celtic Britain," gives a
graphic description of the removal of one of these
cairns in the vicinity of Mold, in 1832. " It was
believed," he writes, " in the country around to be
haunted by a spectre in gold armour, and when more
than 300 loads of stones had been carted away the
workmen came to the skeleton of a tall and powerful
man placed at full length. He had been laid there
clad in a finely-wrought corslet of gold, with a lining of
bronze : the former was found to be a thin plate of the
precious metal, measuring three feet seven inches long
by eight inches wide. Near at hand were discovered
300 amber beads and traces of something made of iron,
together with an urn full of ashes, and standing about
three yards from the skeleton. The work on the corslet
is believed to have been foreign, and is termed Etruscan
by Prof. Boyd Dawkins. The burial belongs to an age
when cremation was not entirely obsolete in this
country, and we should probably not be wrong in
attributing it to the time of the Roman occupation.
On the whole, the duty of commemorating the dead

15
araong the Celts may be supposed to have devolved on
the bards, to whom we are probably indebted for the
seventy or more triplets devoted to this object and pre
served in a Welsh manuscript of the twelfth century.
The last of them, which, remarkably enough, has to do
with a grave in this same district of Mold, runs as
follows, when freely rendered into English : —
Whose is the grave in the great glade ?
Proud was his hand on his blade —
There Beli the giant is laid."
Castell, frequently contracted into cas, is the
Welsh for a castle, a fortified residence.
It is difficult to ascertain the exact time when
castles were first introduced into Wales.
The Romans probably began to erect fortresses in
the territories conquered by them, and the Saxons
followed their example ; but strong castles of defence
were comparatively few here ere the commencement of
the Norman Conquest. Feudalism gave rise to castles
in the sense of fortified residences, and it is from the
advent of the Normans to our land we must date the
castle as an institution. A large number was also
erected during the reign of Edward III. and his
immediate successors. " That old fortress," said Mr.
Gladstone, pointing with his stick to the remains of
Hawarden Castle, " is one of the emblems of the diffi
culty the English had in governing the Welsh in former
times. They had to plant their strongholds all along
the Welsh border."
Cefn, in names of places, means a high ridge. It
is but natural that this prefix should be applied to so
many places in mountainous Wales. The Chevin Hills
in York.shire, and Cevennes in France, derive their
names from the same root.
CiL implies a sequestered place, a place of retreat.
Cil haul means the shade or where the sun does not
shine. Cil y llygad, the corner of the eye. In Ireland it
is spelt Ul (the c being changed to k) signifying a
church, and is found in no less than 1,400 names, and
in many in Scotland. Kilkenny, church ot Kenny ;
Kilpatrick, church of Patrick ; Kilmore {Cilmawr), the

i6
great church, Gilmor is still a surname in the Scottish
lowlands, and we find G'lmorton in Leicester. We
find the root in cilio, to retreat, to go away. Cilfach, a
place to retreat to, a creak, a nook. Some Welsh
historians think that cil is a local memorial of those
Irish missionaries, who, about the 5th century, visited
the shores of Wales for evangelistic purposes, and
founded churches in the most quiet and sequestered
spots they could find.
Clyd means sheltering, warm, comfortable. Lie
clyd, a warm, comfortable place. We have it in
different forms in Clydach, Clydlyn, Clyder, Clyde,
Strathclud, Clodock.
Clyn signifies a place covered with brakes, Clyn 0
eithin, a furze brake.
Cnwc literally means a bump, a swelling : Cnwc y
gwegil, the back part of the skull ; but its geographical
signification is a knoll or mound. We find it corrupted
ifi a few Welsh names, Knucklas (Cnwc-glas), &c., and
in Irish names, Knockglass (Cnwc-glas), Knockmoy
(Cnwc-mai), Knockaderry (Cnwc-y-deri), &c , and in
England we have Nocton, Nacton, Knockin, Knock, &c.
Coed is the Welsh for wood, trees. In remote
times the summits of Cambria's hills were covered with
wood, which accounts for the word coed being still
applied to barren and hilly districts.
Craig, a high rock or crag, and sometimes it is
applied to a steep, woody eminence. It takes the form
of carraig or carrick in Ireland ; Tarrigafoyle (Craigy-
foel), the barren rock ; Carrickfergus, the rock where
Fergus was drowned ; and in England we find it in
Crick, Cricklade, &c.
Croes means a cross. Croes-ffordd, a cross-way.
The word evidently points to the Roman epoch, and
also to the ancient Welsh custom of burying malefactors
near the cross roads. Croes-feini, stone-crosses, in the
time of Howell the Good, were used principally to
mark land property, and sometimes, when placed in
hedges, to caution travellers not to cross the fields.
Some of them, with the names of the primitive British

17
saints inscribed upon them, were placed by the road
side in commemoration of the blessed fact that the
Gospel had been preached there.
Crug means a heap, a mound. Crug o gerryg, a
heap of stones. It appears that the Britons held their
bardic and judicial gorseddau or assemblies on these
mounds, and hence " crug" and " gorsedd," according
to Dr. Owen Pughe, are sometimes used as synonymous
terms. " Crug " is a frequent component in Welsh
names, and we find it Anglicized in Crich (Derby),
Creach (Somerset), &c.
CwM denotes a low place enclosed with hills. It
has a large place in Welsh no.xenclature, and it often
occurs in English local names, especially in the western
counties. In Devonshire the Saxonized form comb or
combe meet us frequently : Wide-comb, Wel-comb,
Ilfra-combe, Babba-comb, Burles-comb, Challa-comb,
Hac-comb, Para-comb, Yarns-comb, &c. In Somerset it
is more plentiful than in any other English county : we
have Nettle-comb, Od-comb, Timber-comb, Charls-comb,
Wid-comb, Moncton-comb, Comb-hay, Cros-comb,
Wins-combe, &c. We find King-combe, Rat-combe,
Bos-comb, &c., in Dorset. Cumberland, a Celtic
county, is derived by some from the combes with which
it abounds. So writes Anderson, a Cumberland poet,
of his native county : —
There's Cumwhilton, Cumwhinton, Cumranton,
Cumrangan, Cumrew, and Cumcatch,
And many mair Cums i' the county.
But none with Cumdivock can match.
Cymmer means a junction or confluence, and is
frequently applied to places situated near the junction
of two or more rivers. The root is related to aber (vide
aber). Din is an ancient Welsh word for a fortified hill, a
camp, from which we have our dinas, a fortified town or
city, and probably the English denizen. Our cities were
once surrounded by fortified walls, like Chester, on
account of which every one of them was denominated
dinas. Proffessor Rhys groups the Welsh din with the
Irish dun, the Anglo-Saxon tun, and the Enghsh town.

The dunum, dinum, and dinium of the Romans are
probably allied with it.
The English suffix bury is closely related to it in
raeaning. Very few Welsh place-names have the
terraination burgh, burj', or borough. The root is
almost an English monopoly. Home Took says that
" a burgh or borough formerly meant a fortified town."
In the "Encyclopaedia Britannica" we find the follow
ing exposition of the word : — " Bourgignons or Burgvin-
dians, one of the nations who over-ran the Roman
Empire, and settled in Gaul. They were of great
stature and very warlike, for which reason the Emperor
Valentinian the Great engaged them against the Ger
mans. They lived in tents, which were close to each
other, that they might the more readilj' unite in arms
on any unforeseen attack. These conjunctions of tents
they called burghs, and they were to them what towns
are to us." It is supposed that the Burgundians
introduced the word to the Germans, and they, again,
left it in England as a trace of their settlement here.
DoL signifies a meadow. Dol-dir, meadow-land.
We find it in many of our place-names, and also in
various forms in Arundel, Kendal (Pen^dol), Annan-
dale, Dalkeith, Dalrymple, Dovedale, &c. The word is
found in names of places situate in valleys all over
Wales, Cornwall, and Brittany.
Dwfr is the modem Welsh for water. It is frequently
spelt dwr : Cwmdwr, the water-vale. In English it has
suffered much from phonetic decay : Derwent, Dover,
Appledore, Durham, Dore, Thur, Durra, &c. It is also
found in European names : Dordogne, Adour, Durbian,
Durbach, Douron, Dwema, Oder, &c. (" Words and
Places," p. 200). It may be compared with the Comish
dour, the Gaelic and Irish dur, and dobhar, pronounced
doar, and the Greek tidor, all derived probably from the
Celtic dubr.
Dyffryn is popularly derived from dwfr, water, and
hynt, a way, a course ; literally a water-course, or a vale
through which a river lakes its course. In the ancient
W'elsh laws the word dyffrynt is used to denote a river.
" Ynysoedd y-n nyffrynt," islands in a river. It raay be

19
a compound of dwfr-bryn, signifying a hilly place through
which water flows.
Gallt means an ascent, a slope. Gallt o goed, a
woody slope or eminence. In North Wales it signifies
"a steep hill," and in South Wales "a coppice of
wood." Garth originally meant a buttress, an inclosure.
The Norse garth, the Persian gird, and the Anglo-Saxon
yard, denote a place girded round, or guarded. Garden
is a place fenced round for special cultivation. Buarth,
from bii, kine, &r).d. garth, a small inclosure, was situated
on a hill in perilous times. Lluarth from Uu, a legion,
and garth, inclosure, means an entrenchment on a hill.
In course of time the word became to signify a ridge,
a hill, a rising eminence, a promontory.
GhLLi-Celli means a wood, a copse. The simpler
iorvnccll meant a grove, and the Irish coill bears an
identical meaning. Cell ysgaw, an elder grove. The
aborigines of Scotland were called Cosoill daoin, which
meant " the people of the wood," which name was
changed by the Romans to Caledonia. A great number
of places have received their names from species of
trees, as Clynog, Pantycelyn, Clyn eiddw, &c.
Glan means brink, side, shore. Glan yr afon, the
river side, or the bank of the river. Glany mor, the sea
shore. The word is generally prefixed to river-names,
as Glan-Conwy, Glan Taf, &c.
Glas is used to denote blue, azure, green. When
applied to water it signifies blue — Dulas, black-blue ; but
when applied to land it means green ; Caeglas, green
field. The word is supposed by some Cymric scholars
to be allied to the Greek glaukos, both expressing the
same colours — those of the sea. Glaucus was a sea-
deity. Glyn implies a vale narrower but deeper than a
dyffryn, through which a river flows. It generally
precedes the name of a river that flows through a vale,
as Glyn Ceiriog, Glyn Dyfrdwy, &c. From the same
root we have the Gaelic " gleann " and the Anglo-Saxon
"glen," both expressing a small valley.

20
GwYDD signifies wood, from which we have gwyddel,
which means a brake or bush. Tir gwyddelawg, land
overrun with brambles. Gwyddel is also the Welsh for
Irishman, and some view the few place-names that
contain the word only as ethnological evidences of the
temporary sojourn of the Gaels in Wales. Some,
evidently, have the latter signification, but the majority
of them have no reference to Irishmen, as Gwyddel-
wern, &c.
Hafod is a compound of haf and bod, signifying 'a
summer house. The ancient farmers had their summer
dairy-houses, and in that season they resorted thither,
as the farmers in the Swiss Alps do to their Sennes.
The hafod consisted of a long, low room, with a hole at
one end to emit the smoke from the fire which was
made beneath. Its stools were stones, and beds were
made of hay ranged along the sides.
Llan is identified with nearly all the names of
parish churches in Wales, from which an exceedingly
large number of places take their names. It has been
said that " England is pre-eminently the land of hedges
and inclosures." The terminations, ton, ham, worth,
stoke, fold, garth, park, burgh, bury, brough, burrow,
almost invariably convey the notion of inclosure and
protection. The Welsh prefix Llan, which signifies a
sacred inclosure, probably suggested the idea to the
Saxon colonists. We find the word in perllan, orchard ;
gwinllan, vineyard ; corlan, sheep-yard, in Welsh place-
names it generally means a church, probably including
the church-yard. Myned i'r llan means " going to church."
The British saints, having been deprived of their
possessions by the powerful and ever-increasing
foreigners and invaders, retired to the most solitary
places in the country to live a wholly religious
life, and founded churches which will bear their
names as long as hagiology will remain a part of
Welsh history. Judging from the number of churches
dedicated to the saints, it appears that the most popular
among them were St. Mary, St. Michael, and St. David,
the patron saint of Wales. It is needless to say that the
first two never founded churches, although we find that

26 churches in the see of Bangor ; 27 in the see of St.
Asaph; 59 in the see of St. David's; and a few in the
see of Llandaff; in all about 150 churches and chapels
have been dedicated to St. Mary, and to St. Michael :
48 in the see of St. David's 5 8 in the see of St. Asaph ;
16 in the see of Bangor ; 20 in the see of Llandaff; and
a few in the see of Hereford, making a total of nearly
100. Next comes St. David. We find that 42 sacred
edifices bear his name in the see of St. David's ; 8 in
the see of Llandaff; and a few in the see of Hereford.
Many churches were also named from their contiguity
to water, as well as to other objects: Llanwrtyd (Llan-
wrth-y-rhyd), the church by the ford ; Llanddf, the
church on the Taff, &c. The llan, a public house, and
a few cottages, formed the nucleus of the majority of
our rural villages and parishes, and when the village or
parish became worthy of an appellation, the name of
the llan was almost invariably applied to them. The
word sant, saint, never became a popular term in Wales.
We have simply the llan and the unadorned name of
the saint to whom it was dedicated, not Llansantddewi,
St. David's church, but Llanddewi, David's church.
When several churches are dedicated to the same
saint some differential words are added, and so we have
those long names which arouse the curiosity of our
English friends, and often supply a healthy exercise
to their risible faculties, such as Llanfair-Mathafarn-
eithaf, &c.
For the sake of euphony and brevity we have, in
many of our English equivalents, omitted the word llan,
and have given the names of the saints only, except
when they are translatable. When differential words are
added to the hagiological names, as Penybryn, Helygen,
&c., we have thought it advisable to omit the eccle
siastical term, and ^ive the mundane portion of the
name only as an English quasi-equivalent. For instance,
Llandewi-Aberarth, omitting St. David's, and render
Aberarth into an intelligible English name. We find
the word llan in many place-names in England, in the
Cymric part of Scotland, as Lanark, Lanrick, &c., and
in Brittany, as Langeac, Lannion, Lanoe, &c. It is

22
now superseded by the word eglwys, church, in most
parts of the Principality.
Llech, a flat stone, a flag, refers probably to the
Druidical circle stones. Notice should be made ofthe
difference between Cromlech and Cistfaen. The former
was a sepulchral monument and always above ground,
and the latter was the coffin, concealed either by a
tumulus of earth or stones. The cromlech generally
had a cistfaen under it. The English league is probably
derived from this word, a "league" was a measure of
distance marked by a stone standing on end.
Llwch is the ancient Welsh for an inlet of water,
a lake. It corresponds to the Scotch loch, the Irish
lough, and the English lake. Loch Leven — smooth
lake. Llwyn in its primary sense means a bush, but it is
frequently used to denote a grove.
Llys originally meant a royal court, a palace.
Llysdin, a city where a prince's court was kept, but it
is now the common appellation for a court.
Maenor originally meant a division of land marked
by stones, from maen, a stone ; hence it became to
signify a district, a manor. The maen-hir, long-stone
monument, is considered by Professor Rhys to be as
old as the cromlech, but not so imposing and costly.
Croes-faen. (See Croes).
Maes, an open field, in contradistinction to cac, an
enclosed field. It is sometimes used as a military term
signifying a battle-field. Cdd ar faes is a pitched battle,
and colli y maes is to lose the battle. In the majority of
names where this component occurs we m.ay fairly infer
that a battle has been fought there.
Mai means an open, beautiful plain. It is also the
Welsh for May, the month when nature induces one to
go out to the open fields to view her gems of beauty.
MoEL when used as a substantive signifies a bald,
conical hill. Dyn penfoel, a bald-headed man. In olden
times it was used as a surname. Hywel Foel, Howell,
the bald-headed. It is derived by some from the Celtic
root mull, a bald head. Moylisker (Westmoreland) is a

23
corrupted form of Moel-esgair, bare ridge. Malvern is
supposed to be a contraction of Moel-y-fani, the hill of
judgment. In Ireland we find it corrupted to moyle :
Kilmoyle, bald church ; Dinmoyle, bald fort.
Mynydd is the popular Welsh word for mountain,
from mwn, what rises considerably above the surface of
the surrounding land. Myn'd i fynydd or fyny means
going upwards.
Nant in its primary sense signified a ravine, a
dingle ; but now it is mostly used to denote a brook, a
streamlet. The root enters largely into Welsh nomen.
clature, and it is also found in many place-names in
the region of the High Alps, Naniinu and Nniiney are
plural forms of it, omitting t, and adding the plural
termination an.
Pant means a low place, a hollow. It is con
siderably less than a cwm or dyffryn, combe or \alley,
being somewhat similar to a glen.
Parc is an inclosure, equivalent to cue, a piece of
land enclosed with hedges. It is used in the latter
sense in the south-west counties. Parth comes from
the same root, which means a division of land. Parthmi
Cyniru, the divisions of Wales. The English "park"
is a derivative, which has a more extensive meaning.
Pen in geographical names means the highest
part or the extreme end, as of a mountain or .i field, or
a meadow. \\'e find it intact in names of places in
Cornwall, as Penzance (saint's head), Pcnrhyn (head
land), and in the north of England we have Penrith;
but in its native country the consonant « has been
omitted in many instances, and m substitutetl, as in
Pembroke, Pembre)', &c. Btn, a mountain, enters
largely into the composition of place-names in Scotland,
especially in the Highlands, as' Ben-more, (Penmawr),
great mountain, i.*tc. Ceii or cemt is another Gaelic form,
signifying the same as pen and ben. Cantyre (Pentir),
headland ; Kenmore (Penmawr), great mountain ;
Kinloch (Penllwch), head of the lake. In South Scot
land ben is replaced by pen, the Cymric form, as
Pencraig, the top of the rock ; Penpont, the end ofthe

24
bridge, &c. We find it also in European names
pointing out the earlier settlements of the Celtic race,
as Pennine, Apennines, Penne, Penmark, &c.
Pont is generally derived from the Latin pons,pontis,
a bridge. The monks were great bridge-builders, and it
is supposed that they introduced the word to us.
Pontage is a duty paid for repairing bridges. The
Roman pontiff was so called because the first bridge
over the Tiber was constructed and consecrated by the
high priest. Pontefract is a pure Latin name, from
pons, a bridge, and frangere, to break, signifying a broken
bridge, so called from the bridge breaking down when
William, Archbishop of York, was passing over.
Porth is referred by some to the Latin porta, a
passage-way, a gate, an opening.
Rhiw is the Welsh for ascent, acclivity, slope. It
has an analogous meaning to Eppynt, the name of a
chain of mountains in Breconshire, probably from eb,
an issuing out, and hynt, a way, a course, signifying a
way rising abruptly. Hyntio means to set off abruptly.
Rhos means a moor. Some think the Latin rus is
a cognate word, signifying undrained moorland. The
Cymric rhos is frequently confused with the Gaehc ros,
which signifies a promontory. Ross, the name of a
town in Herefordshire, is probably a corruption of the
former. Rhyd in its primary sense means a ford, but its
secondary meaning — a stream, is frequently given to it.
Rhyd-erwin means the rough, dangerous ford, whereas
Rhydfelin designates a stream of water that turns a mill.
Sarn is the Welsh for the old Roman paved road,
and wherever it occurs one may almost certainly find
traces of a Roman road. Unlike almost every other
road the Roman strata was distinguished for its
straightness. It ran from fortress to fortress, as
straight as an arrow course, in order to facilitate
communications between those who were stationed in
the chief strategic positions of Britain. It was generally
about 15 feet wide, the sides being fenced by huge
stones, and the middle well paved. Remains of it are

25
still discernible in many parts of the Principality, such
as the neighbourhood of Caersws, Montgomery ; Gaer,
Brecon ; Neath, Glamorgan ; and many other places.
Tal when applied to places means end, but when
applied to persons it denotes front. Taliesin means
radiant front or luminous head, but Talybont signifies
the end of the bridge. From this comes the English
tall. Ton originally meant a piece of unploughed or
uncultivated land, perhaps from twn, which implies a
piece of land taken for the purpose of cultivation. It
is used in Glamorgan to denote a green sward.
Tref was the primitive Welsh appellative for a
homestead, a dwelling-house. Myned tua thref, going
home, is still a common expression in South Wales. In
course of time the term was extended to indicate a
group of homesteads. Having built a house for himself
the lord would proceed to build dwellings for his people
and his cattle, and these formed what was called tref.
The word gradually became to be applied to an
aggregate of houses, hence the reason why it is used so
frequently in village as well as in town-names.
The root is widely distributed over Britain and
Europe. The Norse by, the Danish thorpe, the German
dorf, and the English ham and ton may be considered as
its equivalents. It is spelt treu in Domesday Book,
hence we have Treuddyn for Treddyn.
Hendref forms the names of many old mansions,
and is synonymous with the English Aldham and
Oldham. Hydref (October) was the harvest season —
the time to gather the produce of the fields to the
barns, and leave the hafod, summer-house, to spend the
winter months in the hendref, the older establishment.
The original meaning of cantref (canton or hundred) is
supposed to have been a hundred homesteads.
Troed is the Welsh for foot, base. The Irish traig
signifies the same, both of which, Professor Rhys thinks,
are of the same origin as the Greek trecho, " I run." The
English tread means to set the foot. The word is fre
quently applied to places situated at the foot of a moun-

26
tain. The Welsh Troedyrhiw and the Italian pie di monte
are almost synonymous terms.
Ty generally means a house, a dwelling-place, but
in Welsh nomenclature it is occasionally used to denote
a church or place of worship, as Ty Ddeni, St. David's.
The house of God is considered by many as equivalent
to the church of God. Ty has an inferior meaning to
bod ; the latter was the residence of a superior, and the
former is of a later date, signifying an ordinary house, a
cottage. Wy — Gwy is an obsolete Celtic word for water,
mostly used as a suffix in river-names, as Elwy, Tawy;
and sometimes as a prefix, as gwyach, a water-fowl ;
gwylan, sea-gull ; gwydd, goose. Gwysg is related to it,
which means a tendency to a level, as of a fluid or
stream. We find the root in various forms, as Wysg,
cask, uisge, usk, esk, ex, is-ca, &c.
Ynys anciently signified a quasi-island in the
marshes, answering to inch in Scotland, Inch Keith;
and inis or ennis is Ireland, Ennis Killen, Ennis Corthy,
Inniskea, &c. The word is applied to some places with
no river or water near them, nor anything suggesting
the probability that they had, in remote times, been
islands. Ystrad is a general term for a low or flat valley
through which a river flows. The Latin strata, the
Scotch strath, and fhe English street are supposed to be
of the same origin. The term, ystrad was used sometimes
to denote a paved road.

27

PLACE-NAMES IN WALES.

Wales. — The real and correct name is Cymru, or
as the late Mr. T. Stephens invariably spelt it, Kymru,
from cym-bro, the compatriot, the native ofthe country,
in contradistinction to ail-fro, the foreign invader who
came to dispossess him of his native land.
Professor Sylvan Evans derives it from cyd, the d
being changed to m for assimilation with the following
b ; and bro, a vale, a country. Some think it is a
compound of cyn, first, prior ; and bru, matrix, hence
implying Primitive Mother, an expression signifying that
the aboriginal Brythons, to sustain their inalienable
claim to the country, considered themselves as
descended from the direct offspring of their native soil.
According to some the name is synonymous with the
Cimmerrii and Gomari.
A few derive the name from Camber, the son of
Brutus, whilst others insist upon a remoter origin, and
trace it back to Gomer, the eldest son of Japhet. In
the laws of Hywel Dda the name is sf>elt Cybru, and in
G. ap Arthur's Chronicle the names Kymry and Kymraec
are respectively given to the nation and the language.
Mr. Stephens derives Kymry from Homer's Kim
meroi and Germania's Cimbri. These people gave
their name to Cumberland, and subsequently they^
settled in their present country, and called themselves
Kymry or Cymry, and the country Cymru.
Professor Rhys thinks the ties of union between
the Brythons of Upper Britain proved so strong and
close that the word Kymry, which meant merely
fellow-countrymen, acquired the force and charm of a
national name, which it still retains among the natives
of the Principality. It is also popularly called
Gwalia, of which Wales is a Saxonized form.
Very many favour the German derivation wai, foreign ;
waller, foreigner. The general name given by the
Teutonic races to their neighbours is Walsch, foreigners

28
or strangers. " The word Dutch is an adjective
signifying national, and was the name by which the old
Teutons called themselves in contradistinction to other
people, whose language they were unable to under
stand. They styled themselves the (intelligible)
people, but called others, as the Romans, and the Kelts
in Britain, Walsch and Welsh.'' (Morris' Hist. Gram.).
Walsch-land is the German name of Italy, and
Weal-land is the name given by the Saxon Chronicle to
Brittany. Cornwales was the original form of Cornwall,
which signifies the country inhabited by the Welsh of
the Horn. Some derive the name from Gal, the ancient
Gal, whilst others give the preference to gal, an open,
cultivated country. " Le Prince de Galles " is the name
given to the Prince of Wales in France. The people
of Galatia in the time of St. Paul possessed some
characteristic features of the Celtic race. Mr. Jacob
Grim traces the name back to Galli (Gaules, Fr.),
which was taken by the Germans from the neighbouring
Gauls. It is generally supposed that when the Saxons
settled among the Britannic Loegrians (the Kymry of
England) they called them Veales, Weala, or Wealhas,
from which the name Wales probably originated.
Cambria. — Some derive it from Camber of fabulous
record, but we rather think it is a distorted Latinized
form of Kymry.
We shall now proceed to deal with the names of
the ancient territories of Wales, namely, Gwynedd,
Powys, Dyfed, and Gwent.
Gwynedd, or Venedocia. — This territory comprised
the counties of Anglesey, Carnarfon, and Denbigh, or
Gwynedd is Gonwy, Venedocia below Conway, and
Gwynedd uch Gonwy, Venedocia above Conway. It was
sometimes applied to all North Wales. The root of
the word evidently is Celtic, gwy, water; nedd, a dingle,
a resting place, an abode. The Welsh for a dwelling is
an-nedd. Professor Rhys thinks " the word Veneti is most
likely of the same origin as the Anglo-Saxon wine, a
friend, and meant allies ; the Irish fine, a tribe or
sept, is most likely related, and so may be the Welsh

29
Gwynedd. The Veneti have left their name to the part
of Brittany called by the Bretons Guened, Vannes, and
it is this name probably that laid the foundation for
the tales which trace an army of Kymry from Gwynedd
to Guened." (Celtic Britain, p. 307.)
PowYs. — This included the counties of Meirioneth,
Flint, and Montgomery. The word, according to Dr.
Pughe, means a state of rest. Pwyso means to lean ;
gorphwyso, to rest. It is said that Ceridwen placed
Gwion, the son of Gwreang, the herald of Llanfair, the
fane of the lady, in Caer Einiawn, the city of the just in
Powys, the land of rest. (Davies' Myth., p. 213.)
Dyfed, or Demetia. — This province embraced the
counties of Pembroke, Carmarthen, and Cardigan ; the
former constituted the principal part, and is called
Dyfed even to-day by the old inhabitants. In the seventh
century Dyfed consisted only of Pembrokeshire. Some
derive the name from Deheubarth, which is rather far
fetched. Baxter derives it from defaid, sheep, and bases
his belief on the fact that that part of the country in
olden times was noted for its large number of sheep and
goats. We are induced to think the root is dwfn,
deep or low, indicating the geographical position of
Dyfed, which is the lowest part of the Principality^
Devon is probably of the same origin. Demetia is
Dyfed Latinized.
Gwent. — This territory comprised Glamorgan,
Monmouth, Brecon, and Radnor counties. The word
denotes an open or fair region, and was Latinized by
the Romans into Venta. Venta Sihirum is now Caerwent,
in Monmouthshire.

ANGLESEY.
Anglesey. — The Welsh name is Ynys Mon, the
Isle of Mona. Mdn is variously derived. Philotechnus
derives it from the Greek monos, alone, left alone,
standing alone, from its being separated by sea from
the counties of North Wales. Dr. Owen Pughe seems
to endorse the above : " Mon, what is isolated, an
isolated one, or that is separate." The author of Mona

30
Antique derives it from bdn, a stem, a base, a foundation,
from its situation at the extreme point of the Prin
cipality, or, perhaps, from its being called " M6n, mam
Cymru," Mona, the mother of Wales. We are induced
to think that the Isle of Mona and the Isle of Man
derive their names from mon, which means what is
isolated, separate. The English name was bestowed
upon it after the battle of Llanvaes, in which Egbert
proved himself victor over Merddyn. In 8i8 or 819 the
Saxon king subdued Mona, and called it Anglesey, or
the Isle of the Angles, or English. The terminal
syllable, ey, is the Norse for island.
Aberffraw. — This seaport village is situate at the
mouth of the river Ffraw. A ber, estuary ; ffraw means
agitation, activity, swiftness. Effraw, awake, vigilant.
The Romans called it Gadavia ; gada, to fall pr run
down ; via, way, signifying the swift or running water.
English name — Swiftmouth.
Amlwch — This name has elicited various con
jectures. Some think it is a compound of aml-Uwck,
signifying a dusty place. Others derive it thus : am,
round, about ; llwch, a lake, an inlet of water, signifying
a circular inlet of water. Llwch is cognate with the
Scotch loch. Many places in Wales take their names from
this word, as Penllwch, Talyllychau, Llanllwch, and, per
haps, Amlwch. In an ancient book, "The Record of
Carnarvon," supposed to be written about I45i,thename
is spelt Amlogh, which induces us to think the right
wording is Aml-och, signifying a place of many groans.
Several names in the district point to the probability
that bloody battles were waged here in ancient times,
such as Cadfa, battleplace ; Cerryg-y-llefau, stones of
weeping; R.tyd y Galanastra, the ford of massacre ; and
here Aml-och, a place of many groans. Groaning and
weeping, are universally the concomitants of bloodshed
and war. English name- Groanston.
Beaumaris. — Various names are given to this town
— Bumaris, Bimaris, Beumarish, Bello-Mariseum, and
Beaumaris. In the Myvyrian list of the parishes of
Wales it is spelt Bywmares. Edmunds derives it from
btiw, a cow ; mor, the sea ; and is, low ; signifying the

31
low place of cows by the sea. Some think the name is
a compounded form of bis, twice ; and maris, the sea,
founding their reason upon the position of the town as
lying between two seas, the Irish Sea and St. George's
Channel. Others think the radices are beau, beautiful,
fine, and maree, sea ; signifying a place near the beautiful
sea. Many will have the suffix to be marish, marsh, a
"tract of low land occasionally covered with water, hence
the name signifies the beautiful marsh. The town was
anciently called Porth Wygyr ; porth, port ; wygyr,
perhaps a contraction of Gwaed-gwyr, men's blood ; or
it may be a corruption of Wig-ir ; wig — gwig, an opening
in the wood, a wood ; ir, fresh, florid. Preti ir, a green
tree. The new name, Beaumaris, it is said, was given
to the town by Edward I. He built the castle about
the year 1285, and changed the name of the place to
Beaumaris, descriptive of its pleasant situation in low
ground. Belan. — An abbreviation of Llanbenlan, the church
•dedicated to Beulan, son of Paulinus. English name —
Beulan. Bethel. — So called after a Nonconformist chapel
in the village. The sacred edifices of the Established
Church are generally dedicated to eminent Welsh
saints ; but the Nonconformist sanctuaries are generally
denominated after Scriptural place-names.
Bodedern. — Bod, a dwelling-place, an abode ;
Edern, or Edeyrn, the son of Nudd, the son of Beli.
He was a warrior and a poet, and before the end of
his earthly career he became very devoted to religion,
and built a church in this place, which was dedicated
to him, hence the name. English name — Kingham.
Bodewryd. — This place is situated about four
miles west of Amlwch. Bod, a dwelling; ewryd, a
¦contraction, perhaps, of ewiar, smooth, clear, and rhyd,
,a ford ; the name, therefore, signifies a mansion at the
clear ford. English name — Clearford.
Bodffordd. — Bod, a dwelhng; ffordd, a way, a
road ; the name, therefore, signifies a residence by the
-way or road. English name — Wayham.

32
Bodwrog. — Bod, a dwelling; Twrog, supposed to
be the son of Ithel Wael, of Brittany, to whom the
church is dedicated. The name signifies a fortified
dwelling. English name — Towerham.
Brynsiencyn. — Bryn, a hill; Siencyn, a Welshified
form of Jenkin, which means little and pretty John.
English name — Jenkin's Hill.
Capel Gwyn. — Capel, chapel ; Gwyn, a contracted
form, probably, of Gwyngenau, the son of Pawl, the elder ;
or, perhaps, gwyn here has an ecclesiastical meaning,
signifying blessed. " Gwyn ei fyd y gwr," blessed is
the man. English name — Blisschapel.
Capel Meugan. — Capel, chapel ; Meugan, son of
Gwyndaf Hen, the son of Emyr Llydaw. Meugan means
" my song." English name — Praise-chapel.
Ceirchiog. — This name means "abounding with
oats." The soil of the district is remarkable for yielding
large crops of oats. English name — Oatham.
Cemaes. — This name is very common in Wales.
It is a compound word, made up of cefit, back, ridge;
and maes, a field, signifying a high field. Some think
the name denotes ridged or arable land, from the
fertility of the soil in the district. Others think it is a
compounded form of camp, a feat, a game ; and maes, a
field. The Welsh had 24 games, or qualifications, that
may be called their course of education. We rather
think the word must be understood here in a martial
sense, signifying a field on a high place, forming a
vantage-ground for military operations. The name
indicates signs of the defensive conflict of the Kymry
from the time of Cadwaladr down to the fall of Llewellyn,
with whom the independence of Cambria terminated.
English name — Highfield.
Cerryg Ceinwen. — Cerryg, stones; Ceinwen, the
daughter of Brychan Brycheiniog, to whom the church
is dedicated. English name — Fairstone.
Cerryg y Gwydd'H..— Cerryg, stones; Gwyddyl,
Irishmen. Caswallon Law-Hir (Long Hand), about
the year 500, fought vahantly against the Irish
invaders in North \\'ales. Having achieved such a

33
noble victory at a certain place in Mona, he built a
church thereon, and called it Llan y Gwyddyl, hut now
it is known by the n;nm^ oi Cerryg y Gwyddyl. English
name -Woodstone.
Ci.i'.dVkot;. — Th(! root, ])i'obably, is clegf, which
means a rock, ;t cliff. Clcgyrog, rocky, rugged ; tlu:
name is (|iiite descriptive of this craggy district.
ICnglish name — RocUton.
("oicdana. — Coed, wood; yI«rt-Anne, supposed to he
a Welsh lady to whom the iiarish church is dedicated.
Anne or Ann is a contraction of Jhiniuik, which nutans
she who is gr.'icious, mereihil, good-natnred. English
name — ( iraci'wood.
(lAEKWKN. — A compound uiciwr, a fortified wall, a
fortress ; and ¦/wn, the feminine, form of gwyn, white,
fair, blessed, wliat is desirable or affords luippiness. A
lortilied wall was certainly ;i desideratum when oui"
forefathers wia-e, over ami anon, the objects of foreign
onslatighls. English name — Whitfort.
CiWRHiioc. — The root may be gwar (gwareddawg),
tame, mild, gi^ntle ; or, iierhajis, it is derived frtim
g-K'iii'ml, ;i declivity. We ;i(lo|it the latter. The right
wording, therefore, is Ciwaercdug, a Hat or hottoin at tht;
foot of lligh ground, it is the name of several farms in
Anglesey ; as (ihuuredog, Amlit'ch, and Gwacndog Ucluif,
and G/tuifiriliif; Isnf, near IJancrfliyniedd. English n.aiiie —
I'latham. (iwvNiiv. — Gwyn, wliite, hlessinl ; dy-ly, house ; the
namo signifies a hlesstnl house. The name was once
iisi'd lo ili'iiote an episcojial resilience. In tht; lime of
St. Gennanns, ^'¦AM''/(/j/ — ejiiscojial rc^siiliuices or houses
— weri; first allotted to the lusho]is. It was supposed
that .1 cloister was once in tlu: place wheri; a large
ntimher of virgins devoted themselves entirely to holy
service. ICnglish iianu; — Hlissh.am.
Iloi.viin.Mi. — The Welsh name is (.'(icc^'t'/'i or .accord
ing to some, C&r Cybi. Cybi, the son of llie King of
('oriiwall, nourished about the latter half of the fourth
eenlnry. Having spent some time with ]5islio]i Hilary,
in Gaiil, he reliirneil and took up his abode here. It is
3

34
said that the Prince of Mona took compassion upon
him in his great poverty, and presented him with a
castle in the place, wherein he estabhshed a small
monastery, from which circumstance the castle was
called Cor Cybi — Cybi's Choir. Pennant thinks the
right wording is Caergybi, from the afore-mentioned
castle, ruins of which are discernible now. The saint
also is memorable for his connection with the Roman
pharos or lighthouse on a hill adjacent to the town. At
the north end of the parish church the following
inscription may be sfeen : — Sancte Kybi, ora pro nobis, i.e.,
" Oh ! Saint Cybi, pray for me." Opinions differ as to
the origin of Holyhead. Some think it was so named
from the large number of sacred edifices in the place.
Others think the English gave the appellation " Holy
head " to the place on account ofthe holy and sanctified
life of the ever memorable Saint Kybi. Others maintain
that the right wording is Hollyhead — a translation of
Pencelyn, or more correctly, Pen Cyhelyn, Cyhelyn's Head.
Pen means head ; and Cyhelyn was reduced to Celyn,
which signifies holly-wood, hence Hollyhead, and then
Holyhead. 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 to
religious matters. He founded the church of Llanbabo,
where still remains a stone on which his image and the
following inscription may be seen : — " Hie facet Pabo
Post Prud Corpors-te-Prima." English name — Pabo.
Llanbadrig. — lolo's MSS. inform us that Padrig
was a saint of the seventh century, a contemporary of
Elford, 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 was
dedicated to the latter in the sixth century ; but we
rather think that Tegfan, uncle of Elian, and a saint

35
and confessor in Kybi's seminary, gave his name to it.
(Williams' " Eminent Welshmen.") Tegfan means a
fair spot, 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 : —
" Daniel, who had a church near that of Llan Aiden,
was son of Daniel, first Bishop of Bangor ; and, there
fore, the church is commonly called Llan Ddaniel Fab.''
The name 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. English
name — Saintham.
Llanddyfnan. — The church was dedicated to
Dyfnan, son of Brychan, in the fifth centur)-. He is
recorded to have come here from Rome in i8o to
convert the Britons to the Christian faith. Dyfnan
signifies a 'deep brook. English name — Deepbrook.
Llanddyfrydog. — Tyfrydog, the son of Arwystl
Gloff, was a member of Enlli seminary, and the
founder of this church, which was dedicated to him
in the sixth century. Dyfrydog means full of thought,
musing, pensive. English name — Museton.
Llanedwen. — The chufch is supposed to have
been built by Edwen, niece or daughter of King Edwin,
and a Saxon saintess of the sixth or seventh century.
Edwenis probably a feminine iormoi Edwin, which means
a 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.
Some 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
Clochran, clock, bell ; ran, part, portion. It is supposed
that the steeple of the church stood on portions of
three, if not four parishes, hence the name. Various

36
conjectures are propounded on the origin ofthe present
name. An old tradition says that a man named Tegerin
was 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
spot?" His rejoinder was, " Llanerch fy medd," the
place of my sepulchre. Some derive the name from
Tafarn y medd, a mead tavern. Medd, mead, a drink
made of honey and water ; that ancient beverage was
probably prepared and consumed at the above tavern,
hence the name. English name — Meadham.
Llaneugrad. — The church was dedicated to
Eugrad, 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
boat once found its way to the place from Holyhead.
Someone asked, / ble yr aeth ? Where did it go .? The
answer was, I lan fach yr aeth, to Lanfach it went ; hence
the name. We rather think the church was dedicated
to St. Machraith, who flourished in the seventh century,
and founded churches in Merioneth and Anglesey.
Machraith signifies the law of suretyship. English
name — Bailton.
Llanfaelog. — The church was dedicated about
the seventh century to Maelog, son of Caw Cawlwyd. Hard
by there is a little pool called " Llyn Maelog,"
Maelog's pool. Maelog is a derivative of maelio, to get
advantage, to gain, to profit. Enghsh name — Martham.
, Llanfaes. — Maes, a field. The name denotes a
church built on the spot where a memorable battle
was fought in the year 819 between Egbert and the
Welsh. Enghsh name — Churchfield.
Llanfaethlu. — The church was dedicated to
Maethlu, son of Caradog Freichfras, in the sixth century.
Maethlu or Maethle means a nursing place. English
name — Fosterton.
Llanfair-Mathafarn-Eithaf.— The names of this
and the adjoining parish must be compared here in
order that they may throw light en each other.

37
Llanbedr-goch, or Llanbedr-Mathafarn-Gwion-Goch,, the
contiguous parish is called Llanbedr, the church dedi
cated to St. Peter ; Mathafarn, a mead tavern or inn ;
Givion Goch, the name of the owner. Now take the
next. Llanfair, St. Mary's Church ; Mathafarn, mead
tavern; Eithaf, extreme, furthest; the suffix eitfiaf. was
added to the latter tavern to distinguish it from the
other. Some are of opinion that Mathafarn means a
plain of weeping or grief. If so, the adjective eithaf,
extreme, was added to denote its intensity. We adopt
the former. English name — Meadton.
Llanfair-pwll-gwyngyll. — Llanfair, St. Mary's
Church ; p-wll, 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 white hazel wood. The name in full is supposed
to be Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwlltysilio-
gogogogoch — a rather pretty and inviting word to a
Saxon tourist. The railway station is called Llanfair
P.G., obviously for the sake of those who cannot master
the Welsh consonants. English name — Whitwood.
Llanfechell. — Mechell or Mechyll, the son of
Echwydd, was a Welsh bishop, and the church was
dedicated to him in the seventh century. He was buried
in Penrhos Llugwy, and Mr. Rowlands (Mona Antiqua)
says that an 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 sqme, is a
contraction of Dinas Sylwi, the gazing city ; others
trace it to Din Sol, the city of the sun. It is generally
believed that an old British stronghold stood here, and
was taken by the Romans during the subjugation of
Mona. 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. Tre'r Beirdd, the bards' dwelling-

38
place. It is supposed that a Druidic station and a
bard's seminary existed here in remote times, from
which circumstance 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
probably a contraction of Cefn-llif — a great or high
flood. Enghsh name — Floodham.
Llangoed. — The name signifies a church in the
wood, so called trom the woody nature ofthe neighbour
hood. The church was dedicated to Cawrdaf in the
sixth century, and the parish is sometimes called Llan-
gawrdaf. English name — Churchwood.
Llangristiolus. — Cristiolus, a descendant of Emyr
Llydaw, flourished in the seventh century, and built the
church which commemorated his name. Cristiolus
signifies " the anointed." English name — Christchurch.
Llanrhyddlad. — Rhuddlad, a daughter ofthe King of
Leinster, Ireland, was a saintess of the seventh century,
and the supposed founder of the above church. One
author thinks the right wording is Rhyddlad ; rhydd, at
liberty, free ; lad-gwlad, country. Perhaps the prefix
is rhudd, red ; the name, therefore, means red soil or
country. English name — Redham.
Llantrisant. — The church is dedicated to tri sant,
three saints : Afren, leuan, and Savan, who, it is sup
posed, founded it in the year 570. English name —
Triton. Llechylched. — Some think the church is dedi
cated to Ilched or Ylched. The name is, probably, a
compound of llech, a Rat stone ; and cylched, a circum
ference, what goes about or encloses. Cylchedu, to
encircle, to include in a circle. Perhaps the name
has reference to the Druidical circle stones. English
name — Circumstone.
Menai Bridge. — The Welsh name is Porthaethwyy
which is variously derived. The late Rev. P. B-
Williams writes : — " This ferry, probably, took its
name from the hundred or division in which it is
situated — Tindaethwy. Porth, port, a ferrying place ;

39
dethwy, according to some, is a contraction of aeth or
aethant, went ; and hwy, they, signifying the ferry over
which they — the first settlers of Mona — crossed to the
other side. lago Emlyn derives aethw'y thus : Aeth,
terrible; wy-gwy, water; founding his reason on the
perilousness of the passage across the straits. Another
writer thinks it is Porth-y-caeth-wy, the port of the
narrow water. The place has been popularly called
Menai Bridge ever since the construction of the world-
renowned bridge that spans the straits. Menai comes
from Main-aw, which signifies the narrow water ; or it
might be main-wy, which means the same.
MoELFRE. — A very common place-name in Wales.
It is a compound oi Moel, bare, bald; and bre, a hill, a
mountain. The name is generally applied to a treeless
hill, but covered with short, smooth grass, sometimes
interspersed with heath. English name — Baldhill.
tSlEBO. — This village takes its name from a Noncon
formist chapel in the place.
Niwbwrch, or Newborough. — Its ancient name,
according to some, was Rhosfair, from a small church
dedicated to St. Mary. Mr. Rowlands thinks the name
was Rhos Hir, long meadow, from its situation in an
extensive raarshy plain on the eastern side. The place
was once the capital of Mona, and the residence of the
princes of North Wales. Edward I. made it a free
corporation, from which circumstance originated the
present name of Newborough. Niwbwrch is probably a
corruption of Newborough.
Pencarneddi. — Pen, head, top, end ; Carneddi, a
plural form of Carnedd, which denotes a sepulchral heap
of stones. Carneddau were the common monuments
erected by the ancient Britons in honour of their great
men. English name — Cairnham.
Penmynydd. — The name signifies mountain top,
and was given to the village from respect to the
mansion of the same name, which is famous for being
the place where Owain Tudor was born in 1384.
English name — Montham.

40
Pensarn. — Pen, head, end ; Sarn, Roman paved
road, a causeway. A name of frequent occurrence in
Welsh topography. Enghsh name— Roadsend.
Pentraeth. — The parish is also called Llanfair-
Bettws-Geraint. The. church was dedicated to St. Mary
about the sixth century, and supposed to have been built
by Ceraint or Gerimius, grandson of Constantine. The
village is called Pentraeth, from its being situated at the
head or upper end of the sandy beach, or bay, which is
called Traethcoch or Red Wharf Bay. English name-—
Beachend. Pontripont — A corruption, probably, of Pontrhyd-
y-bont. The ancient name was Rhydpont, or Rhyd-y-bont,
the fori of the liridge. The prefix pont was probably
added when another bridge was built across Rhydybont.
Enghsh name^ — Bridgeford.
Rhosbeirio. — Rhos, a moor, a dry meadow ; Peirio,
the name of the son of Caw of Twrcelyn, to whom the
church is dedicated. Peirio implies what causes or
effects. " Abwy a bair wybod lie bo" — carrion will cause
it to be known where it is English name — Causemoor.
Rhosneigr. — Rhos, a -moor ; neigr is generally
supposed to be a corruption of niger, in allusion to the
black hue and peaty nature of the soil. English name —
Blackmoor. Rhosybol.- -Bol is an etymological puzzle. It looks
like a contraction of Paul-Paulinus. Edward Llwyd
refers to a place called Pant-y-Polion, near which he
found an inscription of the name Pa«/wM5. Some think
that Suetonius Paulinus once took up his abode in
Talybolion. We are inclined to think bol is a corruption
of moel, a coped hill. Moel Don is now commonly called
Bol y Don. Talybolion was, probably, some time called
Talymoelion. The name, therefore, denotes a moor near
a coped hill. English name — Moorhill.
Tre-Gwalchmai. — Tre, a dwelling-place ; Gwalch-
mai, the son of Meilir. The name was bestowed upon
the place about the twelfth century. Gwalchmai implies
a hero in war. English name — Heroton.

41
Valley. — A gross mutilation of the Welsh Mael-dy,
a house of trade or traffic. Tacitus informs us that an
extensive trade was carried on between this district
and Ireland in the time of Julius Agricola. There is a
homestead not far from the place called " Ty Milo,"
which, evidently, is a corruption of " Ty Maelu," a
house of trade. English name — Barterham.
Ynys Bronwen. — It is recorded in the " Mabin-
ogion" that Bronwen, the daughter of Llyr, was buried
here. " Bedd petryal a wnaed i Vronwen, verch Llyr, ar lan
afon Alaw " — i.e., " A square grave was made for
Bronwen, the daughter oi Llyr, on the banks of the river
Alaw (Cambro-Briton, vol ii., p. 71.) Ynys means an
island. Ynys Seiriol. — Seiriol had a residence here in the
sixth century, hence the name. It is also called Puffin
Island.

BRECONSHIRE.
The name of this county is spelt Brecon and
Brecknock, which are corruptions of the Welsh Brychan
and Brycheiniog. The county was anciently called Garth
Madryn ; garth, that part of a mountain that terminates
in a point, a promontory, a ridge ; madryn, an old ^^'elsh
word for fox. It appears that madryn' s offspring, wolves,
wild cats, and beavers abounded in that part of the
Principality in olden times. Brychan gave the county
its present name when he came from Ireland, and
settled here as king, some say in the fifth, others say in
the sixth century. The king's name is derived from
Brych, which signifies brindled, or spotted. Dyn brych,
a freckled man. Y frech wen, the small pox.
Aberbaidon. — This place is situated at the con
fluence of the rivers Baidon and Usk. The radix is
Baid, briskness, liveliness. English name — Briskmouth.
Abercrave. — The old Welsh name was Abercrdf,
from its situation at the confluence of the brook Craf or
Crai, with the river Tawy. Cra-af, the issuing forth, the
channel torn by the impulsive force of the stream, as

42
well as the act of tearing or breaking up any substance.
Crafu means to scratch; crafangu, to claw, to gripe.
English name — Tearmouth.
Abergwesyx. — The place is situated at the con
fluence of the rivers Gwesyn and Irvon. According to
the Welsh Triads, Gwesyn is an old Welsh word for a
shepherd, and he was so called after Gwesyn, the shep
herd of Goronwy ab Ednyfain. The district is noted for
rearing sheep, and some think that the name Gwesyn
was given to the stream that runs through the place in
honour of some popular shepherd. We are inchned to
think that gwesyn is a diminutive oi gwes, what moves on
or goes ; therefore meaning the little moving stream.
English name — Stream-mouth.
Aberhonddu. — Honddu, the name of the river that,
on approaching the town, flows quietly into and joins
the Usk to run to its destination. Hon seems like a
contraction of hoen, complexion, hue ; and ddu, black,
seems to indicate the respective hue of the water.
Many Welsh streams and lakes received their names
from the peculiar hue of their respective waters, such
as Dulas, black-blue ; Gi^'enffrud, white stream ; Pwllglas,
blue pool. Llewellym uses the word hoen in that sense :
^^ Hoen blodau haf," the colour of the summer flowers.
Hoen also implies liveliness, gladness.
Perhaps hoen was used to denote the lively nature
of the river, and ddu, black, to indicate the hue of its
waters. Others seem to think that the name is a com
pound of hawn-heiui , swift, wild, hasty ; and duy, which
means original cause. Diiyf, which signifies 1 am, the
self-existent, was frequently applied by the Druids to
rivers, such as Dyfrdwy, &c.
We rather think the correct wording is Hawn-ddu,
the rapid black stream, which is a true description of
its course from its rise on the Eppynt mountain to its
junction with the Usk.
Aberllyfni. — Llyfni is a compound of llyfn,
smooth ; and ii<y, water. The place is delightfully
situated at the junction of the Llyfni and Wye Rivers.
English name — Sleekmouth.

43
Aberyscir. — A corruption of Aberesgair, irom its
situation on the river Esgair, which discharges itself
here into the river Usk. Esgair here implies a branch,
or tributary. English name — Branchton.
Battle. — This small parish, according to tradition,
received its name from a battle that was fought here,
in which Bleddyn ab Maenyrch, the last of the Brychan
princes was killed by Bernard de Newmarch. We find
several names in the vicinity which favour the above
derivation, such as Heol y Cymry, the Welshmen's road ;
Cwm Gwyr y Gad, the vale of the battle men.
Beaufort. — The popular Welsh name of this place
is Cendl, from Kendall, the name of the proprietor of
the Ironworks that was once the mainstay of the place.
The present name was given in honour of the Duke of
Beaufort. Beulah. — This village takes its name from a chapel
of that name which belongs to the Congregational body.
Bronllys. — Some spell it Brynllys, and others
Brwynllys, but the former is the correct wording. A
farmhouse in the parish is called Bryn y Groes, the hill
of the cross. History points to the probability that
wars were engaged here, from which we may infer that
a llys, a court, was held on a certain hill in the vicinity.
The old castle is still called Bronllys. English name —
Courthill. Brynmawr. — It was anciently called Waun Helygen,
willow-tree common, from a meadow in the place which
abounded with willow-trees, but when it became an
important seat of the iron and coal trades, the old
name was changed for the new and more dignified one
of Brynmawr, the big hill. English name — Big-hill, or
Hillton. Builth. — This name is a mutation oi Buallt. Some
are of opinion that Buallt is the Bulmim Siluruui of the
Romans, but others are induced to think the name is a
derivative oi Bual, the wild ox or buffalo. Llanfair-yn-
Muallt, St. Mary's Church in the wood of the wild ox.
Historians believe that the wild ox ranged unmolested

44
in the forests of this district. We offer the following
derivation : Bit., an ox ; allt, gallt, a wooded eminence.
English name — Oxhill.
Capel IsAV. — Isaf, lower, is a differentia added to
distinguish it from Capel Uchaf. Enghsh name—
Lowchapel. Capel Uchaf. — The name means the higher chapel,
and it was so called from the chapel of ease that was
built in the place. English name— Highchapel.
Capelyffin. — The name signifies boundary chapel,
and is derived by Mr. Jones (History of Brecknock)
thus: " In 170S there was a long dispute in the
ecclesiastical court about this chapel (chapel of the
boundary) ; Lewis Thomas, clerk, vicar of Llanigon,
refused to do duty here as there was no salary annexed
to the cure, whereupon he was cited to the bishop's
court at the promotion of some of the parishioners, and
in the articles filed against him it is stated that some
times a corpse remained uninterred a whole night, and
children died without being baptized in consequence of
the vicar's neglect, though he had theretofore regularly
officiated there by himself or curate for ten or twelve
years. In this cause many old witnesses were examined,
two or three of them say the chapel is in the hamlet of
Blaenbwch, in the parish of Glasbury, others that it is in
Llanigon, but all agree that it is a chapel of ease to the
latter." English name — Boundary Chapel.
Cathedin. — A corruption of Caethadyn, which
implies an incarcerated vagabond. Mr. Jones, in his
" History of Brecknock," states that this vicinity was
given by Bernard de Newmarch towards the support
of Gwrgan, who was to be kept confined in Brecon
Castle. English name — Slaveton.
Cefx-Coed-y-Cymmer. — Cefn, back, ridge ; coed,
wood ; y, the ; cymmer, confluence of waters. The
village is situated on a rising, and (one time) very
woody eminence, below which the Taf Fawr and Taf
Fechan embrace each other. English name — Woodridge.
Cenol. — Canol, middle, is the right wording. This
picturesque neighbourhood forms the middle of Llanfi-

45
hangel-Cwnidn ; hence the name. English name —
Midham. Cil-le. — This name signifies a sequestered place.
English name — Nookham.
Coelbren.— A corruption, probably, of cil-y-bryn,
church on the hill, or the hill of the sanctuary.
Cilybebyll, the church of the tents, is in the neighbour
hood. English name — Churchhill.
Crickadarn. — Some are of opinion that Crug-cadarn
is the true orthography. Crug, heap or bank ; cadarn,
strong. The church was built upon the top of a craggy
hillock. We rather think it is a contraction of Cerryg-
cadavn, from the rocks and stones which appear
frequently on the surface in different parts ofthe parish.
The river Clettwr rushes over rocks and through craggy
places until it falls into the Wye at Erwood. Clettwr
is a contraction of caled-ddwr, hard water, or it might be
Clyd-ddwr, sheltered water. English name — Cragton.
Crickhowel. — A mutation of Crug Hyivcl, or Co-rig
Hyiticl. Crug, a heap ; hywel, conspicuous. Cerrig,
stones ; Howel, proper name. Historians differ as to
the application of the word Hyiccl. Some apply it to
the place from the conspicuity of the hill ; others apply
it to Howel, the prince of Glamorgan. The latter
theory is supported by the fact that in this vicinity the
territorial boundaries of Howel and the Lords of
Brecknock were determined. After the battle Howel
raised a huge heap of stones to define the boundary
henceforth ; hence the name Crug Hywel, Howel's heap.
Cerrig Hywel allude to the same circumstance. Some
derive the name from Crug Hywel, an ancient British
fortress, surrounded by large heaps of stones, situated
about two miles north-north-east of the town, the
remains of which are still visible. English nime —
Howelstone. CwMiOY. — A corruption of Cwui Ian, the vale of
)'oke, so called, probably, from the resemblance of the
vale to oxen's yoke. " Cymcrwch fy ian arnoch," — take
my yoke upon you. English name — Yokecomb.
Defynog. — Some derive this name from dyfnog,
which signifies a place abounding with glens. Dyfn,

46
deep. Devon comes from the same root. Others think
the patron saint is Dyfnog, the son of Medrod, a grand
son of Cradoc Fraich-fras, who flourished in the sixth
century. The right wording is Tref Cynog. Saint
Cynog, son of Brychan, flourished in the fifth centurj',
and founded a church here, which is dedicated to him.
His name is preserved also in Merthyr Cynog and Llan-
gynog. English name — Cynogton.
DoLGAER. — Dol, meadow ; gaer — caer, a wall. This
place took its name from a farmhouse of the same
name. English name — Moorhall.
DuKESTowN. — In honour of the Duke of Beaufort.
Dyfnant. — A compound of dyfn, deep, and nant, a
brook. English name — Deepbrook.
Erwood. — Some think this is an Anglicized form
of the Welsh Erw-yd, which signifies the land of com.
It is, probably, a corruption of y rhyd, the ford, in
allusion to a certain ford in the river Wye, where
cattle were wont to cross in time of yore. English
name — Fordham.
Felinfach. — The name means the little mill,
probably derived from an old mill which formed the
nucleus of the village. English name — Little Mill.
Garth. — From an old mansion ofthe name, whence
the celebrated Charles Wesley had his "better half."
Garth has been explained in the introduction. Enghsh
name — Hillton.
Glasbury. — This name is derived by some from
glas, green, verdant, and bury, borough, probably from
the beauty and fertility of the valley. The ancient
name of this place was Y Clds, the green or verdant
inclosure. Clasdir means glebe land. English name—
Greenbury. Gwenddwr. — A compound of gwen, feminine form
of gwyn, white, clear, transparent, and dwr, water.
Enghsh name— Clearwater,
GwRAVOG.— This name has suffered a little from
mutation. Gtmr, a ridge ; af from haf, summer ; hafog,
summer-hke. English name— Sunnybank.

47
Halfway. — This village derives its name from an
inn so called, which is situated half-way between Tre-
castell and Llandovery.
Hay. — The original name was Gelli, which signifies
an enclosed park or forest, containing wood or boscage
within a fence or pale ; a grove ; and the present name
is supposed to have been derived from the Norman-
French Haye or Haie, which originally meant the hedge
or inclosure itself only, but in course of time its meaning
was amplified, and the name was used to denote the
wood and ground inclosed. Haier, to inclose. Here
we perceive the Welsh name supplanted by that of the
Norman Castle. English name — Groveham.
Kilmery. — A corruption of Cil-Mary, which signi
fies St. Mary's Church. English name — Mary'schurch.
Libanus. — This place probably derives its name
from a sacred edifice so called, which belongs to the
Congregational body.
Llanafan Fawr. — The church was dedicated to
bishop leuan or Ivan, whose name is found in the list of
the prelates of St. David's during the tenth century,
and who is supposed to have been murdered by the
Danes in a meadow on the Whefri side, a little below
the vicarage house, where a maen hir was placed,
obviously, in memory of the martyred bishop. On an
altar-tomb in the churchyard the following inscription
is discernible : " Hie jacet Sanctus Avanus Episcopus."
English name — Evanston.
Llanamlech. — Ami, many; llech-lech, a stone. The
church is built upon the strata of the rock, and the
churchyard contains a great number of stones and
fragments of slates. There is a village called Llechfaen
in the same parish, which supports the given derivation.
The English equivalent of the former would be Stone-
church, and the latter Stoneham.
Llanbedr Ystradyw. — Llanbedr, St. Peter's church.
Ystradyw, or more correctly Ystrad-wy, the vale of
waters, was added to distinguish the parish from St.
Peter's al Painscastle, Glasbury, &c. English name —
Churchvale.

48
Llandefaelog Each. — The old church was dedi
cated to St. Tyfaelog. It was re-built in 1831. The
village is beautifully situated on the river Honddu.
English name — Tyvaelogton.
Llandefalley. — Defalley may be a curruption of
Tyvaelog, to whom this church was probably dedicated.
English name — Tyvaelog.
Llan'deilo ARFAN.^The church is dedicated to
St. Teilo. Arfan is probably a contraction of ^y Mawen.
The church is situated near the conflux of three brooks,
the Mawen, the Ethryw, and Cilieni. This derivation is
supported by the following fact : In the register book
of Devynock the following may be seen, " Siwan Morgan
Ae Nant y Sebon in Llandeilo ar Fawen. sepulta est cet. 96,
octris. 1726." Mawtn signifies broad water. Enghsh
name — IBroadwater.
Llanddew. — It is sometimes spelt Llanthew. Some
think the right wording is Llandduw, the church of God,
or the church of the Holy Trinity. We have no instance
of a church thus dedicated. The name is probably an
abbreviation oi Llanddewi, the church of St. David's. It
appears that Llanddew has been a seat and house of the
bishop of St. David's. English name--Davidston.
Llanelli.— The church is supposed to have been
dedicated to Ellyned or Eilineth, a daughter of Brychan.
Some think it was anciently called Llanellyned, of which
Llaneliy is an abbreviation. English name — Eilineth.
Llaxfeugax. — ]Meugan, the son of Gwyndaf Hen,
was a saint of the sixth century, and founded the
church which bears his name. English name — Meugan.
Llaxfihaxgel Cwmdu. — Llanfihangel, St. Michael's
church. Opinions differ as to Cwmdu, the black or
gloomy vale. The old inhabitants very strongly ob
jected to the name Cwmdu, as the following couplet
shows : — Cam en-cvir ef Czvindu,
C'tiim g'LUyn yiu'ii cwm ni.
It is wrongly called the vale of gloom,
Ours is a fair and bright comb.
A glance at this cheerful vale would never suggest such
a gloomy appellation. The ancient name of the parish

49
¦<N as Llanfihangel tref Cerriau, or Caerau, from the numerous
fortifications there are in it, and the present name is
supposed to have taken its origin from the black moor-
stone rock, which is on the brow of an adjacent hill.
Some derive it from Cwm De, the south vale, from its
being situated in the southern part of the cantrev of
Crickhowell. We have instances of du being changed
into de and dee, such as Tydu-Tydee, &c., and it might
have undergone the same process here. English name
— Blackvale. Llanfihangel Nantbran. — The church was dedi
cated to St. Michael, and is situated on a tributary
called Bran. Nant Bran, Bran brook. English name —
Branbrook. Llanfilo. — The church is dedicated to Milburg,
the eldest daughter of Merwald, King of Mercia, and a
saint of the seventh century. Ffynon Villo, a well in
the neighbourhood, also preserves her name. English
name — Milburg.
Llanfrynach. — Brynach, an abbot and confessor,
married Corth, the daughter of Brychan. The church
was dedicated to him. English name — Waterhill,
Llangammarch. — Some think the name signifies
the church upon the river Cammarch, but the general
opinion is that the church is dedicated to Cammarch, a
grandson of Brychan. The river-nameis very descriptive,
cam, winding, and arach, a channel, perhaps from the
Irish ar, to guide or conduct ; arwain, to lead. Or
arach may be a compound of dr, arable land, and ach,
water, hence the name signifies a river winding its way
through arable land. English name — Meanderton.
Llangasty-Talyllyn. — Gastyn was an eminent
rehgious teacher in Brychan's family, and the above
church was dedicated to him. Talyllyn, the end of the
lake, in allusion to the situation of the church. English
name — Lakesend.
Llan gate N. — The church is dedicated to Canten,
grandson of Brychan. English name — Canten.
Llangattock. — The church is dedicated to Cattwg,
grandson of Brychan. English name — Cadoxton.

50
Llaxgors. — A contraction of Llan-yn-y-gors, the
church in the Fen or Marsh. The soil near the lake is
very marshy. The correct name of the lake is Llynsa-
feddan, the standing water or lake. An old tradition
says that the lake covers the remains of an ancient
and populous city called Loventium. English name —
Marshton. Llangynidr. — St. Cynidr, grandson of Brychan,
founded the churches at Llangynidr and Aberyscir, which
were subsequently dedicated to him and St. Mary.
English name — Cynidr.
Llanigon.— The old church was dedicated either
to Eigen, daughter of Cradoc ab Bran, or to Eigion or
Eigron, son of Caw, a saint of the sixth century. The
present church is dedicated to Nicholas. English
name — Nicholaston .
Llanilid. — The church was dedicated to St. Hid,
and is situated on the banks of the river Crai. English
name — Hid.
Llanlleonfoel. — Lleon might have a reference to
Sarn Lleon or Sarn Helen, Helen's causeway, a branch
of which, it is supposed, passed through the place.
The suffix foel signifies a bare tract of land. Engli.sh
name — Helenton.
Llanspyddyd. — A corruption, according to some,
of Llan-osbaidd-ty, a house of entertainment or refresh
ment for guests. In ancient times hospitable mansions
were kept by the monks to entertain man and beast
free of charge, and the chief officer therein was called
Hostillarius, whose sole duty was " To welcome the
coming, speed the going guest." It is said that this
hospitimn was supported by the priory of Malvern.
English name — Hospeston.
Llanwrtyd. — The church, according to some, is
dedicated to St. Wrtyd, but we cannot find the name in
" Bonedd y Saint." Its proximity to the river Irvon,
where, in times of yore, there was a ford, which is now
spanned by a stone bridge, induces us to think the right
wording is Llan-wrth-y-rhyd, the church by the ford. A
place in Herefordshire is called Byford from the situa-

51
tion of the church by a ford. The ancient name of the
village was Pontrhydybere, which is a compound of pont,
bridge ; rhyd, iord ; y, the ; fferau, ankles ; signifying a
bridge spanning a ford which one could wade without
going over his ankles. Irfon, or Irfawn, signifies the
oozings from the turbary, which is very descriptive of
the river. English name — Churchford.
Llanywern. — Gwern means a bog or swamp ,'
gwernen, the alder tree ; the alder grows in wet swampy
places; The name signifies the church in the swamp
or alderwood. English name — Alderchurch.
Llechfaen. — The ancient etymology of this name
means the " upright or lofty stone." There was a
chapel of ease here sometime to the mother church of
Llanamlech. English name — Stoneham.
Llechryd. — From a farm of the name, but it is
now called Rhymney Bridge from the railway station.
For Rhymney, see Monmouthshire.
Llwynegrog. — The right wording is Llwyn-y-grog,
which means the bush of the cross. English name —
Bushcross. Llyswen. — The name signifies a white court. A
Welsh prince resided in the parish at some period, and
probably held a court here ; hence the name. Some
think it is Llys Owen, Owen's court ; but who this Owen
was we are not informed. English name — Whitecourt.
Llywel. — Sometimes spelt Lliwel, which, accord
ing to some is a mutation of Llu-lle, the residence of
the army, in allusion to the soldiers of Rhys ab Tewdwr
making this place one of their stations to resist the
attacks of the Norman invaders. It is derived by some
from Lie Wyllt, a nephew of Rhys ab Tewdwr. We offer
the following: Liy, what is manifest; wel-gwel, see;
signifying a conspicuous place. Trecastell mountain is
2,596 feet high. English name — Highton.
Maesygwarthaf. — Maes, a field; gwarthaf, the
upper part, the sumrait. The village lies in the upper
part of the parish ; hence its descriptive name. Some
of the inhabitants think the name is a corruption of
Maesygwartheg, cattle field. English name — Highfield.

52
Maesymynys. — Ym, yn, in ; ynys, island ; therefore,
it hterally means a field in the island. This derivation
is supported by the fact that Llanynys is the name of
the contiguous parish. Enghsh name — Plotfield.
Merthyr Cynog. —Merthyr, martyr ; Cynog, the
eldest son of Brychan. He was murdered by the Saxon
pagans on a mountain called Y Fan, where a church
was built on his grave in commemoration of his martyr
dom, which was called Merthyr Cynog. Enghsh
n ame — Cynogton .
Nantgaen. — A compound of nant, a brook, and
waen, a meadow, a common. English name — Brook-
moor. Nantyffin. — The name signifies the boundary
brook. The bounds of a parish or county are frequently
defined by certain marks or boundaries, such as heaps
of stones, dikes, hedges, ditches, rivers, streams,
rivulets, &c. English name — Markbrook.
Nantyrarian. — It signifies the silver brook.
English name — Silverbrook.
Newchurch. — The ancient name of this church
was Llan-ddulas-tir-yr-Abbad. It was presented by Rhys
ab Gruffydd to the monastery of Strata Florida, on
account of which it was called Tir-yr-Abbad, abbot's
land. In 1716 a new church was built here ; hence the
new name.
Onllwyn. — This appears like a transposition of
Llwyn On, the ash grove. English Name — Ashton.
Pantycelyn. — Pant, a hollow, a low place; celyn,
holly wood. English name — Hollyton.
Patrishow. — The name is a corruption, either of
Parthau yr Ishow, the territory of Ishow, the patron saint
of the parish, or of Merthyr Ishow. It appears that
Bishop Herewald, in the eleventh century, dedicated
the church to Ishow, and named it Merthyr Yssiii.
English name — Ishow.
Pencelli. — This is a compound oi pen, head, and
celli, grove. English name — Grovetop.

53
Penderyn. — A corruption probably of Penydaren,
which is a very frequent term in South Wales, signifying
a rocky cliff, a rocky tump. The church is situated on
the very summit of a rock. Pen-mailard is close by,
which is a corruption of Pen-moel-arth, the summit of the
bare cliff. English name — Cliff by.
Pentrefelin. — Pentre, village ; felin, mill. English
name — Millham.
Pentre Solers. — From the Solers or de Solariis,
Norman conquerors, who settled in the neighbourhood,
and continued to be very wealthy and influential here
until the middle of the seventeenth century. Another
branch of the house of Solers settled at Pauntley and
Shipton Solers, in Gloucestershire. English name —
Solerston. Pontbrenllwyd. — Pont, bridge ; pren, wood ; llwyd,
grey, adorable. In olden times a very ancient oak-tree
was thrown across the rivulet in the place, which was
a very good specimen of the unadorned wooden bridges
of our forefathers. In course of time this old much-worn
oak became a kind of a trough, for which it was called
Pontbrenllwyd. English name-^Woodbridge.
Pontneddfechan. — Nedd fechan, the lesser Neath,
is a tributary emptying itself into the greater Neath
river, and spanned by a bridge in the village, hence the
name. English name — Neath Bridge.
Pontsarn. — Sarn, Roman paved road. The common
opinion is that the Romans constructed a road from
Merthyr Tydfil over the site of the present Cyfarthfa
Park to the place now called Pontsarn. English name —
Bridge-road. Pontsenny. — The name signifies a bridge across
the Senny river. Senny is derived by some from san, a
fishery, nets ; and gwy, water ; signifying a river
abounding in fishes. Mr. Jones (" History of Breck
nock ") derives it from the Celtic seanaidd, to drop or
ooze forth, the name, accordingly, signifying the oozing
or flowing water. It might be a corruption of swn-wy,
the noisy water. English name — Dinwater Bridge.

54
Pontsticyll. — A compound of pont, bridge ; and
ystigl, a stile, from the Anglo-Saxon stigel, a step.
Stigan, to ascend. About the beginning of this century
there was an old bridge, a little below the village, with
a stile at each end of it, from which the place received
its name. English name — Bridgestile.
Princetown. — From an old public house in the
place called " Prince of Wales."
Pwllgwrach. — Pwll, a pool ; gwrach, a hag;
literally, the hag's pool. The village lies in a deep
valley at the base of Talgarth Hill. English name-
Hag's Pool.
Rhosferrig — Rhos, moor, meadow ; Ferrig from
Ferreg, an extensive district situate between the rivers
Wye and Severn. The suffix is probably a corruption
of Meurig. English name — Moorton.
Seven Sisters. — Mr. Bevan, when he opened his
colliery in the place, called it Seven Sisters in honour
of his seven daughters.
Tafarnau Bach. — The ancient name of this place
was Twyn-aber-dwynant, a hillock where two brooks
embrace each other. Some derive the present name ¦
from tafarn a bach, a public house with a hook attached
to the outer wall, whereto the rider, having dismounted
his steed, could fasten it. Others derive it from the
great number of small taverns in the place. Enghsh
name — Tavernton .
Talachddu. — Achddu is the name of a small brook.
Ach, a stem, a pedigree, a river ; ddu, inflection of du,
black. We find ach in Clydach, Mawddach, &c. The
river Ach has its source in the Black Mountain ; hence
it is called Achddu. English name — Blackriver.
Talgarth. — Garth means a cape, a hill. Talgarth
denotes the end or head of a cape, or the brow of a
hill. English name — Browhill.
Talybont. — Tal, when applied to places, means
end ; but when applied to persons it denotes front.
Taliesin means radiant front or luminous head. Talybont
means Bridgend.

55
Talyllyn. — Llyn, lake. The name signifies the
end of a lake. Safaddan Lake is close by. English
name — Lake's End.
Three Cocks. — From a public house of the name.
Torpantau. — A compound of tor, a break, a
rupture ; and pantau, plural of pant, hollow : a name
quite descriptive of this wild spot. A great number of
brooks rush impetuously from the higher grounds,
forming excavations in the hills, a glance at which
immediately helps one to catch the meaning of the
name. English name — Breakhill.
Trallwng. — Some think the name signifies " a soft
place on the road or elsewhere that travellers may be
apt to sink into ; a dirty, boggy place." Edward
Llwyd derives it from Traeth-lyn, a quagmire. The
distance of this place from the sea-shore dismisses the
component traeth from the name altogether. Mr. Jones
(History of Brecknock) thinks the name is a corruption
of Tre'r lleng, oppidum legionis, the town of the legion,
founding his reasons upon the supposition that a
summer camp of the second legion of Augustus must
have been at Twyn-y-gaer, a hill in the parish where an
artificial mound is still seen. — English name —
Legionton. Trecastell. — Tre, a place ; castell, castle. A castle
was built here by Bernard de Newmarch, some ruins
of which are to be seen now ; hence the name. English
name — Castleton.
Trefecca. — The name signifies Rebecca's home,
from an heiress of the name of Rebecca Prosser, who
built it in the reign of Elizabeth. English name —
Beccaston. Trefil. — Some think the name is a mutation of
Tir-foel, barren land, which is very descriptive of the
place, but we rather think it is a compound of tre, a
place, and mttl, an animal, a beast. Studfarms were
very numerous among the ancient Britons, and one
might have been here. English name — Studham.
Tre'r Esgob. — The tenants in this place owe suit
and service to the bishop's courts leet and courts

56
baron, and pay their chief rents at Llanddew-i, St.
David's. Tre'r Esgob means Bishop's place. English
name — Bishopston.
Vaenor. — This is derived by some from Maenawr,
which signifies a district surrounded by a wall, a
manor. Others think it is of the same family as the
Latin manere, which implies locality or stability.
According to the laws of Howell the Good, the Maenawr
contained 1024 acres. This one was probably- the
demesne attached to Morlais castle. In ancient MSS.
the parish is called Y Faenor Wen, signifying Gwen or
Gwenffrewi's demesne or manor. English name — Manor.
Velindre. — The right wording is y felin-dre, the
mill of the town, from an old mill, called the lord's
mill, that stood here in ancient times. English name —
Millton. YsTRADFELLTE. — Ystrad has already been explained.
It means here a flat or low valley formed by the course
of the river Mellte. Mellte — mellten, lightning. The river
is so called because it runs very rapidly for some
distance on the surface, and then it is suddenly lost
underground. English name — Rapid Vale.
YsTRADGYNLAis. — It is supposed that this Ystrad,
vale, was the marriage portion that Gunleus ap Glewisseg,
prince of Gwent, and father of Saint Cattwg, received
with his wife, Gwladys, daughter of Brychan. Others
state that the church is dedicated to St. Mary, and not
to St. Gunleus, and that the proper name of the parish
is Ystrad-Gwrlais, or Garwlais, signifying " the vale of the
rough-sounding brook," and is derived from a stream so
called, which forms a boundary between the counties
of Brecknock and Glamorgan. lago Emlyn derives
Cynlais from cyn, primeval ; and dais, a trench through
which a stream flows. English name — -Brookvale.

CARDIGANSHIRE.
Cardigan is a corruption of Ceredigion, the original
name, which was so called after Ceredig, the son of
Cunedda Wledig, who became its king about the end of
the fourth century. It is also called Aberteifi, from the

57
situation of its capital at the estuary of the river Teivi.
Taf is the radix, which means spreading. Taf -gwy —
Teifi, the spreading or extending water. The English
name of Aberteifi would be Spreadmouth.
Aberaeron. — This place is situated at the mouth
of the river Aeron, which is probably a compound of air
and ain, signifying bright and clear water. English
name — Clearmouth.
Aberarth. — This village is situated at the mouth
of the river Arth; hence the name. Arth is the Welsh
for " bear," and perhaps the river received its name on
account of the noisy, blustering, bear-like character of
its waters. Arthu means to growl like a bear ; to bark
roughly or hoarsely. Arthog is the name of another
brook in the county, which means bearish, gruff.
Cyfarth, to bark, belongs to the same family of words.
English name — Bearmouth.
Abercerdin.- — A rivulet called Cerdin flows into
the river Teivi about a mile below Llandyssul ; hence
the name of the place. The common opinion in the
neighbourhood is that the rivulet was so called from
the abundance of cerdin, ash trees, that once adorned its
banks. English name — Ashmouth.
Abergwrog. — Gwrog, the river's name, is a corrup
tion oigwyrog, crooked, devious. Another river in the
same county is called Gwyre, which has the same
signification. English name — Crookton.
Abermaid. — Maid means a boundary, what
separates, or limits. The name fitly describes the
place, since it is a terminating point separating one
valley from the other. English name — Markton.
Aberpeithnant. — Paith, clear, open, transparent ;
nant, brook, signifying the mouth of the clear brook.
Paith is the chief radix in the word gobaith, hope. One
who possesses hope has a clear view of the future.
Dyffryn Paith, the vale of prospect, is in the same
county. English name — Clearbrook.
Aberporth. — Porth means a harbour. The place
is a kind of a natural harbour, on account of which it

5S
was called Aber-y-Porth, the mouth of the harbour.
English name — Portsmouth.
Aberystwyth. — This fashionable town and seaport
is situated on the conflux of the rivers Ystwyth and
Rheidiol, the former of which gives the town its name.
Its ancient name was Llanbadarn Gaerog, but it is known
by its present name since the reign of Queen Elizabeth.
English name — Supplemouth.
Ardudwy. — Ar, upon or above; tud, soil, land;
wy, water ; literally, on the land or banks of the Wye.
According to Dr. Pughe, the name means a " maritime
region." English name — Waterby.
Argoed. — Ar-ard, signifying height ; coed, tiees.
The name signifies a place sheltered by woods.
English name — Highwood.
Atpar. — Probably an Anglicized form of At-bar,
which means towards the top of the hill. The village
is also called Trefhedyn, which is probably a corruption
of Tref-y-din, hill-town. English name — Hillham.
Bettws-Bledrws. — Bettws has already been ex
plained. The church is dedicated to St. Bledrws ;
hence the name. English name — Bledrws.
Bettws Ifan. — The church is dedicated to St.
John. Ifan or leuan is an old Welsh form of loan, John.
English name — John's Church.
Blaencaron. — This place is situated near the
source of the river Caron ; hence the name. English
name — Caronton.
Blaenhownant. — This rivulet is called Hownant,
which is a corruption of hoyw, lively ; and nant, brook ;
and the place was so called from its situation near the
source of the Hownant. English name — Sprightham.
Brechfa. — A compound of J;w/!, brindled, freckled,
and man, a place. It is supposed that Brychan, who
came originally from Ireland, and settled in Brecon
shire in the sixth century, was so called from his being
freckled. English name — Freckleton or Spotham.

59
Brongest. — Bron, a slope, or side of a hill ;
literally, breast. Cest, a deep glen between two
mountains. The name is quite descriptive of the situa
tion of the place. English name — Hillcombe.
Brongwyn. — A parish in Cardigan and Pembroke
counties. Some are of opinion that this name is a relic
of the Druids, to whose system belonged Ceryg y Bryn
Gwyn, i.e., the stones of the hill of judicature. If so,
the prefix Iron here is a corruption of bryn, a hill.
English name — Whitehill.
BwLCHCRWYs. — Bwlch, a break or breach, a gap, a
defile ; crwys, a corrupt form of croes, a cross. The
name Bwlch-y-groes is of frequent occurrence in the
Principality. We have many instances of croes being
changed to crwys, Y Crwys, Pantycrwys and Bwlch-y-crwys,
&c. " Dan ei grwys," under the cross, is a phrase even
now frequently used in Wales in reference to the
posture of a dead body before it is put into the coffin.
In Popish times it was customary to put a cross or a
crucifix on a dead body lying in its shroud ; but now,
although the phrase is occasicnally heard, the usage of
this Popish relic has been entirely abandoned among
the Welsh people. Many Welsh places still retain the
name, among which is Bwlchcrwys. It was customary
in olden times for pilgrims to prostrate themselves at
certain passes to invoke the blessings of the Cross
before going through ; hence the name Bwlchcrwys or
Bwlchygroes. English name — Passcross.
Capel Gwndwn. — Capel, chapel ; Gwndwn, is a
compound of cwn, a head, top, summit ; and twyn, a
hillock. The name signifies a chapel built on an
eminence. — English name— Highchapel.
Capel y Drindod. — This village probably derives
its name from a Welsh Calvinistic Methodist chapel of
the name. English name — Trinity Chapel.
Ceinewydd. — A hybrid name made up of quay,
from French quai, a mole or bank formed toward the
sea or on the side of a river for the purpose of loading
and unloading vessels ; and newydd, new. Or perhaps

6o
the prefix comes from cae, an inclosure. English
name — New Quay.
Cellax. — The name of this parish is a compound
of cell, a sheltering place, a grove ; and llan, a church,
signifying a church in a grove. English name —
Grovechurch. Cenarth. — Some maintain that the right wording
is Genarth, the bear's jaw. Tradition has it that the
jaw-bone of a bear was found in the place, and its head
in Penarth. Penarth, as we show elsewhere, is Penygarth,
and we are inclined to think Cenarth is a compound of
cefn, ridge, back ; and garth, a fort, a hill, a cape. The
name is a graphic description of the place, being
perched on a high ridge, ever watching the graceful
movements of the Teivi. English name — Ridgeham.
Ceulax. — This place derives its name from the
river Ceulan that flows through it. Tradition points to
this place as Taliesin's place of sepulture. English
name — Bankham.
CiLCENix. — Cil, a place of retreat; Cennin, a
corrupted form of St. Cannen, to whose raemory the
parish church is dedicated. English narae — Cannen-
church. Clarach. — This place takes its name from the
river Clarach, near v,-hich it is situated. Clar-claer,
clear ; ach, river. English name — Clearwater.
Croes. — This place takes its name from the river
Croes, which signifies cross. English name — Crossby.
CwM Barre. — A valley through which the river
Barre flows. Bar, a limit ; re, a corruption of rau,
pluralising bar. The river is the boundary between
some parts of the parishes of Troedyraur and Penbryn.
Barry is supposed to have come fi-om the same root.
English narae — Lirait Vale.
CwM Rheidiol. — Cwm, a low place surrounded by
hills ; Rheidiol, the name of the river that flows through
it, which is a contraction of rhyd-y-ddol, the stream of
the raeadow. English name — Moorcombe.

fll

I )iiinw\'ii, ~A, miilalioii of Dekau'wydd. JJcliuu,
aoilth ; /;/!')'(/(/, ihe stall', of bi'ing in view. Cih'iyddfm/
means presenci'. 'j'heri' is a. hill called Moel Dihrwyd \u
the parish, ho called from its sontluiin aspect, luiglisli
name Soulhview.
DoriiiCAMnuwu. — Dulhi, a corrupted form ol
(/((vc'j'iW/^ which implies swelling; ('mudilwr, Iho crooked
walei'i Ihe name of thi^ liver llial Hows through llie
place, so c:alle(l from iis miiiuidi^i ing course. ICnglish
name ('rotikhy.
l''i',UWl(;.— /w'/'A'', a, boiling, an ehiillilion ; 'wig, inllec-
tion of /;w'//;, a (,^t(lv<^ a nook. Thi' right oi'lhof^raphy
is lierwiji;, which, a.ceonling to some, is I'.ognati^ with
Ueiwick and other places in England. l^om its
contiguity to the si^'i, its ICnglish ii;ime would he
( irovesea. (iAiM'iii'.i,!.-— A corrnpUul form of Cwrtlicli, Iho
name of (he saini who IoiiiuIimI a ch;ipel in the
pktci;. ICn(.;lish namt^- (iwi theli.
I IawI'.N,- -The village lakes lis n;ime from Ihe
river lldWi'ii. Itawcii is a componntl of <iw, a moving
ugi^nt, water, anil ait or aiu, hrook, signifying the
running stream. ICnglish name Itiookh.im,
lli'.Niii'.i.iN. A corrupled form prohahly of lhu
/c//», old mill. ICnglish name Oldmill,
llltNi'VNVW. — The name signiiies "Old Menevia,"
Tradilion haw il Ihal Ihe calhedral of Si. havid's was
oiiginally designed lo have heeii creeled here. This
parish is himons lor being Ihe pLiee where the ii.'ilron
saint of Wales spent his earlier days. A spring th.il is
near the eluncli is slill cilled I'fyuoii Pdrwi, Si. David's
Well,
I I l'.NLl,,\N. The name signiiies oUi elinrch, and it
poinls onl the>;ieal anli(iiiit\' of the oiigin.il edillee of
this parish. ICn);lish name Oldclmrch.
IIkni.i.vs. Ilc'ii, old; //)',•.•, eonrl, hall, or se.-il,
sigiiil\'ing Ihe aneieiil hall, Henllys and (iiut/vf. are
fonnd lo he vei\' nnmemns ill W.iles, as Iraees ol the
buttles loilghl hy the Welsh [iriiu'es. ICnglish name
Oldhall.

62
Llananerch.— A compound of Llan and llanerch, an
enclosure, and sometimes the latter signifies a rising
eminence. English name — Churchill.
Llanarth. — Arth here means a bear, according to
some. The general opinion of the inhabitants is that
bears existed here at some remote period. It is hardly
credible that the saintly Cymry would do the bear such
an honour as to couple his name with the sacred-
edifice. We derive the name from Llan, church ; and
garth, a hill, and sometimes enclosure. English name —
Risechurch. Llanbadarn. — ^The church is dedicated to Padarn,
who, according to Usher, was an Armorican bishop,
and came to Wales with his cousin Cadven in 516.
He left Illtyd's seminary for Ceredigion, and gathered a
congregation of 120 members at a place called after
wards Llanbadarn Fawr. The diHerentia fawr was added
to mark its pre-eminence over the other parishes of the
same name, and to distinguish it from the adjacent
town of Aberystwyth, which was anciently called Llan
badarn 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 of conjecture. Most writers point to Peter the
Apostle. From a certain document the pont, bridge,
appears to have been erected early in the fifteenth
century. " Rhys, the son of David ap Rhys, of
Pencarreg, married Lleuan, daughter of leuan David
Llwyd ap David Ddu ap David Decka ap Steven, the
man who erected Lampeter bridge at his own expense."
English name — Peterschurch.
Llandain Each. — Dain means beautiful, fine ; fach,
little. The name signifies the beautiful little church.
Enghsh name— Little Church, or Beauchurch.
Llandegwy. — Tegwy was a saint of the sixth
century, and a descendant of Nudd Hael. The above
church was dedicated to him. English name — Fair-
church.

63
Llandysiliogogo. — St. Tysilio, a bishop and an
eminent author, who flourished about the middle of the
seventh century. Brut Tysilio, a copy of which is in the
Myv. Arch., is attributed to him. He was the patron
saint of many churches in Wales. The differentia
gogo is a mutation of gogofau, caves, which are very
numerous in the parish. English name — Caveham.
Llandysul. — Tysul, a descendant of Cunedda
Wledig, and a saint of the sixth century, to whom the
above church was dedicated. English name — Tysul.
Llanddeiniol. — Deiniol Wyn, or Daniel, assisted
his father, Dunawd Fur, in founding the celebrated
monastery 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. Aher, estuary;
Arth, the name of the river, near the mouth of which
the village is situated. Arth signifies rough, harsh.
English name — -Roughton.
Llanddewi-Brefi.- — Brefi means bellowing. The
traditional ox overstrained himself in endeavouring to
draw the avanc (beaver) from the lake, and suddenly .
expired. The other, having lost his yoke-fellow, would
not be consoled, refused food, and wandered about
until he died in a place called Brefi, so called from the
dismal moans of the sacred animal. Dewi, the patron
saint of Wales, founded a church and a religious
seminary on the spot ; hence Llanddewi-Brefi. English
name — Moanham .
Llaxddyfriog. — 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
Mary's Church.
Llanfihangel Castell Gwallter. — The church
was dedicated to St. Michael. Walter I'Espec built a
castle on a hill near the church during the Norman

64
conquest; hence the additional name. Omitting the
ecclesiastical portion of the name, the English name
would be Walter's Castle.
Llanfihangel Lledrod. — The church is dedicated
to St. Michael. Lledrod is a compound oillethr, a slope,
and troed, a foot, base ; the church being built at the
base of a slope. English name — Foothill.
Llanfihangel-y-Creuddyn. — The church is dedi
cated to St. Michael. Lewis Morris derives Creuddyn
from creu, blood ; and du,n, a fort, signifying a bloody
fort. There is a commot of the same name near
Conway, in which the castle of Dyganwy was situated,
where the English kings, John and Henry III., had
their camps in their fruitless expeditions against the
Welsh. English name — Churchfort.
Llangeitho. — St. Ceitho, who flourished in the
sixth century, founded the church, which was dedicated
to him. English name — Ceitho.
Llangoedmor. — Coed, wood ; mor-mawr, great. The
spot where the church is built abounds with timber
of ancient and luxuriant growth. English name —
Churchwood. Llangrannog. — Some trace the name to St..
Cranog, the son of Corun, the son of Ceredig; whilst
others derive it from Gwyddno Garanhir (long-shanked),.
which means the crane, reckoned to be a representative
of the priest of the ark, who safely landed the vessel'
upon the reef of Sarn Badrig, Patrick's Causeway. We
adopt the former derivation. — English name— Cranog.
Llangunllo. — Cunllo, once a prince, became the
patron saint of several churches in Wales. He is
recorded in Rees's Welsh Saints as Cynllo, the king.
English name — Cunllo.
LLANGwYRYFON.^Gayrv/ow, virgins. Tradition says
that this church was dedicated to Ursula and iioo
blessed virgins, who fled with St. Padarn from
Armorica to avoid the persecution that raged there in
the sixth century, and settled in this parish, leading a
pure and holy life. — English name — Virginton.

65
Llanilar. — The church was dedicated to St.
Hilary, who flourished in the sixth century ; but one
writer derives liar from ill, a particle implying two,
both, and double, and dr, land ; hence the name
signifies two portions of land, or territories. The
parish contains two hamlets bearing the names Llanilar
Uchaf (higher) and Llanilar Isaf (lower). English
name — Hilarton.
Llanina. — The church was dedicated to Ina, king
ofthe West Saxons. English name — Inaton.
Llanllwchhaiarn. — Llwchhaiarn was a saint of
the seventh century. lolo MSS. give him the honour
of having founded many churches, among which the
above is named. English name — fronton.
Llanllyr. — Llyr Merini flourished about the end
of the fifth century, and founded a church and nunnery
at the above place. English name — Lyrton.
Llanrhystyd. — The church was dedicated to
Rhystyd, a descendant of Hywel ap Emyr Llydaw, who
flourished in the sixteenth century.
" Rhystyd Sant, rhyw astud serch,
A roe Un ar ryw lanerch."
I.e. : — St, Rhystyd, with the love of pious zeal,
¦Would with a line enclose some sacred spot.
English name — Rhystyd.
Llansantffraid. — The common opinion is that
the church was dedicated to Sanffraid, but we are
inclined to think it was dedicated to St. Ffraid, who
was called Bridget or Bride, a celebrated Irish saint.
English name — Brideton.
Llanwenog. — St. Gwenog is recorded to have
founded the church. English name — Gwenogton.
Llanwndws. — Wndws is a corruption of Gwynws,
the name of the saint who founded the church in the
sixth century. English name — Whitton.
Llanwnen. — Wnen is a corruption of Gwnen, the
name of the saint to whom it is supposed the church is
dedicated. English name — Risby.
5

66
Llechryd. — Llech, a stone ; rhyd, a ford, a stream.
This place is generally pointed out as the scene of a
terrible engagement that took place between Rhys ab
Tewdwr and the three sons of Bleddyn ab Cynvyn, in
1087, in which the sons of Bleddyn were defeated, and
two of them slain on the field. In course of time it is
thought a stone was raised here in memory of Riryd, one
of Bleddyn's sons. Some think the name is derived from
the river being seamed with ledges of rock. Enghsh
name — Stoneford.
Llwyndafydd. — Llwyn, bush; Dafydd, David;
from an ancient house in the place, which belonged to
Dafydd ab leuan, and where he entertained the Earl of
Richmond on his way to Boswojth field. English
name — Davidston.
Merthyr Cyflefyr. — Merthyr, martyr ; Cyfiefyr,
name of a descendant of Brychan, who is supposed to
have been murdered at a place ever since called after
his name. English name — Martyrham.
MocHROs. — Moch, pigs ; rhos, a meadow, a moor.
Tradition says that, St. Dyfrig was warned in this place
by an angel to build a church in the name of the
Trinity, where he would see a white sow lying with her
sucklings ; hence the name. If we take moch as an
adjective, it means quick, abrupt. Therefore, the
name signifies a sloping meadow. English name —
Pigmoor. Myetyreilin. — The name, probably, means the eilin
(arm) of the river Mudyr. Penelin is the Welsh for
elbow. The crooked course of the river here reminds
the observer very vividly of a man holding his arm in a
sling. Myllyr is a corrupt form of Mudyr, the silent
water. English name — Armton.
Nantcwnlle. — Nant, brook ; Cwnlle, a corruption
of Cunllo, an eminent 'British saint of the fifth century.
The parish is intersected by the brook, and the church
is dedicated to Cunllo. Enghsh name — Brookham.
Nanteirw. — This place derives its name from the
brook Eirw. Nant, brook ; eirw, eirwy, a foaming
cataract. Some think that eirw is a corruption oi aeron.

67
summer fruits, so called on account of the abundance
of these fruits on the banks of the rivulet. English
name — Foambrook.
Newchurch. — It was anciently called Llanfihangel-
y-Creuddyn-Uchaf. The new name was derived from
the fact that Colonel Thomas Johns, Hafod Uchtryd,
built a new church here in 1803.
Penddol. — Pen, top ; dol, meadow, signifying a
place at the top or head of a meadow. English name —
Upton. Penrhiwbal. — Pen, top; rhiw, slope; bal, promi
nence. Bal is a general term applied to those
mountains that terminate in a peak. English name —
Peakton. Penrhylog. — Pen, head, top ; rhylog, according to
some, is a contraction of yr-haleg, salty place. We
rather think it to be rhyllcg, the name in full signifying
a high place full of clefts. English name — Clefthead.
Penrhyngoch.— P^wy/jj/M, headland ; coch, red, so
called from the hue of the soil of the land. English
name — Redland.
Pentref Taliesin. — Pentref, a village ; Taliesin,
the name of the chief of the Welsh bards. His
sepulture took place near the village. English name —
Bardham. Penybryn. — The name, which signifies " the head
or top of the hill," is derived from the situation ofthe
church on the summit of a hill overlooking the sea.
Sometimes the parish is called Llanfihangel Penybryn
from the dedication of the church to St. Michael.
English name — Hilltop.
Penyparc. — Parc means an enclosed piece of land.
In the Southern counties it is synonymous with cae, a
field. Penyparc, therefore, means the end of a field.
Park is an Anglicized form of parc. English name —
Parksend. Ponterwyd. — Pont, bridge ; Erwyd, the name of
the river that flows under the bridge. The village
derives its name from the old bridge. English name —
Bridgewater.

68
PoNTRHYDFENDiGAiD. — Bendigdid, blessed. This
name, evidently, is a relic of the Roman epoch. The
blessed celebrities of the monastery at Strata Florida
were wont to cross a certain ford in the river, where
they invoked the blessings of the blessed virgin, over
which, in course of time, a bridge was built ; hence the
name. English name — Blissford.
PoNTRHYDYGROES. — Pont, bridge ; rhyd, ford ; y,
the ; groes, cross. English name — Crossford
Rhiwarthen. — i? Aw, slope, declivity; Arthen, ac
cording to some, is the name of a king or lord of
Ceredigion, who died in 804, but we rather think it is a
clipped form of garthen, a camp or battle. English
name — Camphill.
Rhuddlan. — A compound of rhudd, red ; and glan,
bank. English name — Redbank.
Rhydmanteg. — Rhyd, ford ; man, place, spot ; teg,
fair. English name — Fordham.
Rhyd-Pennant. — Pennant means the end of the
brook. English name — Brookford.
Sarnau. — This name is the plural form of sarn,
paved road, causeway, so called from the remains of
several paved roads across a bog in the district.
English name — Roadby.
Strata Florida. — Strata, paved roads. The
Roman strata became the Saxon streets. Florida,
abounding with flowers. Some maintain that the
abbey was dedicated to Fflur, the daughter of
Mygnach Gorr, but the supposition is unsupported by
historical fact. An eye-witness wrote, a few years ago,
anent the famous place — " even now the adjacent peat
land is covered with heath flowers. As we were
travelling over it, reaching Tregaron about sunset, we
gazed on the scene, and the whole extensive plain
blushed as it bathed in a sea of purple.'' English
name — Floridton.
Swyddffynon. — Swydd here means jurisdiction.
In ancient times the law court of the commot of
Mefenydd was held here, perhaps near a celebrated

69
well, called Ffynon oer, cold well. English name —
Lexwell. Talsarn. — Tal, end ; sarn, road ; from a branch of
a Roman road which terminated here. English name —
Roadton. Traeth Saith. — Traeth, sands, seashore ; Saith
is referred by some as Seithedin, faraous in Welsh
mythology. The small river that flows into Traeth
Saith is called Saeth, which means an arrow, so called
probably from its arrow-like course. " As straight as
an arrow " is a proverbial phrase. Perhaps it was so
called in contradistinction from the river Ystwyth with
its meandering course. The names Blaensaeth and
Dyffryn Saeth, which are found in the vicinity, induce
us to adopt the latter derivation. English name —
Straighten. Trefilan. — The church was dedicated to Elen
the mother of Constantine the Great ; therefore. Ban
is a mutation of Elen. Eglwys llan, Glamorgan, bears
her name. English name — Ellenton.
Treflyn. — A compound of tref, a place, a town ;
and llyn, a lake. The place takes its name from a
beautiful lake caWed Llyn y maes, the lake of the field,
which, according to tradition, covers the original site of
Tregaron. English name — Laketon.
Tregaron. — The church was dedicated to Bishop
Caron, and the place is named in honour of him.
English name — Carontown.
Tremaen. — Tre, place ; maen, stone ; its literal
signification being " the town of the stone," so called
from the noted stone, Llech yr ast, and the adjacent
cistfaens near the village. English name — Stoneton.
Troedyraur. — Troed, foot, base, lower part. Troed-
ybryn, the lowest part of the hill. Piedmont has the
same signification, from It. pie di monte, foot of the
mountain, so called from its situation. Yr, the; aur,
probably wrongly-spelt for air, bright, clear. If we
adopt the termination air, the name means the baser
ment of a hill, from which a clear view may be had of

70
the surrounding district. Some derive the name from
the tradition that aur, gold, was discovered at the
foot of the hill. It appears that the ancient name of
the church was Tredeyrn, the king's town, from the
supposition that Owain ab Hywel Dda, the king of
Ceredigion, some time took up his abode in the vicinity.
Llys Owain, Owen's court, the ruins of which are still
discernible, about a quarter of a mile from the church,
inclines us to think that Tredeyrn is the correct name of
this place. English name — Kington.
Tynyswydd. — Ty, house ; yn, in ; y, the ; swydd,
jurisdiction. The house, from which the village takes
its name, was probably situated at the extreme end of
the Mefenydd judicature. English name — Lexham.
Ystrad Meurig. — Meurig is recorded to have
been killed at a place where a church was dedicated to
him. The place is also famous for its ancient seminary.
" Meyryg, son of Meirchion, was a brave, far-famed
king. In his time the Irish Picts came to Cambria ;
he, however, marched against them, drove them away,
or slew them ; but was killed by an Irishman concealed
in a wood, since called Ystrad Meyryg." lolo MSS.,
p. 352. English name — Meurig's Vale.
Ystumtuem. — Ystum, a bend, a shape, a form;
Tuem, the name of the river that flows through the
place. Tuem probably is a compound of tu, a side, a
region, a part ; and an-ain, water, signifying a piece of
land near the water. English name — Waterham.

CARMARTHENSHIRE.
Carmarthen is an Anglicized form of Caerfyrddin.
The Welsh Chronicle derives the name from Myrddin,
the pseudo-prophet and bard, and many are the
traditions that boldly, but absurdly, support the
derivation. History rejects this popular etymology by
stating that the town was called " Maridunum " by the
Romans, during and after the Roman subjugation, long
ere the prophet was born. The Kaervyrddin of the
Britons is the " Maridunum," the city by the sea, of

71
Ptolemy ; and the " Muridunum," the walled city of
Antonius. Some think that the Latin name is a
translation of the Welsh one, and derive the latter
thus : Caer, fortress, wall ; fyr, a mutation of mor-myr,
the sea ; din-ddin, a hill ; signifying a fortified hill upon
or near the sea. Others maintain that Caermyrddin, the
ruinous city, is the true derivation. Another derivation
is offered. Caerfyrdd-ddyn, the citadel of ten thousand,
from myrdd, a myriad, and dy7t, a man. We are
inclined to think that " Maridunum " is the etymology
ofthe name, and that the Welsh caer was prefixed to
it, and hence it wag transmuted to its present form —
Caerfyrddin. Abergwili. — Aber, estuary ; Gwili, the name of
the river that flows into the Towy ; hence the name.
Gwili is a derivative of gwyllt, wild, and Ui, a flux,
signifying wild water. Some derive it from gwy, water,
and Hi, a flux. The " Dictionary of Universal Informa
tion " appears to confuse Abergwili with Abergorlech,
and wrongly informs us that in the latter " is an
episcopal palace belonging to the see of St. David's."
Welshmen know that the two places are not one and
the same, and that Abergwili still retains the honour
of being the residence of the Bishop of St. David's.
English name — Waterflux.
Abergorlech. — The river Gorlech discharges itself
into the river Cothi near the village ; hence the name.
Gorlech, probably, is a mutation of Garwlech. Garw,
rough ; lech-llech, stone ; rough stones from the bed of
the river. English name — Stonemouth.
Abercowyn. — The river Cowyn or Cywyn flows into
the river Taf at the place ; hence the name. Cywyn
means a rising or swelling up ; the popular word cwnu,
rising, comes from the verb cywynu, to rise, mount up.
English name — Swellmouth.
Aberarad. — Arad, the name ofthe river on which
the village is situated, so called, perhaps, from its
resemblance to an aradr, plough. Arad is the popular
pronunciation of .the Welsh aradr. English name —
Ploughton .

72
Aberbran. — This place takes its name from the
river Bran, which is a contraction of bre, mountain ;
and an, ain, or en, brook, signifying the mountain brook.
English name — 13rookmouth.
Aberduar. — The right wording probably is Aber-
dyar, irom its situation on the river Dyar, which means
a noise, a sound, a din. English name — Dinmouth.
Above-Sawddwy. — The village derives its name
from the river Sawddwy, on which it is situated. Sawdd
implies depth, a sinking ; wy-gwy, water ; the name
signifying the deep or plunging water. English name—
Deepwater. Ammanford. — The ancient name of the place was
Cross Inn, from a public house of that name, which is
situated at the junction of four roads. Ammanford,
from its situation on the river Aman, which name is
probably a compound of ami, many ; and ain, -water ;
signifying a river of many tributaries or sources.
BuRRY Port adjoins the ancient village of Penbre-
Pen, head, top ; bre-fre, up high, or perhaps bre is a
corruption of bryn, a hilL Both suffixes come from the
same root, and have analogous significations. Some
think Burry is a compound of bur, wild, frothy, and
gwy, water. Burym, barm, is derived from the same
root. The river Berem is not far from this vicinity.
Another attempt is bre-borth ; bre-bryn, hill; borth-porth,
port. The seaport is situated at the entrance of the
river Burry ; hence the English name — Burry Port.
Bryn-y-Beirdd. — This place derives its name from
an ancient farmhouse in the vicinity, called Cwrt-Bryn-
y-Beirdd, from the supposition that it was once the
residence of the bards. English name^Bardshill.
Bryn Gwyne.— Bryn, hill ; Gwyne, intensified form
(jf gwyn, white, blessed. Gwyndud, a happy land.
English name — Blisshill.
Bryn Hafod. — Hafod means a summer-house,
which was generally built on a hill. English name —
Summer Hill.

73
Brynaman. — Bryn, hill; Aman, the name of the
river on which the place is situated. For Aman, vide
Ammanford. English name — Waterhill.
Bwlchgwynt. — Bwlch, an opening, a pass ; gwynt,
wind ; signifying a pass where the wind occasionally
asserts its power very vehemently. English name —
Windham. Caledfwlch. — Caled, hard, severe ; bwlch, opening,
pass. Tradition has it that bloody wars were fought in
the vicinity, and that the distress and calamity was so
great at a certain spot that it was henceforth called
Caledfwlch. A brook in the place is called Nantgoch,
red brook, from the traditional belief that it was
sometime red with blood. English name — Warstow.
Cilmaenllwyd. — Cil, a place of retreat ; maen,
stone ; llwyd, grey, blessed ; so called from the relics
of druidical stones in the place. English name —
Greystone. Cwmsarnddu. — Cwm, vale ; sarn, paved road ; ddu,
black ; from a farm so named. English name — Black-
road. Cydweli. — This ancient name implies two streams
of water joining to run on the same bed. The place is
situated about half-a-mile from Carmarthen Bay at
the junction of the rivers Gwendraeth Fach and
Gwendraeth Fawr. Gweilgi means a flood, sea, beds
of water. English name — Biwater.
Cefncethin. — A village in the parish of Llandilo.
The common opinion of the inhabitants is that the
place took its name from an eminent poet, named
Cethin, who lived in the neighbourhood in the six
teenth century. Cethin means dark, frightful, terrible.
English name — Frighthill.
Cynwil Gaio. — Cyn, prior, first ; wil, gwyl, to
watch ; Caio, Caius, the name of a Roman personage.
The Rev. Eliezer Williams, in the "Cambrian
Register," thinks that the place was taken possession
of by Caius's advanced guards. He says : " It is
probable that the advanced guards of the British were
stationed at Cynwyl Elfed (the advanced post of Elfed),

74
a place situate some mites to the south of Caio."
English name — Caiustown.
Cloygyn. — Clogwyn is the right wording. English
name — Rockham,
Capel Paulin. — Capel, chapel ; Paulin, a mutation
of Paul Hen, St. Paulinus, who flourished in the fifth
century. English name — Paul's Chapel.
Crugybar. — Crug, heap ; bar, affliction, fury,
wrath. The place derives its name from the supposi
tion that the Romans buried their fallen soldiers in the
vicinity, where they suffered heavily from the hands of
the wrathful and formidable Britons, led by the
immortal Buddug. English name — Wrathby.
CwM Gwendraeth. — Cwm, valley ; Gwendraeth,
the name of the river that runs through the valley.
Gwen, white ; traeth, a tract, beach. English name—
Whitcombe. Capel Iwan. — Capel, chapel ; Iwan, Ivan, loan,
John ; meaning John the Baptist. English name —
John's Chapel.
Capel Isaac — A noted place in coimection with
the Congregational body since the year 1650, when the
Rev. "Stephen Hughes, formerly the vicar of Meidrym,
left the Church of England and founded a Congre
gational church. Suffering from persecution, they took
refuge in a cave for a short time, and afterwards built
a chapel in 1672 on the land of Isaac Thomas ; hence
the name, Capel Isaac. English name — Isaac's Chapel.
Cwmcothi. — The river Cothi flows through the
combe. Cothi means to eject or evacuate ; ysgothi, to
babble. The Greek Kaithaiso has a similar meaning.
Dolaucothi is the seat of the Johnses, a well-known
family in the county of Carmarthen, and close by was
the residence of the celebrated bard, Llywelyn (Lewis)
Glyn Cothi, who flourished in the fifteenth century.
English name — Throwcombe.
Cwmcuch. — A village situate on the banks of the
river Ctuch. Cuch means what is contracted or drawn
together. Cuchio, to frown. English name — Frown-
combe.

75
Cwmhwplin. — Hwplin only requires explanation.
Hwp, an effort, a push. Trwy fawr hwp, through a
great effort. Hwpio means to push. Lin-glin, leg. The
early Christians suffered severely from persecution in
this place, and consequently were obliged to make
great efforts to maintain their own and proceed with
their good work despite all obstructions. English
name — Pushton.
Cwm 'DuAD.—Duad implies blackness. The river
Duad flows through the vale. English name — Black-
combe. Cenarth. — Cen, low Celtic for pen, head or top ;
arth-garth, a hill. It is synonymous with Penarth.
English name — Hill's Head.
CiLCARW. — Cil, a place of retreat ; carw, stag. In
olden times stags resorted to this sequestered vicinity
as a place of refuge ; hence the name. English name —
Stagham. Cilcwm. — The name signifies a sequestered vale.
English name — Glenham.
Ceryg Sawdde. — A village near Llangattock
derives its name from the river Sawdde that flows
through it. One of the inhabitants assured us that the
first row of houses in the village were built of stones
conveyed from the river Sawdde ; hence the name.
English name — Riverstone.
Cenol. — The name, which signifies " middle," was
given to this hamlet because it comprises the middle
part of the parish of Llansawyl. English name —
Midham. Cwmaman. — Cwm, narrow vale ; Aman, the name of
the river that flows through it. Aman is a compound
of ami, many, and an or ain, which implies waters ;
hence the name means a river of many sources.
English name — Aquaton.
Dafen. — • From the river Dafen, which flows
through the place. Some think the name is a con
traction of dwr-afon, river water, so called to distinguish
it from the sea-water, which is near the place. We are

76
induced to derive it from taf-ain, the spreading water.
Tafwys, the Thames, signifies the same. Enghsh
name — Spreadwater.
Dyffryn CeIdrych. — Dyffryn, a valley; cei-cain,
clear, fair, beautiful ; drych, aspect, sight ; the name
signifies a valley of beautiful sceneries. Some think
that the valley was named after Ceindrych, a daughter
of Brychan. English name — Fairview Vale.
Edwinsford. — A semi-translation of the ^^'elsh
name, Rydodyn. Rhyd, ford ; odyn, kiln ; signifying a
ford near the kiln. Some think it is a translation of Rhyd
Edwyn. Felinwen. — This village takes its name from an
old mill called Felinwen, white mill, which is still in the
place. English name — Whitemill.
Ferry Side. — A pretty village near the mouth of
the river Towy, where passengers ferry over in boats
to the opposite village, Llanstephan ; hence the name.
Goytrey. — A mutation of coed, wood, and tre, a
place. English name — Woodham.
Gwynfe. — Gwyn, white, hlessed; fe- fai, an inflec
tion of mai, a plain. Gwynfa is the Welsh for Paradise.
English name — Blissham.
Hengoed. — A compound of hen, aged, and coed, so
called from the abundance of ancient and large forests
of wood that once adorned the district. English
name — Oldwood.
Hyreth. — A corruption of hiraeth, longing, earnest
desire, or, perhaps, a mutation of hyriaeth, a shock, a
concussion. English name — Shockham.
Johnstown. — A small village near Carmarthen
town named in honour of Mr. John Jones, Ystrad.
Laugharne. — The old Welsh names are Talycoran,
Abercoran, Tal-Llacharn. Tal, end; y, the; Coran, the
naniC of the river that finishes its individual course by
flowing into the river Taf. Abercoran means the same.
Some derive the present name from Field-Marshal W

77
Laugharne, but we are inclined to think it is an Angli
cized form of Llacharn or Talycoran. Coran is an
abbreviation of Corafon, a rivulet. English name 
Streammouth. Llangeler. — The church was dedicated to St.
Celert, who flourished in the fifth century. St. Celert's
well is near the church. Enghsh name — Celerton.
Llangadog. — The church was dedicated to 5^
Cadoc, a martyr who flourished in the fifth century, and
died in Brittany. English name — Cadocton.
Llanfrynach. — The church was dedicated to St.
Brynach, whose history, according to some, is marked
by somewhat remarkable incidents. English name 
Bernard. Llanstephan. — The church was founded by
Ystyffan, a saint and bard of the sixth century. Some
derive the name from the dedication of the church to
Stephen, the first martyr. English name — Stephen's
Church. Llangyndeyrn. — The church was dedicated to St.
Cyndeyrn, one of the most popular of the Welsh saints
of the seventh century. English name — Chiefchurch.
Llandyfaelog. — The church was dedicated to
Maelog, one of Catwg's disciples. The proper name is
Llanmaelog. English name — Martton.
Llanon. — The church was dedicated to Honn, the
pious mother of Dewi, the patron saint of Wales.
English name — Honnchurch.
Llangathen. — The church was dedicated to
Cathen, a Welsh saint who flourished early in the
seventh century. English name — Cathenton.
Llanedi. — The church was dedicated to Edyth, a
Saxon saint. There were five Saxon saints bearing
the name. Edi is an abbreviation of Edith. English
name — Edithchurch.
Login. — Some think the name is a contracted form
of Halogyn, the polluted or turbid, but from the
geographical position of the place we are inclined to

78
derive the name from clogwyn, precipice, steep. Clog-
wyno'g, craggy, rocky. English name — Steepham.
Llan.- This hamlet takes its name from the
parochial church being situated within its limits, near
the right bank of the Gwendraeth Fechan river.
English name-^Churchham.
Llaxarthxey. — Arthmy is probably a corruption
of garthen, a camp. There are several objects of
antiquarian interest in this district, such as the ruins
of Dryslwyn castle, and Grongar hill, which has been
immortalised by the famous Dyer. English name —
Campton. Llaxsadwrx. — The church was dedicated to
Sadwrn, the brother of Illtud. English name — Sadwrn.
Llaxsadyrxyn.- The church was dedicated to
Sadyrnyn, the Bishop of St. David's in the early part of
the ninth century. English name — Saturnine.
Llanwrda. — Wrda is a corruption of Cawrdaf, a
saint, and a son of Caradog Freichfras, to whom the
church was dedicated. English name — Cawrdaf.
Llaxgain. — Cain was a saint of the early part of
the sixth century, to whom the church was dedicated.
English name — Fairchurch.
Llangan. — The church was dedicated to Cana, the
daughter of Tewdwr Mawr, and the wife of Sadwrn.
English name — Brightchurch.
Llaxpumpsaint. — Piim' saint, five saints. The
church was dedicated to five brothers, Ceitho, Gwyn,
Gwynno, Gwynoro, and Celynir, who were born at the
same time, and devoted themselves to religious life.
English name — Brotherston.
Llangenech. — The church was dedicated to St,
Cenych. English name — Cenyton.
Llangynin. — The church was dedicated to Cynin,
a saint ofthe fifth century. Enghsh name — Cyninton.
Llanegwad. — The church was dedicated to Egwad,
a saint of the seventh century. English name —
Egwadton.

79
Llanwvnio. — The church is supposed to have been
dedicated lo Gwynio, a Welsh saint. English name —
T'oamton. Llanllwni. — Llwni is a corruption of lloni, to
gladden. Llonio Lawhir (long hand) was a (.lesceiuhmt
of Emyr Llydaw, and is supposed to have founded the
chuiches ot Llandinam (Montgomery) and Llanllwni
(C'arni,). ICnglish name- — Ciladchurch.
Li.ansawvl. — The elinrch was iletlicaleil to Sawyl,
a saint of thv. eighth century. ICnglish name' —
Stoiichutch. Li.ANiniui''.. — Tybif was a ilaiighter of Brychan,
ami a saint ofthe fifth cciitnr)'. llistor)- tells us she
was nuirderetl at a jilace where a church was after
wards built ami consecrated [o her memory. ICnglish
litmus — Tyhloii.
Li.ANDi-'.n.o. — The chnrch was dcilicated to SI.
Teilo, a tlesceiulant of Cunedda WIeilig, and one ofthe
most Jiopular saints in the ancient British Church. .\
large number of churches in Wales hear his name. In
the "Liber Laiulaxcnsis " he is written Teilian. He
was ,Sl. Telians, the palron saint of LlaiuialV. lie
departed this life at Llaiuleilo l'\i\vr, and was interred
at Llandall'in ^hti. ICnglish iiaiiie -Teiloton.
Li.ANiii';i'i''.isnN'r.- 7j/<'/ Sant, a nephew of St.
Teilo. lie livetl in an early period ofthe sixth century.
The above church was detlicatetl to him. ICnglish
name- (."irowchnrch.
Li.ANiioinv,- 7)(i/'(/r, probably, is a corruption of
Ixudy, i\\\ o\ house. Most of onr parish elmrehes have
heeii dedicated to saints, but this is one of the few
except iiMis. The church might have been built in
conjunctioii with the ox-house, or, iierhajis, the oxen
had to perform Ihe same duties there as their kindred
.It Ihevi. Some think the church was dedicated to St.
Hrjnach. English iiaiiie--Oxcliiirch.
Li.ANDovi'-.KY. — .\n .Anglicized form of Llanjm-
ddyfri, which means a church between waters. The
" Myvyrian " calls it Lhuiymddyiry, The town is situate
on the rivor Towy, at the confluence ot the rivers

8o
Gwytherig and Bran, the latter joining the Towy a
little distance below the town. English name — Water-
church. 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 Ow-en it is spelt Llanelliw.
English name — Elywton.
Llaxdysilio. — The church was dedicated to St..
Tyssilio. English name — -Tysilio.
Llanddarog. — The church was dedicated to St^
Twrog. English name — Towerchurch.
Llaxddowror. — A corruption of Llanddyfrgwyr.,.
the church of the men of the water, so called on
account of the seven sons of Mainaur Mathru, who-
were called Dyfrgwyr, water-men, because they were
found in the water, escaped from the water, and were
maintained by fishes of the Avater. They devoted
themselves to religious life ; hence the above church
was dedicated to them. English name — Waterton.
Llanfihangel-ar-Arth. — The church was dedi
cated to St. Michael, and is situated on a hill above
the Teivi. Ar-arth or ar-y-garth means on the hiU.
English narae — Church Hill.
Llanfynydd. — The name signifies a church on the
mountain. Enghsh name — Mountain Church.
Llanybydder. — Bydder is a corruption of Pedr,.
Peter. The church is dedicated to St. Peter ; hence
the right wording is Llanbedr. English name — Peter-
church. Llaxybri. — Bri is, according to one writer, a
corruption of heyr, the Norse for farmstead ; but we are
induced to think it is a mutation of bre, 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-
frequently covered by floods and the tide, leaving
many pools and lakes behind them. ISIany places in

8i
Wales derive their names from this word, as Llwch
Sawdde, Amlwch, Talyllychau, &c. English name —
Lakechurch. Llechfron. — Llech, stone ; gron-crwn, round, cir
cular. English name— Roundstone.
Llwynhendy. — Llwyn, bush ; hendy, old house.
There was a bush near an old homestead called Hendy,
concerning which a local dispute arose, and in order to
distinguish it henceforth from other bushes it was
called Llwyn-kendy. English name— Bushham.
Mynachdy. — The name signifies a monastery. It
is supposed that a cell to some ancient abbey was
situated here sometime ; hence the name. Llanycrwys,
the church of the cross, the name of the parish wherein
the place lies is of Roman origin. English name — •
Monkham. Marros. — A mountain in the parish is called
Marros. The name signifies a wild, mountainous
region, which was undoubtedly suggested by the
physical aspect of the district. English name —
Montham. Myddfai. — Mydd-medd, meadow ; fai-mai, a plain
or open field. The place is noted for its celebrated
physicians in the twelfth century. Meddygon Myddfai,.
the physicians of Myddfai is a proverbial phrase.
English name — Meadham.
Mydrim. — Meidrum is the true orthography. Mei-
mai, a plain or open field ; drum-trum, a ridge, a back, a
hill. English name — Plainhill.'
Manorfabon. — A compound of maenor, manor, and
Mabon, a proper name. English name — Mabon's Manor.
Meinciau. — A corruption, probably, of Min-y-cae,
edge of the field. Some think it is the plural of maine,
a bench, implying elevated pieces of land. English
name — Highfield.
Machynys. — An islet at the estuary of the Loughor
river. Some think the name is a mutation of bach-ynys,
the little island ; but, viewing the fact that a mymch-dy,
a monastery, was established here in 513 by St. Piro,
6

82
we incline to derive it from the name of the, institu
tion, mynach-ynys reduced to machynys, monk's island.
English name — Monk's Island.
Moelfre. — A compound of moel, bare, and btyn,
hill. English name — Barehill.
Naxtgaredig. — Nant, brook ; garedig, loving, kind.
English name — Lovingbrook.
Naxtycain. — Nant, brook; cain, clear, fair. English
name — Clearbrook.
Nantymwyn. — Mwyn, mine, ore. Lead mines
abound in this district. English name — Leadbrook.
Newcastle-Emlyx. — Opinions differ as to the
origin of this name. It is a translation of the Welsh
Castell-newydd-Emlyn. The present castle was built
on the site of the old one by Sir Rhys ap Thomas, in
the reign of Henry VIIL, hence the appellation
Newcastle. Emlyn is variously derived. Some derive
it from Emilianus, the name of a Roman nobleman that
took up his abode here. Others derive it from the
shape (llun) of the letter M formed by the winding
course of the Teivi in the vicinity of Newcastle, thus
M lun, shape ofthe letter M. The most plausible are
the following derivations : — Em, am, round, about ; lyn-
glynu, to adhere, to cleave. The river encompasses the
town, and its slowness indicates, as it were, its
preference to adhere to the town than make for its
salty home. Another attempt : Emyl, border or edge,
add the particle yn to it, and then we have Emylyn ;
omit the first y, and we. have Emlyn, a borderer. Once
more : Em, round ; lyn, llyn, a lake, or a body of water,
signifying water-circled. English name — Newcastle-
on-Teivi. Paxtyffyxox. — Pant, a low place ; y, the ; ffynon, a
well ; from a farm so called which is situated in a low
place. English name — Wellton.
Pexrhiwgoch. — Pen, top ; rhiw, slope ; goch, red.
The suffix coch forms a part of many names in the
district, as Garreg-goch, red-stone ; Ffynon-gock, red-well,
&c. This place is situated on a rising eminence.
English name — Redhill.

83
Ponta MAN.— Po«^ bridge ; aman, the name of the
river that flows through the place. The village takes
its name from a mansion so called, which is situated on
the river Aman. Enghsh name— Bridgewater.
Pontyberem. — This name was taken from the
river Berem, on the banks of which the village is
situated. Pont, bridge ; the general opinion is that a
wooden bridge crossed the Berem before the Gwen
draeth bridge was built ; hence the name. Berem
comes from berw, a boiling, an ebullition. Sion Lam
Roger, about 170 years ago, called the place Ponty-
berw. English name— Boil ton.
Pontyates. — Pont, bridge, which was, according
to some, built by a Mr. Yates ; hence the name.
English name — Yatesbridge.
Pencader. — Some think it was originally called
Pencadlys. Pen, head ; cad, battle, battlefield ; lys, court.
Near the church there is a cairn called " The Castle,"
and from that the common inference is that some
battles were fought in the vicinity. Cader means a
stronghold or a castle. Many fortified hills still retain
the name of Cader, as Cader Dinmael, Cader Idris, &c.
Cadernid is the Welsh for strength or fortitude. English
name — Headfort.
Pontargothi. — Pont, bridge; ar, on, across ; Gothi-
cothi, the name of the river, which means to cast out,
to eject. The village took its name from the bridge.
Enghsh name — Bridgecast.
Penrhos. — The name of this village signifies the
top of a meadow or plain. English name — Meadow
Top. Pontbrenarai'Tii. — Pontbren, a wooden bridge;
Araeth, the name ofthe river. Ar, surface; aeth, went,
signifying a shallow river. English name — Wood-
bridge. Penbeyr, or Penboyr.— Pi?», tojD ; beyr and boyr
are Norse for farmstead. The name signifies a district
of farmhouses terminating at the foot of a certain
mountain. English name — Farmsend.

84
Pump Heol. — Pump, five ; heol, road ; so called
from the junction of five roads in the place. English
name — Five Roads.
Rhandirmwyn. — Rhandir, a portion of land, a
district ; mwyn, a mine, ore. There are ancient lead
mines in the district called Nantymwyn, which are noted
for pottery ore. English name— Mineton.
St. Clears. — The Normans, immediately after the
Conquest, built a castle and a church here, the latter
of which was dedicated to one of their own clan,,
named St. Clar ; hence the name of the place. In the
" Myvyrian " she is called Sain Cler and St. Clares.
Tygwyn. — A village in the parish of Llanboidy.
It means the white house. In ancient times it was
called Ty gwyn ar Daf, white house on the Taff.
English name — Whitehouse.
Trimsaran. — A compound of trum, ridge, back,.
hill, and sarn, road, way. English name — Hillroad.
Talyllychau, or Talley. — Tal, front or end ; y,
the ; llychau, plural of llwch, lake or pool. There are-
two large pools near the church ; hence the name.
Talley is an abbreviation of the Welsh name. English
name — Lakesend.
Terra-Coed. — Much like the Italian terra-cotta,
but we have no reason why we should refer it to any
Italian source. It is, probably, a corruption of Tir-y-
coed, which implies woody land. English name —
Woodland. Tir Esgob. — Tir, land ; esgob, bishop. To what
bishop the reference is made, we do not know. English
name — Bishopsland.
Tir Rosier. — Tir, land ; rhos, meadow, plain ; hir,
long ; Tir-rhos-hir is the right wording, which means
"the land of the long meadow," or "the long peat-
land." English name — Peatland.
Trelech. — The name signifies " the town of
stones." Not far from the village there is an immense
carnedd called Crug y Deyrn, or more correctly, Crug

85
Edeyrn. The place derives its name, probably, from
this and other relics of Druidism in the district. Some
antiquarians believe that Edeyrn was buried here.
The celebrated poet and antiquarian, Nathan Dyfed,
and another gentleman opened a cistfaen here in 1830,
and found therein calcined bones and charcoal.
English name — Stoneton.
Tachbuan. — Tach, what spreads or vanishes ; buan,
soon, quick. E.nglish name^Quickton.
Treclas. — Clas means a green covering or surface.
" Clas Merddin, the green space of smooth hills ; the old
name of the Isle of Britain." — Trioedd. English name —
Greenham. Talog. — The name signifies high-fronted, bold
faced. Talwg means a high house with stone roof, in
contradistinction to the low cot with thatched roof.
Pob ty talwg, all highly frowning houses. English
name — Highham.
Trerhos. — Tre, place, town ; rhos, meadow. The
village is situated on a marshy plain. — English name —
Marshton. Felinfoel. — It signifies the bald or bare mill.
The old mill near the river Lliedi was designated
Felinfoel in order to distinguish it from Felinyrafr, or
Felingyrnig, which was higher up on the side of the
same river. The latter was remarkable for its corni-
gerous appearance, whereas the former was a bare
building, and, therefore, entitled to the appellation
Felinfoel. When the village grew sufficiently to claim
a share in nomenclature, it was decided to perpetuate
the name of the old mill. English name — Baremill.
Whitland. — A semi-translation of the Welsh
name "Hen dy Gwyn ar Daf," old white house on the
Taf. This was the hunting-house of Hywel Dda,
built by him in 914. In order to distinguish it from
co.i.mon houses it was built of white perches, sup
posed to be i8ft. in length. Here Hywel and six of the
wisest men in his dominion met in 927 to revise and
amend the laws of the Cymry. English name —
Whitham.

So

CARNARVONSHIRE.
An Anglicized form of Caer-yn-Arfon. the fortified
town opposite to Mona. After the subjugation of
\\'ales under Edward I. the name of the town was
applied to the newly-formed county.
Llevx. — A region, according to some, that derived
its name from Lleyn, the son of Baran. He conquered
this portion of the territory- of the King of Gw\nedd,
and called it the country of Lleyn (lolo MSS., 346).
The late celebrated antiquarian, Mr. Owen Williams,
of Waenfawr, deri\es it from lleuyn, which is synony
mous with lienor, lleuad, goleiiad. goleuni, signifying hght,
splendour. Lleuer haul, the light ofthe sun. He founds
his reasons upon the fact that Lleyn is an e\en country,
enjoying the light ofthe sun from morning till dusk;
hence it was called Lleyn. the land of the light. Dr.
Owen Pughe translates LUyn thus — lleyn. a stripe, a
tongue of land, which corresponds with the physical
aspect of this part ofthe Principality.
Eifioxvdd. — Eifiou means the land of rivers. Afon.
a river, eifioi. an old plural form of afon, as meibioii
becomes the plural of mab. a son. Ap, a Sanskrit root
signifying water, is seen in the names of the Punj-ab,
the land of the five rivers ; Do-ab, a district between
the two rivers Ganges and Jumna. We flnd it also in
the river-names ofthe L-ab and Dan-iib-iie, or Danube.
Aber, or Abergwyxgregyx.— From the quantity
of cockles found there. The ri\er Gwyngregyn, white
shells, discharges itself into the sea about half-a-mile
below the village. English name — Shellmouth.
Aberdarox. — The village is situate at the mouth
of the river Daron. Although an insignificant place, it
is famous for being the birth-place of Richard Robert
Jones, alias Die Aberdaron, the celebrated linguist.
The name was anciently applied to the Deity, signi
fying "Thunderer."' Daron implies noisy water.
English name — Dinmouth.

87
Abererch. — The river Erch flows into the sea a
little below the village ; hence the name. Erch means
dark, frightful. Some think the ancient name of the
river is Eirch, the plural form of arch, coffin, from the
tradition that coffins were sometime seen floating-
down the river. 'We adopt the former derivation.
English name — Darkmouth.
Abersoch.— The village lies at the mouth of the
river Soch. Sock means a sink, a drain, a ditch, so
called from the slow course and muddy hue of the
river. English name — Drainmouth.
Avon Wen. — This name was taken from the river,
which has its source near Mynachdy gwyn, the white
monastery. Wen is the feminine form of givyn, white.
English name — Whiteriver.
Bangor. — Ban, high, superior ; gor-cor, a circle, a
stall, a choir. C6r is now used in many parts of the
Principality to denote a pew or seat. The term cor has
also been rendered " college." Bangor means the chief
enclosure or circle, and when applied to any particular
establishment, it signifies a "high choir, or chief
college." The common churches were called corau,
but the chief or superior churches bangorau, because
they were the chief theological seminaries of the
period, the centres from which the Christian religion
extended over the country. It is supposed that this
Bangor was established as early as the year 525 by
Deiniol ab Dunawd, which shows that a University
College is not a new boon to this cit5^ English name —
Highton. Beddgelert. — Various derivations are assigned to
this popular name. It is said that a hermit erected a
booth in the place, and, in the course of time, a church
was built on the same site, and was called Bivtli Cilfach
Garth, which was corrupted into Bwth Cilarth, and then
Bethcelert. Some trace it to the name of Celer, the
patron saint of Llangeler. Tradition says the name
is derived from the following circumstance: — At a
remote period, when wolves were numerous, and conse
quently formidable in Wales, Llewelyn the Great came
to reside here for the hunting season, with his princess

88
and children ; but while the family were absent one
day, a wolf entered the house, and attempted to kill an
infant that was enjopng his sleep in the cradle. The
prince's faithfid g^reyhound named Gelert, in whose
care the chUd doubtless was entrusted, seized the
rapacious animal and, after a severe struggle, killed
it. In the struggle the cradle was overturned, and
lay upon the wolf and child. On the prince's
return, missing the infant, and observing the dog's
mouth stained with blood, he rashly jumped to the
conclusion that Gelert had killed the child, and, in a
paroxysm of rage, drew his sword, and buried it in the
heart of the faithful aniraal ; but how great was h-'s
astonishment when, on replacing the cradle, he found
the wolf dead and the child alive. He, however, caused
the faithful Gelert to be honourably interred, and, as a
monument to his raeraory, erected a church on this spot
as a grateful offering to God for the preser^'ation of his
chUd. In a field contiguous to the churchyard are two
grey stones, overhung "with bushes, which point out the
grave of Gelert, and a rustic seat is placed near,
where visitors raay recline and raeditate the legend.
Others think the name means the " grave of Celert ap
Math," a descendant of one of the Irish princes that
visited this country about the beginning of the fourth
century. English name— Gelert's Grave.
Bethesda. — Its ancient name was Cilfoden. Its
present name is derived firom Bethesda, the name of a
Congregational chapel built in the place in 1819. An
atterapt was recently made to abandon the Scriptural
narae, and call it " Glan Ogw-en," after the new church
built by Lord Penrhyn, but it proved unsuccessful.
Bettws-y-Coed. — Bettws is a Welshified form of
bead-house, a house of prayer, a monkish institution of
mediaeval times, built, perhaps, on or near the site
of those churches that perpetuate the name of Bettws.
This place derives its name from an ancient religious
institution called Bettws Wyrion Iddon, the bead-house
of the children of Iddon. Bettws in Welsh raeans a
place of shelter and comfort. William Llyn writes : —
" Ni a ddaethom yr owan i Fettws, hyny y-w, lie cynhes

89
tymoraidd;" i.e., "We came now to Bettws, that is, a
warm, comfortable place." It is worthy of notice that
many churches bearing the name of Bettws are situated
in sheltered and comfortable places. The above Bettws
is situated JVM J)/ coed, in the wood ; hence the name ofthe
picturesque place. English name — Woodchurch,
Bettws Garmon. — The church is dedicated to
¦Garmon, ond about a mile distant is Garmon's Well.
English name — Garmonton.
BoDV\j Mi. —Bod, a dwelling; Buan, a saint of the
seventh century, and a descendant of Llywarch Hen.
He founded a church in this place. Enghsh name—
Swiftham. Bodferin — This was the dwelling-place of Merin,
a descendant of Seithenin, and a saint of the sixth
century. English name — Merinham.
Borth-y-gest, or more correctly, Porth-y-gest ;
porth, harbour, port ; y, the ; gest-cest, a deep glen
between two mountains having but one opening. This
isolated village is situated near Moel-y-gest. English
name- -Glenport.
Bottwnog. — A corruption of Bodwynog, the dwel
ling-place of G2e'_y«o|'. English name — Rageham.
Bryncroes. — Bryn, a hill ; croes, a cross. English
name — Crosshill.
Brynkir. — Some think the place was named in
honour of a family bearing the name, who were
-descendants of Owain Gwynedd. Others think the
name is a contraction of Bryn cae hir, signifying a long
field at the foot of the hill. It is, probably, a compouncl
-of bryn, a hill, and carw, a stag. English name —
Staghill. Cae Li.wyn Grydd. — Probably a corruption oi cae
llwyn y gaer rudd. Cae, a field ; llwyn, a bush ; y, the ;
.gaer rudd, red wall. The village is situated near an old
fortress, which is now in ruins, and supposed to have
been built of red stones ; hence the name. English
name — Redfort.

go
Caer Rhux. — Rhun, the son of Maelgwyn
Gwynedd, and a prince of the sixth century, who took
up his abode in the Roman Conovium ; hence the name.
English name — Grandfort.
Capel Curig. — Capel, chapel ; Curig, the name of
the son of Hid or Julitta, who flourished in the seventh
century. The church was dedicated to Curig and his
mother. English name — Curig's Chapel.
Carx Giwch. — Cam, a heap. On the summit of a
hill close by, called Moel Carn Ciwch, there is a large
heap of loose stones, supposed to have been raised to
Ciwch, a British saint of an early period. Enghsh
name — Heapham .
Clwtybont. — Clwt, a portion ; " clwt o dir," a piece
of land ; y, the ; hont-pont, bridge ; signifying a piece of
land near a bridge. English name — Bridgeland.
Cly.xog. — A corruption of Celynog, a place over
run with hollywood. It is situated in a small grove
near the shore, on a plain near the base of the hilL
English name— Hollyham.
CoLWYX. — Some derive the name from Colwyn, the
name of the chief shepherd of Bran ab Llyr Llediaith.
Others think it is a compound of cau, hollow, enclosed ;
and llwyn, a grove, a bush, frora the deep brooks and
encircling groves in the district. English name —
Grovebrook. Coxway. — The town of Conway was built on the
north side of the river by Maelgwyn Gwynedd, in 581,
and was called Caer Gyffin, which signifies the border
fortress. Conwy is the present Welsh name, taken from
the name of the river, which signifies the chief water.
Some philologists derive the name from cain, fair,
fine, beautiful ; and wy, water. Conwy and Cainwy are
equally applicable to this beautiful river. From gwy
or wy, water, most of the Welsh rivers derive their
names. For instance, Llugwy, clear water ; Elwy,
gliding water ; and the abo-vfe, Cowuy, chief water, or
Cainwy, fair or fine water. The site of Conway Castle
was anciently called Cannoch, from cann, white, fair,
clear, and oich, water. English name — Fairwater.

91
Criccieth. — • Pennant spells it Crickaeth, " The
Myvyrian" Cruciaith, and others Crug-caeth. Some
think it is a compound of crug, a heap, a hillock,
and aeth, sorrow, pain ; signifying a frightful or
formidable promontory. Others say it is Crug-caeth,
the narrow hill. Perhaps it is a compound of craig
aeth, signifying the awful rock. English name — Fret-
hill. Croesor. — A narrow comb in Blaenau Nanmor.
Tradition says that Elen Lueddog was on her journey
homewards when, on hearing the sad news of her son's
death, she sorrowfully exclaimed, " Croesawr i mi" — i.e.,
" an hour of adversity to me," and the place was called
Croesawr or Croesor from that sorrowful circumstance.
English name — Griefham.
Crynaxt, — Cry, a corruption of crai, a word im
plying a narrow place ; crai'r nodwydd, the eye of the
needle ; nant, a brook. The old inhabitants spell it
Crainant, and a bridge that spans Nant-y-Bettws is called
Pont-y-Crainant, because under the bridge the brook is
very narrow. English name — Brookton.
Cwmeigiau. — Cwm, valley; eigiau, the plural form
of aig, which signifies what brings forth, anything that
is prolific. Month [mynydd, mountain) Eigie, in Scot
land, implies a hill covered with luxuriant grass. Eigion
is another plural form of aig, meaning the sea, or a con
flux of many waters. There are several lakes in the
valley, and the natural inference is that it was so called
from its bifurcated aspect. English name — Watervale.
CwMGLO. — Cwm, valley ; glo, a corruption probably-
of goleu, goleuni, light ; signifying a valley remarkable
for enjoying the sunny beams. English name — Light-
comb. Cyiiydmaen. — Cymyd-Cwmwd, a vicinity; maen, a
stone. On the sands, opposite Bardsey Island, there
is a stone called Maen Melyn Lleyn, from which the
vicinity took its name. , English name — Stoneton.
DiXAS Emrys. — Dinas, a fortified city; Etnrys, the
surname of a celebrated bard of the fifth century,
who was known by the name of Merddin Emrys, or

92
Arabrosius. King Gwrtheym presented the place to
Emrys. and hence it is called after his name. English
name — Emryston.
DoLBADARX. — The church was dedicated to
Padarn ; hence the name. Enghsh name — Fatherton.
DoLGARROG. — A compound of dol. a meadow, and
carog, a torrent, a brook. The place is remarkable for
its deep hollows and beautiful waterfalls. Enghsh
name — Glenham.
Dolwyddelex. — Some say that the right wording
is Dolyddelen, Elen's meadow, from the supposition that
Elen L"W5'ddog, daughter of Coel Codebog, took up her
abode here. Others think it is Dol, meadow ; g,s.ydd,
wood, and Elen. We rather think the name signifies
the meadow of Gwythelan, or Guyddelan, to whom the
church of the parish was dedicated. English name —
JBushton. DwYGFi'LCHi. — Duv. a corruption of dy, on, upon;
gy-cyd, with, united ; fylchi, plural of bwlch, a gap, a
breach, a pass. The name signifies the joint passes.
Some think the right wording is Rhiwfykhi, which
signifies a slope with passes. The \-illage is perched
on the mountain side, between Penmaen Mawr and
Penmaen Bach. English name — Passton.
Ebenezer. — The -vUlage derives its narae from the
Congregational Chapel called Ebenezer. which was
built when the place was developing into a populous
village. Edeyrx. — Probably called in honour of Ede^-m ab
Nudd. The church is dedicated to St. 'EAeym..
Efail Ne\\-ydd. — The narae signifies a new
smithy. English name — Smithby.
Four Crosses. — Near the \-illage there are two
roads intersecting each other ; hence the name.
G.^-RXDolbexmaex. — Gam, a heap, .a. caim ; dol,
mountain meadow : pen, top, head : mien, stone. In
the vicinity there is a large mount, on which mighs
have been a watch-tower. About the banning of thit
century some cairns and urns were discovered here.
English name — Caimton.

93
Garswyllt. — Probably a corruption of corswyllf,.
which signifies a wild bog. English name — Bogham..
Glan Adda. — A corruption, probably, of Clyn
Eiddiv ; clyn, a place covered with brakes; eiddw, ivy..
English name — Ivyhaim.
Glanwydden. — The village takes its name from
a farm of the name in the vicinity. The name,
probably, is a compound of glan, brink, side, shore,
bank ; and gwydden, a standing tree ; or gwydd-din,.
woody hill. English name — Woodbank.
Groeslon. — Groes-croes, cross ; Ion, a narrow road r
signifying the cross road, L6n is cognate with lane..
English name — Crossroad.
Gwibernant. — This name is variously spelt,
namely, Ewybr Nant, a fleet, swift brook ; Gwyber Nant,
a brook of sweet water ; and Gwiber Nant, the viper's.
brook. The last is the proper name. English name —
Viper's Brook.
Gwydir. — Prima facie one may take it to be a com
pound oi gwy, water, and tir, land. Some derive it from
gwydir, glass, upon the supposition that the mansion of
Gwydir was the first house in Wales to have glass
windows. Sir John Wynn mentions a date of 1512 on
a window at Dolwyddelen, which is long before the
building of Gwydir. Cynddelw Brydydd Mawr, who
flourished about the year 1250, mused the following
line : — " Trwy ffenestri Gwydir yd ym gwelant " —
that is, " They see me through the glass windows." The
name probably is a. corruption of gwaed, blood, and tir,.
land, signifying the bloody land. Bloody battles were
fought here between Llywarch Hen and his foes about
the year 610, and also between Gruffydd ab Cynan and
Traehaearn ab Caradog, and others. English name—
Bloodham. Gyffin. — An inflection of cyfiin, a confine, a limit,
a border. The village is situated on the rivulet Gyffin,
about three-quarters of a mile from Conway, which was.
anciently ca:lled Caer Gyffin. English name — Borderton^

94
Hirael. — Hir, long ; ael, brow ; ael bryn, the brow
of a hill. The name is quite descriptive of the situation
of the village. English name — Longbrow.
Hebrox. — The village took its name from the
Congregational Chapel that was built in the place.
Llaxaelhaiarx. — The church is dedicated to
Aelhaiarn, a brother of Llwchhaiarn, and a saint ofthe
sixth century. English name — Ironbrow.
Llanddyniol. — The church is dedicated to
Deiniolen, a descendant of Dunawd, the founder of
Bangor Iscoed. English name — Danielston.
Llaxllechid. — The church is dedicated to Llechid,
daughter of Ithel Hael, and a saint of the sixth
century. English name — Lurkton.
Llaxeugan, or Llaneinon.— -The church is dedi
cated to Einion, a royal saint of the sixth century. The
following inscription was in the belfry of the church
some time ago : " Eneanns Rex Wallia Fahricavit." English
name — Rexton.
Llaxdegwynix. — The fair church of Gwynin, a
saint of the seventh century, to whose memory it w-as
dedicated. English name — \^'hitham.
Llangwnadle. — The church is dedicated to
Gwy nodi, son of Seithenyn, and a celebrated saint ofthe
sixth century. English name — Lifeton.
Llaxrhychwyn. — According to the " Myvyrian,"
the church was dedicated to Rhychwyn, son of Ithel
Hael. English name — Wailton.
Llandwrog. — The church is dedicated to Twrog,
son of Ithel Hael. English name — Towerton.
Llaxfor. — The church is dedicated to M&r ab
Ceneu ab Coel, a saint of the fifth century. Enghsh
name — Morton.
Llaxiestyn — The church is dedicated to lestyn ab
Geraint, the founder of it. He flourished about the end
of the sixth century. English name — lestyn.
Llandudwen. — The church was dedicated to
Tudwen, a Welsh saint. English name — U'hitplace.

95
Llandudno. — The church is dedicated to Tudno,
son of Seithenyn, and a saint- of the sixth century.
A curious rocking stone, ' called Cryd Tudno, Tudno's
cradle, is seen on the Great Orme's Head. English
name — Stopton.
Llanberis. — The church was dedicated to Peris, a
saint of the sixth century, and a cardinal missioned
from Rome, took up his abode ani died here. English
name — Causeton.
Llanarmon. — The church is dedicated to Garmon,
or Germanus, a saint and bishop of the fifth century.
English name — Garmon.
Llangystenyn.— The church was probably dedi
cated to Cystenyn Gorneu, and not to Constantine the
Great, as some believe. English name — Constantine.
Llanfaelrys. — The church was dedicated to
Maelfrys, a descendant of Emyr Llydaw, and a saint
of the sixth century. English name — Martby.
Llanystumdwy. — Ystum, a bend, a turn, a curve, a
form ; dwy, two ; signifying the form of two rivers.
English name — Biwaters.
Llanbeblig. — The church is dedicated to Peblic,
son of Macsen Wledig, and a saint of the fifth century.
English name — Peblicton.
Llanllyfni- — Llyfni, the name of the river that
flows through the village. The name signifies a
church on or near the smooth water. English name —
5moothton. Llandegai — Tegai, son of Ithel Hael, and a
popular saint of the sixth century, founded the church.
In " Achau y Saint," he is Tegai Glasog o Maelan. This
beautiful little jilace is called a " model village.''
English name — Beauchurch.
Llanbedrog. — The church is dedicated to Pedrog,
son of Clement, who is supposed to have founded it in
the seventh century. English name — Petrocton.
Llanrhos. — Rhos, a dry meadow, a plain ; the
name signifies a church on the meadow. The church

s

96
is celebrated for the death of Maelgwyn Gwynedd, who'
had taken shelter here to avoid the fad felen, yellow-
plague, which at that time raged through Europe.
However, he fell a victim to the plague, and was
buried in this church ; hence the adage — " Htm Mael
gwyn yn Eghvys y Rhos" — i.e., the sleep of Mae]gv\-ya
in Llanrhos. English narae — Meadow Church.
Llaxf.\glan. — The church is dedicated to Baglan,
son of Dingad. English name — Baglan.
Llaxfihangel-y-Pexxaxt. — The church is dedi
cated to St. Michael, and is situated near the river
Pennant. English name — Brooksend.
Llangybi. — The church is dedicated to Cybi. a
popular British saint of the sixth century. English
name — Covetton.
Llithfaen. — Llith implies attraction ; tnaen, stone.
There is a stone in the vicinity that partakes of the
nature of a loadstone, from which, probably, the place
derives its name. English name — Stoneton.
Llanfair Fechan. — The church is dedicated to-
St. Mary, and the adjective fechan, small, httle, was-
added probably to distinguish it from other and larger
churches dedicated to the same saint. English name —
Marychurch. Meixi Hirion. — Meini, plural of maen, stone ;
hirion, plural of hir, long. Druidic monuments, such
as cromlechs and other large stones, are still visible in
this vicinity. The place took its name from the long
stones that were seen above the Bwlch, which,
according to tradition, were conveyed there by a giant-
English name- Longstone.
Moel Tryfan. — Moel, bare, bald ; try fan, high
place, upland. English name — Barehill.
Mynvtho. — A corrupted form of mynyddoedd
mountains. The name is quite descriptive of the
place, which is situated on a rugged eminence.
English name — Mountham.
N.AZARETH. — This village takes its name from
Nazareth, the Congregational Chapel.

97
Nantffrancon. — Nant, a brook ; francon a beaver ;
the name signifies the beaver's hollow. Enghsh
name — Beaverton.
Nantlle. — A compound oinant, a brook, and lief,
a cry, a voice, so called from the traditional belief that
some sorrowful cries were heard near the brook at
some remote period. English name — Crybrook.
Nefyn. — The church was probably dedicated to
Nefyn, daughter of Brychan Brycheinog, and a saint
of the fifth century ; hence the name of the place.
English name — Nevin.
Portmadoc. — In 1813 Mr. Maddock, Tan-yr-Allt,
made an embankment to save the site of the present
town from the incursions of the sea; and in 1821 he
obtained an Act of Parliament for opening a port in the
place, so he is naturally called the founder of the town,
and his name was deservedly bestowed upon it.
PontKiewydd. — Pont, bridge ; newydd, new ; so
called from a certain bridge that was built over the
river Gwyrfai. English name — Newbridge.
Pwllheli. — Pwll, pool; heli, salt water; the sea
port is situated on the edge of Cardigan Bay. The
" Myvyrian " derives heli irom Heli, the son of Glanog.
English name — Saltpool.
Portdinorwig. — Din, a hill fort"; or-gor, border ;
wig-gwig, wood, forest ; signifying a castle near a
wood. The Rev. Isaac Taylor derives it thus : Port
Dyn Norwig, the "Port ofthe Norway men," founding
his reasons upon the probability that the Normans
frequently visited that haven. His derivation, in our
opinion, is rather far-fetched and misleading. English
name — Castleport,
Penygroes. — So called after an insignificant
cottage of the name, which stood near a crossway.
English name — Crossend.
Penmaenmawr. — Pen, head; maen, stone, rock
mawr, great. The prefix pen is frequently found in the
names of mountains, such as Ben Nevis, Appennines,
Pennignant ; La Penne, Penard, &c. Penmaenmawr is a
huge mountain, 1545 feet perpendicular from its base,
7

98
being the terminating point of the Snowdonian range
of mountains. The beautiful watering-place, which
shelters at its base, takes its name from it. English
name — Stonehill.
Pexmachxo — Machno, a mutation of Machnawf ;
¦mach-moch, ready, quick, swift ; nawf, swim. " Moch
dysg nawf mab h-wyad " — i.e., the young of the duck
soon learn to swim. Machno is the name of the river
uear which the village is situated. Some are of opinion
that the name signifies the head of Machno, a descend
ant of one of the Irish princes that visited these shores
about the fourth century. The common opinion of the
inhabitants is that machno is a corruption of mynachlog,
monastery, founding their reason upon the supposition
that a monastery stood here in time of yore. English
name — Swifton.
Pextir. — The name means headland. Centire has
the same signification. Pen in Gaelic is -cen. The
place is also called Llangedol, from the dedication of
its church to Cedol, a Welsh saint. English name —
Headland. Pexrhyx'. — Rhyn means a promontor5^ RJie, run,
rain, and rhyn, are derivatives of the Sanscrit ri.
R.iedeg, running ; reindeer, the running deer ; rlie,
swiit. Penrhyn, a point of land that runs into the sea.
Rhine, a rapid river. The Rhyns are numerous in our
island. Rindow Point near Wigton ; Penrhyn in
Cornwall ; Rhynd in Perth ; the Rins of Galloway, &c.
English name — Capesend.
Pen Isa'r Waux. — The name signifies a place
situated at the lower end of the meadow. English
name — Plainsend.
Penllech. — This name signifies " the head ofthe
rock," from the situation of the place at the extremity
of some rocks on the coast of St. George's Channel.
English name — Rockham.
Port Penrhyn.- The late Lord Penrhyn made
this a shipping-place for the slates that were conveyed
from his quarries in the Vale of Nant Ffrancon ; hence
the name.

99
PiSGAH. — So called from Pisgah, the Congrega
tional Chapel that was built in the place.
Pencarth. — A compound of pen, head or end, and
garth, a promontory, a ridge. English name — Ridgend.
Pen Morfa.^ — The name signifies the head or end
of the marsh. The village is situated between some
high rocks at the end of a tract of meadows on the
western bank of Traeth Mawr, the great beach. It was
anciently called Y Wern, and supposed to be a seaport
before Mr. Maddock raised the embankment at Port
Madoc. English name — Marshend.
Rhiw. — The name means a slope, which is in
correspondence with the physical aspect of the village,
being situated on a rising eminence. English name —
Slope. Rhiwaedog. — Rhiw, slope, brow of a hill ; gwaedog,
bloody ; signifying the bloody brow. The place is noted
for a battle fought between Llywarch Hen and the
Saxons, in which Cynddelw, his last son, fell. English
name — Bloodbrow.
RoEWEN. — Probably a corruption of yr wy wen,
the white river. A place called Gorswen is contiguous
to it. English name — Whiteriver.
Rhydgoch. — ¦ The name signifies the red ford.
Enghsh name — Redford.
Rhydclafdy.— iJAyi, a ford ; clafdy, hospital ; signi
fying a ford near the hospital. Several names in this
neighbourhood point to the probability that it was once
a scene of war.. English name — Sickford.
Rhosfawr. — Rhos, a moor ; fawr-mawr, greaf .
English name — Bigmoor.
Rhoslan. — Rhos, a moor; lan-llan, a sacred in
closure, a church. Enghsh name— Churchmoor.
Rhostryfan. — Rhos; a- moor; tryfan, high place.
The village is situated on a high elevated place.
Enghsh name — Highmoor.

Sarx. — The name generally- means a road. Si:-:
roads meet at a certain point in the village ; hence
the name. English name — Roadiam.
Trefor. — A compound of inf. place, town, and
/aK ^ large, great. English name — Bigton.
Ty'xlox. — Ty. a house; yn, in; y, the; Ion, a
Northwalian word for a narrow road. The name
signifles a house in or near the road, and the village
probably derived it from a farm-house of the name.
English name — ^Vk^aj'ham
Talsarx. — Tal, end : sawi, road : the name signifies
the end ofthe Roman road. Sara y Cynarrn, the high
way of the righteous Sam Helen occurs frequently in
Welsh history. Helen was a Welsh princess, the
daughter of Euddaf. that is. Octavius, a Cambrian
prince, and the "srife of Macsen Wledig, or Maximus.
the emperor. Sarn Helen is an old Roman road, so
czilled by the emperor in honour of his wife. EngUdi
n ame — Roadsend.
Tydwaelic Z-. — Some are of opinion that the cfc-TircK
was originally dedicated to Tydaal, a Welsh saint.
English name — ^Tydwal.
Trziiadog. — The derivation of Portmadoc is
almost equally applicable to this name. The only
diference lies in the pretix. Tre m^eans an abode, a
town. Enghsh name — Maddock' s Town.
T.iLi-CAFX. — Tal, firont, end : ; , the : car':-., a tray or
tro-iigh ; signifyring the head or end of the trough. The
name faithfully represents this isolated and encircled
spot of the parish. English name — -Troiighend.
Trefriw. — Tref. a place, a town : rhij. . a slope, a
brow of a hill. This pretty little "t"illa?e is situated on
a small eminence, commanding an extensive view ot
the beautiful Vale of Llanrwst. Enghsh name — Hillton.
W.VEXFAWR. — Waen or Waun, a meadow, a
common; faixr-v.:a-ir, great; the great meadow. The
site of the present straggling village was once a larsre
meadow, ccvering^ one square mile, where the

101
neighbouring farmer:, wore wont to turn their cattle in
the suiiinier to graze, and quench their thirst in the
river Gwyrfai, Lnglish name— C/reat Meadow.
Y.NVS Lni./.i. — The name signifies an island in the
f,ea. The Lriglish (,al]f;d it Bardsey Island, the isle of
the bards. It is said that the bards resorted there,
pre(r;rring sf;litude to the intrusion of foreign invaders.
English name — Sealand.

];LNBIGilSilll<i:.
Angli'-i/.ed form of Dinbych, which is variously rlo-
rived. himhach, aceonling to some, is the right etymon,
which means " no hook," in allusion to the time when
fishing hooks were obtainable in the jjlacc. Dim bech, no
sin, is another attempt. Very many favour the mytho
logical derivation — Syr John y Bodie and the formidable
hych. Having killed the bych, dragon, he shouted
victoriously dim hych, no dragon, Onr; writer derives it
(rom din, a hill, and pych, the envelojjed sin. Another
suggest;) ij«, a hill, and buch, live stock, cattle, or kine. Is
it not iJinbach P Din, a hill ; 6«A, little or small. The last
derivation is amply snpjjrjrted by the geographical
jjosition of the ])lace, being a small hill in comparison
with the loftier eminences that tower above it. The
county derives its name from the town, English
name — Hillock,
Ani'.KOi'.Lii,— This jileasant market town is so called
from its situation near the month ofthe river Gele. The
river, aeeoiding to sonu;, derives its name from gele,
leech. A considerable number of leech(;s were seen at
the cstnary in olden times. But we arc inclined to
think the word is a ctnitraction of gelcu, ooze, so called
fr(;rn tbe very nature of the water, linglish name —
()<y/.t]\(Mii]i. L'ONTNEWvi;iJ. — A compound of pont, a bridge, and
newydd, new. English name— Newbridge.
BuvMOO. — Jirym is a r;orruption of bryn, hill. Bo,
according to some, is an abbreviation of the word boda,
the kiti:, whicli is siipjioscd to have made this place a

102
favourite place of refuge at times of peril. We rather
think the suffix to be a contraction of bwa, a bow. The
name has special reference to a severe battle fought in
the vicinity, when our forefathers used the bow as the
chief weapon of war. English name — Bowhill.
Brynkinallt. — A compound of bryn, a hill; cyn,
prior ; gallt, a woody slope. The name implies that a
mountain existed before the trees that grew on it.
English name — Hillwood.
Bodrhychwyn. — Bod, a dwelling; Rhychwyn, the
name of the son of Ithel Hael, who is supposed to have
taken up his abode here. English name — Furrowton.
Bwlchcynbryd. — -Bwlch, a gap, breach, pass;
Cynhryd, the name of a saint of the fifth century,
supposed to have been killed by the Saxons at the
place which bears his name. English name — Model
Pass. Bangor-Iscoed. — For the derivation of Bangor, see
Carnarvonshire. The place is considered to be the site
of the most ancient and extensive monastery founded in
Britain, which afterwards became a great centre-place
of learning. The differentia iscoed was evidently ap
pended to distinguish it from Bangor, Carnarvonshire.
English name — Underwood.
Cefn Mawr. — The name signifies a high ridge, so
called to distinguish it from Cefnbychan, which is in
close proximity. English name — Highridge.
Cristionydd. — The name means a worshipper of
Christ, a Christian. Enghsh name — Christianham.
Chirk.- — Probably from Ceiriog, its ancient name.
The town is in close proximity to the river Ceiriog.
Clog Caenog.— C/o^, a detached rock; caenog,
having a cover enclosed. Caenen, a covering. There
are some excellent quarries of stone in this mountain
ous district, and some parts of it abound with heaths.
English name — Heathton.

I03
Ceryg-y-Drvdiox. — A corruption of Ceryg- v-
Dewrion, the stones of the champions or warriors, so
called from a large heap of stones that stood, a centurv"
or two ago, near the church in raemory of some
celebrated warriors. Sorae think drudion is a corruption
of dniydion, druids ; hence the interpretation would be
" stones of the Druids." English narae — \\'arrior-
stone. Derwex. — The name raeans an oak, so called,
probabl}-, from the abundance of oaks in the district.
Enghsh name — Oakham.
Dolwex. — Dol, a raeadow ; wen. feminine form of
gwyn, white. English name — White Meadow.
Eglwys Bach. — Eglwys, church ; Bach, the name
ofthe son of Corwel, who took refuge in North Wales
in the seventh century, devoted himself to religious
life, and founded a church on the banks of the Conw}- :
hence the name of the place. English name — Little-
church. Esgair Ebrill. — Esg, a shank, a long ridge, that
which stretches out ; air, bright, clear ; Ebrill, April.
English name — Aprilridge.
Efexechtyd. — A corruption of _f fyneichdyd , the
monk's land ; mynach, monk ; dyd or dud, land. English
name — M onkland.
EscLUSH.AM. — From esglyw, protection, defence,
and ham, a place. The place is in close proximitj- to
Offa's D3-ke. English name — Dykeham.
Frox.— .\n inflection of bron, a pointed or breast-
shaped hill. English name — Pointhill.
Ffrwd. — The name means a stream, a torrent.
•• Ffrwd yr afon," the stream of the river. English
name — Stream ton. .
Glyxceiriog. — Glyn, a narrow vale ; Ceiriog, the
name of the river that flows through the valle\-.
Enghsh name — Glen ceiriog.

104
Garthen. — From gatrddin, fortified hill, so called
from an old British camp in the place. In this place
Owain Gyfeiliog vanquished the Saxons in 1161.
English name — Forthill.
Gresford. — A corruption of Groesffordd, so called
from its close proximity to an old cross. English
name — Crossway.
GwERSYLLT. — The name signifies a camp or
encampment. English name — Campton.
GwYTHERiN. — From Sant Gwytherin, to whom the
church was dedicated. He flourished about the end
of the sixth century. Gwyth, vein ; erin, gold. Enghsh
name — Goldton.
Gefailrhyd. — Gefail, smithy ; rhyd, ford. English
name — Smithford.
Henllan. — Hen, old ; llan, church. A name of
frequent occurrence in Wales. The old church, dedi
cated to St. Sadwrn, was demolished, and re-built in
1806. English name — Oldchurch.
Holt. — The Norse for wood, or hold of wild
animals. We find Berg-holt in Essex, which means
the fortress in the wood. According to Lewis's
" Topographical Dictionary," the ancient name was
Castell Lleon, the " castle of the legions," and the
present name was probably derived from a family of
the name of Holt, who are said to have held the castle
in remote times. English name-Woodby.
Llanrhaiadr-yn-Mochnant. — Rhaiadr, waterfall ;
yn, the ; mochnant, quick, swift-brook. According to
this interpretation, the name signifies a church built
near the swift water. Others say that moch means
swine, and that the word nant is applied to the whole
valley, inclusive of the brook that flows through it,
on the traditional belief that the place was some time
abounding with wild hogs. The latter is the more
plausible and acceptible. English name — Hoghara.
Llanelian. — From Elian Geiniad, a saint of the
sixth century, to whom the church was dedicated.
Elian's Well is near the village. English name —
Elianschurch.

105
Llanegwestl. — P'rom Egwestl, to whom the old
church was dedicated. Einion Waun alludes to him
in the following couplet : —
" Gwr a wnair fe,l Gwair fab Gwestl,
Gwyr wawr yn Ilawr Llanegwestl."
I.e. : — Like Gwestyls son, he lies in gloom profound
In Vall6 Crucis Aljbey's holy ground.
English name — Guestham.
Llanelidan. — The church is dedicated to St.
Elidan. English name — Elidan.
Llangollen. — From Collen, a saint of the seventh
century. A Welsh legend recounts his martial deeds
when he was in the Roman army, and shows how he
.became Abbot of Glastonbury, and spent the latter
-end of his life in that delightful vale which still bears
his name. English name — Hazelchurch.
Llanfair Dyffryn Ci^wyd.- -Llanfair, St. Mary's
church ; dyffryn, vale ; Clwyd, the name of the
picturesque and fertile vale in which the church is
situated. Clwyd is probably a mutation of llwyd,
venerable, adorable. " Duw Iwyd," the adorable God.
English name — Holychurch.
Llanrhaiadr Dyffryn Clwyd. — Rhaiadr means
cataract, waterfall. Rhaiadru, to spout out. " Ffynon
Ddyfrog," Dyvrog's well, a short distance from the
church, suddenly disappears in the fissures of the rock.
.Dyffryn Clwyd has been explained already. English
name — Wellchurch .
Llanrhudd. — A corruption oi Llanrhyd, the church
by the ford. English name— Churchford.
Llansantffraid-glan-Conwy. — The church was
dedicated to St. Ffraid, and the village stands on the
banks of the river Conway. The name of the rail
way-station is Caiog, to distinguish it from the other
Llansantffraid. Enghsh name— St Bride's-on-the-
Conway. Llandyrnog. — From Dyrnog, a descendant of
Seithenin, to whom the church is dedicated. English
name — Thrashton.

io6
Llansilin. — The church is dedicated to Silin, a
descendant of Emyr Llydaw, and a saint of the sixth
century. Eglwys Sulien, Cardigan, also bears his
name. English name — Silinton.
Llangwyfen. From Cwyfen, a descendant of
Caradog Breichfras. -English name — Kwyven.
Llandrillo. — From Trillo, son of Ithel Hael, and
a saint of the sixth century. He was a member of
the Enlli seminary. This village is famous for being the
residence of Maelgwyn Gwynedd in the fifth century,,
and afterwards of Ednyfed Fychan, chief of one ofthe
royal tribes of Wales. English name — Trillham.
Llanhychan. — From Hychan, a descendant of
Brychan, and a saint of the fifth century. English
name — Yo un gston .
Llangynhafal. — The church is dedicated to-
Cynhafal, a descendant of Karadog Freichfras, and a
saint ofthe seventh century. English name— KynhavaL
Llangernyw. — The church was founded by St.
Digain in the fifth century, and probably dedicated it
to his father, Cystenyn Gorneu, a British king, and son
of Cadwr, the prince of Cernyw (Cornwall) ; hence the
name Llangernyw. English name — Hornton.
Llanrwst. — The old church was built in 1170, and
dedicated to Crwst, a descendant of Urien Rheged, and
a saint of the seventh century. Lord Herbert burned
the church in 1468, and the present one was built in
1470. Pennant says the church was dedicated to St.
Rhystid, or Restitutus, Archbishop of London, in 361.
English name — Manton.
Llangadwaladr. — The church is dedicated to-
Cadwaladr the Blessed, who succeeded his father,
Cadwallawn, to the throne of Britain in 634. He was
the last of the Welsh princes who assumed the title of
King of Britain. English name — Valiantton.
Llangedwyx. — From Cedwyn, a descendant of
Gwrthefyr, the king, and a saint of the sixth century.
It is supposed he was buried in the church. English
name — Giftton.

I07
Llandegla. — The church was probably dedicated
to Tegla, who, according to tradition, was converted to
Christianity by the Apostle Paul, and suffered martyr
dom under Nero at Iconiura. The celebrated Tegla's
Well is about 200 yards from the Church. English
name — Teglaton .
Llanddulais. — From Dulais — du, black ; glas,.
blue — the river on which the church is situated.
Here the unfortunate Richard the Second was be
trayed into the hands of his formidable rival to the
throne. The cantrev is called Is-Dulais. English
name — Lividton.
Llanferres. — The church was probably dedi
cated, about the latter end of the fourth centur3% to
Berres, a disciple of St. Martin, the Hungarian. Dr.
John Davies, the eminent antiquarian, and the author
of the Welsh-Latin Dictionary, was a native of this
parish. English name — Berreston.
Llangwm. — The name signifies a church in the
vale or dingle. English name^ — Churchcombe.
Llanddoged. — The church was dedicated to
Doged, a descendant of Cunedda, and a saint of the
sixth century. " Bonedd y Saint " calls him Doged
the King. English name- — Shareton.
Llanefydd. — Nefydd, a descendant of Brychan,
and a saint of the fifth century, founded the church.
English name — Shipton.
Llansannan. — Senau, or Senanus, was a saint and
an Irish bishop of the sixth century, and it is calcu
lated that he lived in Wales from the fact that this
church was dedicated to him. English name — Senan-
ton. Llanfair-Talhaiarn. — The church is dedicated to
St. Mary. Talhaiarn was a celebrated bard and saint
of the sixth century. He was also a chaplain to Emrys
Wledig ; but after the latter was killed, he became a
hermit, and founded the church which bears his name.
Enghsh name — Talhaiarn, or Ironfront.
Llanarmon-yn-Ial. — The church was dedicated to
St. Garmon, bishop of Auxerre. lal, the name of the

io8
cantrev, means an open space or region. Tir ial, open
land. 'V'ale, Derbyshire, is derived from the same root.
Ial is the differentia added to distinguish the place
from the other Llanarmon. The " Topographical
Dictionary of Wales " says that " within a niche in the
•outer wall of the church is the figure of a bishop, six
feet four inches in height, which is said to be that of
St. Germanus, Bishop of Auxerre, who, with St. Lupus,
gained over the Picts and Saxons, at Maesgarmon, near
Mold, in the year 420, the celebrated victory called by
historians Victoria Alleluiatica." English name —
Garmonton. Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog. — The village is
situated on the river Ceiriog ; hence the differentia.
The parish is supposed to have been the burial-place
¦of St. Germanus. English name — Garmonham.
Moelfre. — Moel, bare, bald ; fre-fryn, hill. English
name — Baldhill.
Minera. — The primitive name of this place was
Mwyn-y-Clawdd, the mine-ditch, in allusion to Offa's
Dyke, which passes through it ; and the present name
is probably derived from the abundance of minerals
it contains. English name — Mineham.
MocHDRE. — Moch, quick, swift ; or, perhaps, it is
the plural for pigs ; dre-tref, a dwelling-place. English
name — Swineham.
yi ARCH-wiA.li..— March, perhaps, is the same as mare,
a mark, and wiail is the plural of gwialen, a rod.
Viewing the geographical position of this place, being
in close proximity to Wat's Dyke, we are of opinion
that the line of demarcation was made of rods or
poles ; hence the origin of the name. English name —
Markton. Moss. — A corruption, perhaps, of ffos, a ditch or
trench. Ffds is cognate with the Latin fossa, a ditch.
Moss is the Norse for bog. English name — Bogton.
Nantglyn. — Nant, brook ; glyn, glen, vale. English
name — Brookvale.
Oernant. — Oer, cold ; nant, brook. English
name — Coldbrook.

log
Penrhos. — A compound of pen, head, end ; and
rhos, a meadow, a moor. English name — Moorsend.
Pensarn. — The name signifies the end of the
Roman road. Castell- y-cawr, the giant's castle, which
is considered to be one of the most complete Roman
camps in the kingdom, is in this vicinity. English
name — Viaton.
Pentrefoelas. — Pentre, village ; moel, a pile, a
conical hill ; las-glas, blue. Many of our mountains
and hills bear the name moel, such as Moel Siabod,
Y Foel (Cwmavon), Moelyfamau, Moelwyn, Y Foel
Goch, and the Foel Las. English name — Hillham.
Pontllogell. — Pont, bridge ; llogell, pocket, so-
called, probably, "from the pedestrians being obliged to-
put their hands into their pockets to pay a certain fee
before crossing the bridge. English name — Coinbridge..
Ponkey. — A corruption oi Poncyn, a small hillock,.
or it may be a contraction ofthe plural ponciau. English
name — Littlebank.
Pantygroes. — Pant, small dingle ; y, the ; croes-
groes, cross. It is said that the form of a cross was.
once visible on a certain spot in the neighbourhood,
but was destroyed by Cromwell's soldiers, from which
circumstance the place was called Pantygroes. English
name — Dinglecross.
Rhydonen. — Rhyd, ford ; onen, the ash tree. One
writer thinks it is a corruption of Rhyd Hen, the old
ford ; but this is rather far-fetched. Hewers of wood
in olden times might have conveyed the ash trees over
the ford, near which a bridge now stands. English
name— Ashford.
Rhoshobyn. — Rhos, meadow ; hobyn, pig. Yr Hob
was in ancient times the popular word for swine.
" Hob y deri dan do," i.e. — The boar of the wood safely
lodged under roof. Having captured the boar in the
woods and brought him safely to the house, the popular
Welsh song " Hob y deri dan do " was sung with
rapture and joy. Enghsh name— Pigmoor.

IIO
Rhosllanerchrugog. — Rhos, meadow ; llanerch,
glade ; crugog, abounding with tumps. English name —
Gladeham. Rhosy.medre. — A compound oi Rhos andj/«, the, a
corruption of mhen-pen, and dre-tre, a dwelling-place,
signifying a meadow at the end of the town. Some say
that medre is a mutation of mydreu, measures or circles.
The former derivation is supported by the geographical
position of the village. English name — Townsend.
RossET. — A corruption of rhosydd, the plural of
rhos. English name — Meadows.
RuABON. — An Anglicized form of Rhiw Mabon.
Rhiw, slope, ascending path ; Mabon, the name of a
Welsh saint who lived here and founded a church
about the time of Llewelyn ab lorwerth. Some think
the place took its name from its physical aspect, being
situate on a rhiw, a slope, near a streamlet called Afon;
hence Rhiwafon. The former is the more popular view.
English name — Boyhili.
RuTHiN. — This name is variously derived. Some
say that a woman named Ruth once kept a large inn
near the (then) village, and, when the place began to
develope into a town, the people began to call it Ruth
Inn Red is the prevailing colour of the soil in the
district. The principal parts of the town are situated
on red sands or ashes ; hence the name was taken
from the ruddy hue of the soil. Rhuth-rhudd, ruddy,
crimson, red ; in, an abbreviation of din ; signifying a
ruddy town. English name — Redtown.
Rhufoniog. — This place was given to Rhufawn,
son of Cunedda Wledig, for the gallantry shown by
him in driving the Picts from North Wales ; hence the
name. English name — Redham.
St. Asaph. — The Welsh name is Llanelwy, irom its
situation on the banks of the river Elwy. The English
name was bestowed upon it in honour of St. Asaph, who
became the second bishop of the see in 560, died in 596,
and was interred in his own cathedral. The township
in which it stands is called Bryn Paulin, in honour of

Paulinus, a Roman general, who made the hill a place
of encampment on his way to Mona.
Trefnant. — A compound of tref, place, a town,
and nant, brook. English name — Brookton.
Trefor. — Tref, town ; for-fawr, great ; in contra
distinction to trefan, a small hamlet or city. English
name— Bigton.
Tre'r Ynys. — Ynys Cyrys, to whom is generally
dedicated the honour of having been the first to collect
the Welsh proverbs. The collection is called " Mad-
waith hen Gyrys o Ial, ' the good work of old Cyrys of
Ial. English name — Cyrystown.
Wig Fawr, or Wicwer. — Wig-gwig, a wood or
forest ; Mair, St. Mary, signifying Mary's wood. There
is also a well in the place dedicated to St. Mary.
English name — Maryswood.
Wrexham. — Someone, more wittily than correctly,
said that Gwreesam means Gwraig Sam, Sam's wife.
" Such short-lived wits do wither as they grow."
The raost ancient forms of the name are W^righesham
and Wrightelesham. Churchyard, the Elizabethan
bard, described it as " trim Wricksam town, a pearl in
Denbighshire." The name, we think, is a compound of
rex, king, and ham, signifying the king's hamlet. A few
Latin words were introduced into the speech of the
Cymry in the middle ages. In the elegy of Meilyr on
" Gruffydd ab Cynan " (twelfth century) we find the
epithet, "rex radau," king of gifts or graces. English
name — Kingham.
YsBYTTY Ifan. — This village, situated on the banks
of the Conwy, took its name from an ysbytty, hospital,
that was founded here in 1189, by Ifan ab Rhys. Tir
Ifan is another place in the parish. English name —
John's Hospital.

FLINTSHIRE.
The name of this county still reinains an ety
mological puzzle. Mr. Jones, in his " History of
Wales," says ofthe Cambrians: — " It is probable that

the national name of these settlers was Flynor-Flyndi,.
whence came Flintshire." Others think it was named
after the castle, which was originally called Castellum-
super-Fluentum, i.e., the cast.le near the sea. The county
is exceedingly rich in minerals, especially lead and
coal ; but flintstones have not as yet been discovered
there ; therefore, we must seek elsewhere for the origin
of the name. Some think the name refers to the
oblong form of the county, which, when looking on the
map, reminds one of the ancient Celtic kni^'es which
were made of flint.
Adwy'r Clawdd. — Adwy, gap, breach ; Clawdd^
dyke. The place is in close proximity to Offa's Dyke;
hence the name. English name — Dykeham.
Argoed. — The name signifies a place on or above
the wood, and is cognate with Arghait in Scotland.
English name — Woodham.
Bodidris. — From Idris, the son of Llewelyn
Aurdorchog (the golden-torqued), one of fhe lords of
Ial. English name — Idriston.
BoDFARi. — The common opinion is that the Roman
station called Varis was here, and recent discoveries
corroborate the theory ; hence the name. English
name — Variston.
Bettesfield. — The general opinion is that the
field belonged to a woman called Betty. A field below
the Baily hill, called Cae Owain, Owen's field, is
supposed to be the place where Owen and his men
encamped when they stormed the Baily castle. There
are several fields in this district either affixed or
prefixed by proper names. The right wording would
be Bettysfield. Baggilt. — This name is a perversion of Bugeillt,
which is a compound of bu, a cow, an ox, and geillt, the
plural form oi gallt, a cliff, an ascent. English name —
Oxcliff. Broughtox. — Pennant says that ere the Norman
Conquest this place was held by Lovelot, and after
wards by Brocketune. The latter name was probably
conferred upon the place.

113
Cilowen. — Cil, a hidden place. This name was
given in honour of Owen Gwynedd, who camped there
in order to avoid the intrigues of Henry II. Enghsh
name — Owenton.
Caerwys. — Caer, a fortress, a city ; wys-gwys,
summons. Some think that the Romans had a station
here, where they held their judicial courts. The
bards, in time of yore, frequently held their sessions
here. An eisteddfod was held here by royal commis
sion on the 2nd of July, in the 15th year of Henry VIII.
The last royal summons for holding these national
festivals was issued in the ninth year of the reign of
Elizabeth. English name — Courtton.
Caerfallwch. — A corruption probably of Caer,
stronghold ; Afallech, proper name. In the pedigree of
Sir Owain Tudor we find the name of " Afallech ap
Afflech, ap Beli Mawr." This Afallech is supposed to
he a nephew of the renowned Caswallawn. On an
adjacent hill called " Moel-y-gaer " there are some
remains of a British stronghold, which is supposed to
have been under the command of Afallech during the
Roman incursions. Afallech, or Afallach, means an
orchard. English name — Orchardton.
Caergwrle. — Caer is plain ; gwr, from ewr, ,1
boundary ; le-lle, a place, signifying the border fortress.
An old castle bearing the name is situated about a
mile from the village called Hope. It is supposed to
have been a Roman outpost to Deva. English name —
Borderfort. Cefn.— The name signifies a ridge, which is qiiite
descriptive of the place, being situated on a high
eminence on the left bank of the river Alun. English
name — Ridgeton .
Coedmynydd. — A compound of coed, wood ; and
mynydd, mountain. English name — Woodhill,
Coed Talon. — Co^^i, wood, trees ; te/o«, plural form
of tiit, towering, high, tall. English name — Highwood.
CoLESHiLL— Literally, hill of coal. The Welsh
name is Cwnsyllt, which means the anvil of a smith,
and the other English name, Englefield, means the
H

114
field of the English, which was given to it, perhaps,
because the Earl of Chester and his followers were
encamping there when Owain Gwynedd marched to
meet hira and impede his progress through his territory.
CiLCAix.— C?/, a place of retreat ; cain, probably an
abbreviation of Eurgain, the name of St. Asaph's niece.
Pending the religious persecution that raged at the
time, Eurgain repaired to a sequestered spot in this
vicinity, built a cell there, and became a religious
devotee. Shortly afterwards she built a church near
the cell, which was dedicated to her memory. Enghsh
name- Fairnook.
Coedllai. — Coed, -KOod; llai, less. It is generally
called in English Leeswood, taking llai to mean lees ;
but the proper English name is Lesswood. Owing to
the abundance of wood in the district, Edward, before
his conquest of Wales, was obliged to cut a passage
through them ; hence there were less trees than before.
English name — Lesswood.
DoLFFix. — A compound oi dol, a dale, a meadow;
and^«, boundary, liinit. English name — Markdale.
Dyserth. — Dy, on, upon ; serth, a steep, a declivity.
Dyserth also means a desert. The village probably takes
its name from the ancient castle which occupied the
summit of the rock. In time of yore it was known by
the names of Dincolyn, CastelLy-Ffaidon, and Castell
Ceri, and is supposed to have been the last of the
chain of British posts on the Clwydian hiUs. Pennant
calls it Dissarch. We have Dysart on the Firth of
Forth, and Dyzard in Cornwall. English name —
Steepton. Ffrith. — The right wording, probably, is ffridd, a
forest, a plantation. Ffridd Celyddon, the forest of
Caledonia. The old Welsh fruith, and the modem
Welsh ffrwyth, fruit, belong to the same family of
-words. English name — Woodland.
Garneddwex. — Carnedd, heap of stones, caim ;
¦wen, white. English name — Whitcaim.
Gelli. — Celli, a grove, a bower. English name —
Groveham.

"5
Glanyrafon. — Glan, brink, side, bank ; yr, the ;
afon, river. Glanymor, the sea-shore. Glanydwr, the
water-side. Glanyrafon, the river side. English name —
Riverside. Gop. — So called from its close proximity to Gop-ar-
leni. It means the top, the summit. Copa'r pen, the
crown of the head. English name — Topton.
GwAENYSCOR. — A Corruption oi gwaen, meadow; is,
below; caer, wall, fortress. English name — Plainfort.
GwESPYR. — A compound of gwest, an inn, a place
of accommodation ; and pyr, lords. English name —
Lords Inn.
GwERNAFiELD. — A Compound oi gwern, a swamp, a
bog ; and field. Perhaps gwern here means the common
alder trees. English name — Alderfield.
Gronant. — Probably a compound of croyw, clear,
sweet, fresh, and na?tt, a brook ; or gro-nant, sandbrook.
English name — Clearbrook.
Hanmer. — A mutation of Handmere, with the d
and the final e omitted. Hand requires no coipment ;
mere, from the Latin mare, sea, lake, or pool. The
village is situated near a lake, which lies between its
banks in the form of a man's hand. English name —
Handlake. Hawarden. — A corruption of Haordine, which is
really a Welsh name ; haw, fixed ; ar, upon ; den-din,
hill ; signifying a castle built on a hill. In " Dooms
day" it is Haordin. The " Brut" calls it Penharddlech.
Penard or Penarth Halawg is the Welsh name, which
means the headland above the lake. Garth, hill, is
forcibly expressed in the word lUiarth, an entrenchment
on the hill. Halawg comes from hal, salt marsh,
referring to the Saltney and other marshes, which were
formerly covered by the sea. This place is world-
renowned for being the residence of the Right Hon.
W. E. Gladstone, M.P. Enghsh name— Castle Hill.
Halkin.— A corruption of the Welsh narae Helygen,
which means a willow, a willow tree. At the time of
the Norman Conquest, the district was called Alchene,

lit
a contraction, probably, of Helygen. The village lies
at the base of a mountain called Helygen. Enghsh
name — Willowton .
Holywell. — A free translation of Treffynon, so
called from St. Winifred's Well, of legendary renown.
The original meaning of holy is healing. The water of
this fabulous well was believed to be efficacious in the
cure of all corporeal infirmities. It discharges 21 tons
of water in a minute. It is covered by a beautiful
Gothic building, supposed to have been erected by
Margaret, Countess of Richmond, mother of Henry VL
Wellstown would be the right English name.
Hope. — The old name was Caergwrle, previously
explained. Edward I. took possession of Castle Estyn
June 1282, and bestowed it upon Queen Eleanor when
on her journey to Carnarvon, where she gave birth to
Edward 1 1., the first Englishman that was titled
Prince of Wales, from which circumstance the place
was called Queen's Hope, and sometimes East Hope,
to distinguish it from North Hope.
Licswm. — A compound of llug, from Greek lychos,
and Latin lux, a light, a gleam ; and cwm, a dingle, a
vale, signifying a luminous vate. English name —
Lightcombe. 'L-LA-ti ASA.— -Asa is an abbreviation of Asaph, a
popular saint of the sixth century, who succeeded St.
Cyndeyrn in the see of Llanelwy in 560. The church,
and hence the village, were named in honour of him.
Pantasaph took its name from him. English name—
Asaphton. Llangynfarch. — Cynfarch, a prince of the North
Britons, and a saint of the sixth century, founded the
church, which was afterwards destroyed by the Saxons
in the battle of Bangor Orchard, 607. English name—
Knighton. Llancilcen. — Cil, a hidden place ; Cen-cain, an
abbreviation of Eurgain, niece to St. Asaph She
was the founder of the church. Vide Cilcain. English
name- — Fairton.

117
Llaxerch-y-Mor. — Llanerch, a glade; i, the ; m6r,
sea. This town, as its name signifies, is situate near
the sea. English name — Seaton.
Lloc. — The word means a mound, a dam, a fold.
Lloc rhag y Llifeiriatti, a dam against the flood. Llochi,
to protect. L leches, a covert, a refuge. Lock-gates
are employed on rivers and canals for penning back
the water and forming locks. The word here probably
implies a sheepfold. English name — Foldham.
Lloxg. — Lltfng a ship. The village derives its
name fi-om a small inn which had the figure of a ship
in fiill sail on its sign-board. English name — Shipton.
Melidex. — This place is supposed to derive its
name firom the dedication of the church to St. Meliden
or Melid. English name — INIelidton.
Maxcot. — A compound of man, a place, a spot ;
and coed, wood. English name— Spotwood.
^losTYx. — A corruption, probably, of maes-ddin,
which signifies the fortress field. Thomas ap Richard
ap Hywel ap Ithel Fychan, at the suggestion of
Rowland Lee, Bishop of Lichfield, was the first to
adopt the place-name as a personal name — English
name — Fortfield.
Mold. — Gwyddgrug is the Welsh nanie, which
means '• the conspicuous mount, or hill," so called
from the great heap (now know-n by the name Bryn
Beiti, Bailey hill, from the word halliiim. castle-yard"),
which is near the principal road. The prevalent
opinion is, that this heap was once a tower of defence,
which stood so conspicuously in the Vale of Alun, that
it was called Y Wyddgrug. The Normans partially
translated it .Vi>Br Haul, or Movthault, the high mount,
and some think it was ultimately reduced to Mold.
Others think it mav be a corruption of moel tad, bald
pate. The name is obviously one of the few memorials
left us of the Norman Conquest. Enghsh name —
Highmound. Maesg.armox. — Named in honour of St. Garmon,
who, with Bishop Lupus, led the Britons against, and
obtained a glorious victorj- over, the Pagan Saxons

ii8
and Picts. This took place in Easter week, 440, and
is to this day called the " Hallelujah Victory."
Nehemiah Griffiths, Esq., of Rhual, erected an obehsk
in 1736, with an inscription to com nemorate the event.
Enghsh name — Garmon's Field.
Maelor. — A corruption of mael, mart, and Ilawr,
ground, signifying a place where trade could be carried
on unmolested. Maelawr was a free trader, who
favoured importations, in consequence of which he
was slain. Some think the name is a contraction of
mai lawr, which signifies plain land. English name —
Martham. Newmarket. — The old Welsh name was Rhiwlyf-
nwyd, but Pennant calls it Trefiawnyd, which signifies
" a place full of corn." About the beginning of the
i8th century, John Wynn, Esq., of Gop, the then
owner of the estate, succeeded in getting a market
here, which had been a long-felt desideratum, and,
probably, from that circumstance, the place was
henceforth called Newmarket.
Northop. — An abbreviation of North Hope, so
called to distinguish it from East Hope. Llaneurgain is
the ancient Welsh name. The church was dedicated
to Eurgain, the daughter of Maelgwyn Gwynedd, and a
saint of the sixth century.
Nanerch. — A compound of nant, a brook, and erch,
a dark colour. English name — Dunbrook.
Nerquis. — A corruption of Nercwys ; ner, a
sovereign ; ewys, a furrow. Cwys 0 dir, a furrow of
land. English name — Lordton.
Overton. — A corruption of Owrtyn, which is
probably a compound of gowyro, to make a little
oblique, and din, a fortified hill. It was anciently
called Owrtyn Fadoc from Madoc ab Meredydd, the
prince of Powys, who is supposed to have built a castle
here. The town is situated on a rising eminence near
the river Dee. Enghsh name— Slanthill.
Pentre Hobyn. — Pentre, a village ; hobyn, a pig.
Hanerhob, a flitch or side of a hog. This place in
ancient times was famous for its abundance of wild

119
boars. Vide Rhos-hobyn, Denbigh. English name —
Boarton. Penygelli. — Pen, head, end ; y, the ; gelli, grove.
English name — Grovesend.
Penymynydd. — The name signifies a place situated
on a mountain. — English name — Mountton.
PoxTBLEiDDYN. — Pont, a bridge ; bleiddyn, a wolfs
cub. English nane — Wolfbridge.
Prestatyn. — A corruption of Prysgoed-ddin. In
ancient times there was a castle here called Prysgoed-
ddin, evidently built by the Kymi"}-, a few ruins of
which still remain. Prys, a covert ; coed, wocd ; din,
fortress ; the name signifies a place of resort. Some
say it is a corruption oi Prys Tydain, Tydain's place of
resort. Prys form a part of many names, Prysaddfed,
Pryseddfod, Prystalyn, &c. English name— Covertham
Rhuddlan. — This name is variously derived. Some
derive it from Robert de Rothelan, a military chief,
who visited the place. Others deri^'e it from rhudd.
red ; and glan, bank, from the town being situated on
the red banks of the river Clwyd. The castle was
anciently called Castell Coch yn Ngwernfor, i.e., the red
castle on the great plain. The most natural explana
tion is Rhyd-y-llan, the ford by the church. The name
is written even now by the oldest inhabitants Rhydlan.
There are three fords in the district : Rhyd-y-ddan-ddwfr,
the ford of the two waters, which is fordable to this
day ; For-ryd, the ford by the sea ; and Rhyd-y-llan, the
ford by the church. To the north of this ford, on an
eminence, there is a church dating back many cen
turies ; and the ford is spanned by a bridge which
dates back to 1595. Ere the building of this bridge,
the church-goers, undoubtedly, were wont to cross the
river by means of this ford, hence it was called Rhyd-y-
llan. it is spelt by some Rhyddlan, perhaps from its
having been made a free borough by Edward L, whose
son was proclaimed here the Prince of ^^'ales, the first
English Prince of Wales, 1283. Morfa Rhuddlan is the
celebrated marsh where that memorable battle was
fought in 795 between the Saxons under Offa and the

120
Welsh under the valiant Caradog, when the last fell in
the conflict. Many names in the vicinity point to the
sad catastrophe, such as Bryn y sae^hau, hill of arrows ;
Bryn y lladfa, hill of slaughter ; Panty gwae, the vale of
woe ; Cae yr orsedd, field of the throne or tribunal. We
adopt Rhyd-y-llan as the correct wording. English
name — Fordchurch or Fordton.
Rhyl. — This beautiful watering-place is situated
at the extremity of Saltney marsh, whiclv is called in
Welsh Morfa yr Hal, or Yr Haleg. We find the names
Penarleg near Chester, and Plas-yr-hal near Ruthin, and
an old mansion in the vicinity is called Ty'n-y-Rhyl,
which means a house in the salt marsh ; hence we are
induced to think that Rhyl is a mutation of Yr Hal, or
Rhal. English name — Saltton.
Saltney. — An abbreviation of Salteney, which is a
translation of the Welsh halenog, abounding with salt.
The site of the present village was nothing better than
a marsh until tlie year 1778.
Sealand. — Soon after the incorporation of " The
River Dee Company," in 1740, six hundred acres of
the waste marsh land of this district were purchased
from the lord and freeholders of the manor of Hawarden,
through which a new channel was cut for the Dee, and
soon afterwards some thousands of acres of the sands
were redeemed, which are now covered with good
crops of corn, &c. ; hence the name — Sealand.
Trallon.- — A compound of tra-llwngc, a sinking
place, a quagmire. English name — Bogham.
Trelan. — A compound of tref, a place, and llan, a
church. English name-— Churchton.
Tremeirchion. — Tref, place; meirchion, a plural
form of march ; a word denoting a line of demarcation,
made of rods or poles. Compare Marchwiail, Denbigh
shire. English name — Markton.
Treuddyn. — The name is variously spelt. Treuddyn,
Tryddyn, and Treddyn. The latter is the most acceptable.
Tre, a dwelling ; dyn, a man. English name — Manton.

Talar. — The name means a headland in a field.
Tal, head or end ; dr, land, ploughed land. English
name — Headland.
Threapwood. — Threap, perhaps from throp, the
meeting of cross-roads. English name — Crosswood.
Wepre. — A corruption of Gwybre, its ancient name.
Gwy, water ; bre-bryn, a hill. The place is situated on
the river Dee. English name — Waterhill.
Ysceifiog. — A corruption of Yscawog, abounding
with ysgaw, the elder wood. The correct name of the
parish is Llanfair Ysceifiog, so called, it is supposed,
from its abundance of elder wood. English name —
Elderham.

GLAMORGANSHIRE.
Morgan Mwynfawr, the Courteous, became the
prince of Gwent, Essyllt, Gorwenydd, and Rheged in
.543, and called them after his own name, Morganwg.
Taking the postfix, wg, to be synonymous with the
Latin locus, Morganwg means Gwlad Morgan, which has
been Anglicized into Glamorgan.
Aberavon. — The right wording is Aberafan. Avon
is a general term for river, but afan or avan is a proper
name, denoting here the river at the mouth of which
this ancient town is situated. Ban is the root, which
-means height. The river receives its contributory
streams from high and lofty mountains. Enghsh
name — H igh mouth .
Abercanaid.;— The village is situate near the spot
where the rivulet Canaid discharges itself into the Taff.
¦Canaid means white, pure, bright. English name—
Brightmouth. Aberdulais. — The village stands near the con
fluence of the rivers Dulas and Nedd. Some spell it
Dulas, black-blue. Enghsh name — Lividham.
Aberdar. — This populous place hes at the con
fluence of the rivulets Dar and Cynon. Ddr is a
corruption of Dyar, which signifies sound, noise, or

122
din, so called, probably, from its noisy waterfalls in
the upper part of the valley. Enghsh name — Din
mouth. Aberaman. — The streamlet Aman joins the Cynon
here ; hence the name. Man is a commutative form of
ban, height. English name — Highton.
Aberthaw. — A corruption ot the \\'elsh Aber-
ddawen, a place situate at the mouth of the river
Dawen. The root, probably, is taw, silent, quiet.
English name — Stillmouth.
Abertridwr. — Tridwr, three waters, so-called from
the situation of the village at the confluence of three
brooks. English name — Watermouth.
Abernant. — A brook called Nantygroes flows
through the place, and empties into the Cynon near
Tir-y-founder. English name — Brookmouth.
Aberfan. — Ban, high ; Banau Brycheiniog, the
Brecknock Beacons. Fan is a brook that falls into
the river Taff at the place. Two farmhouses also-
bear the name. The village is also called Ynys Owen,
from a farm of that name. The railway station has
been designated Merthyr Vale, and henceforth, the
village will, doubtless, be known by the same name.
Alltwen. — Allt, a cliff, the side of a hill ; wen^
feminine of gwyn, white. The name is in correspond
ence with the situation of the village, being on a hill
side. English name— Whitehill.
Abwrthin. — Perhaps a corruption of Aberthin,
which implies a place of sacrifices, so called, probably,.
from the supposition that Druidical sacrifices were
offered here. English name — Altarton.
Abercenffig. — Cenffig is a contraction of Cefn-y-
Figyn, so called from the situation of the place on a
ridge of ground above a bog. It is generally beheved
that this ancient town was inundated by the sea about
the middle of the sixteenth century, and that the
present village was built near or on the place of
inundation. English name — Bogton.

123
.\berc\vmboy. — Some think the name is a corrup
tion of Aberc-wmybwci : cwm, a dingle; v, the; bwci,
bugbear, hobgoblin. It was the vain belief of the
aborigines of this valley that a hobgoblin once
haunted the place. Bwci was reduced to ho, and
ultimately J' was added ; hence the name in its present
form. Perhaps the right wording is Aber-c-wm-bwaau.
Bwa is the ^^'elsh for bow. Btia a saeth, bow- and
arrow. We find Cw-mbw-a in Cardiganshire ; and
Brynbo (Bryn-bwa^ and Cwm Bow-j-dd (Cwm-bwa-
gwydd) in North Wales, where bo is a contraction
of bwa. Perhaps the place was once noted for its
abundance of trees of which our forefathers made
their bows. The village is also called Cap Coch, red
cap. Tradition has it that an eccentric publican and
cock-fighter in remote times ahvays wore a red cap
on a cock-fighting dav, and that the place is so called
from that circumstance. English name — Bowcombe,
or Bocombe. .\bergwyxfi. — From a farm so named. It was
once called Trejenkin, in honour of ?slr. Jenkins, Gelli
farm. It was also called Blaenavan, from its situation
at the source of the river Avan. Gwynfi is a corruption
of gnyn-fai, white or blessed plain. English name —
Whitmouth. Bedlixog. — From an old farm so named. The
word is probablv a compound of bed-w, birch tree, and
llain, a slip, or long narrow place. Llain o dir, a slip of
land, a small field. Or the right w-ording may be Bcd-w-
Iwyn, birchgrove. The village is also called Cwmfelin,
from an old mill in the place. It is also popularly
called Colly, from a farm so called ; col. an\- projecting
body, a sharp hillock ; and le-lle, place. English name —
Bircham. Bl.\ck Pill. — Probably from the blackened stumps
of a submerged forest, which are to be seen all along
the shore. Blaexgwrach. — The village is situated at the ex
treme end ofthe Neath Yale, near the source (blaen) o
the rivulet Gurach; hence the name. Gwrach may be a

124
compound oi cwr, extremity, and ach, river, signifying a
river flowing at the extreme end of a vale. Enghsh
name — Nookton.
Broughton. — From harrow, a sepulchral mound of
great antiquity formed of earth or stones. Stone bar
rows are called cairns in Scotland. Several ttimuli
or barrows were found on each side of the road from
Lantwit Major to Ewenny ; hence the name. English
name^Barrowton. Bodringallt. — Bod, a dwelling-place ; ringallt is
variously derived. Some are of opinion it is a corrup
tion of rhingyll, a summoner, founding their reasons
upon the supposition that Cadwgan y Fwyall, the sum
moner, took up his abode here. We rather think it is a
corruption of reynallt, a fox, a reynard. The valley was
noted in olden times for fox-hunting, as the following
extract shows: — "1752, killing a fox whelp, 2S. 6d.
1819, paid for killing a fox, 5s." English name —
Foxham. Bla^n Rhondda. — So called from a farmhouse
bearing the name, and also the village is situated near
the source of the river Rhondda. Blaen means the fore
part of anything, and here the spring of the river.
English name — Springton.
Blaenycwm. — So called from its situation at the
extreme end of the Rhondda Valley. English name—
Comb's-end. Bargod. — The full name is Pont-aher-Bargod, signi
fying the bridge near where the brook Bargod flows into
the river Rhymney. Bargod means a springing out.
English name — Springham.
Brithdir.— The village takes its name from Cefn
Brithdir, the name of the mountain that towers above
it. Brithdir means a land of medium quahty. Enghsh
name — Midland, or Mixland.
Baglan. — An abbreviation of Llanfaglan. The
church was dedicated to Baglan, a Welsh saint of
the sixth century.
Blaenllechau.— From a farm of the same name.
Another farm in the neighbourhood is called Cefnllechau,

The lands of both were remarkable for llechau. stones.
Some call the place Tre Rhondda, Rhondda town ; it is-
also called Femdale. English name — Stoneby.
Bovertox. — A corruption oi Boviiim, the name of a
Roman station which stood near the road called Julia
Strata Maritana. There are extensive remains of
Roman camps in the vicinity. In 1798 a considerable
number of Roman coins were discovered here.
Britox Ferry. — In ancient MSS. the place is
called Berton Ferry, and Brittane Ferry, the ferrj- where
the Britons crossed the estiiar\- of the Neath river.
Llaitsawel, the Welsh name, is derived by some from
ttaii-is-awfl, a church under the breeze. Others think it
was dedicated to Saw)^.
Barry. — Some think the place derives its name
from Baruth, a disciple of Gilsach, who was buried
here in the \-ear 700, Others think it is the Norse for
bare island.
Bridgexd. — A translation of the ^^'elsl^ Penybont.
The full name is Pa:ybont-ar-Ogwy, Bridgend-on-the
Ogmore. Birchgrove. — From a farm ofthe name, whereon
the village is situated.
Bishopstox. — In olden times the manor belonged
to the see of Llandaft", and, oa account of that, the
parisli received its ecclesiastical name. The Welsh
name is Llandeilo Ferwallt. The church is dedicated to
Bishop Teilo. Bern allt is a compound of beiw, the
water-cress, and gallt, a wooded declivity. In the
Liber Landavensis " it is called Lanberugall.
Blackmill. — X semi-translation of the- \\'elsh
name, McUn Ifan Ddu. Ifan, Evan, was the owner of
the mill, and he lived in a farm called Dol Ifan Ddu ;
hence the name.
Brvxcethix. — Bryn. a hiU ; cethin. dark, terrible^
frightful. English name — Frighthill.
Boxvilstoxe. — The Welsh name, TresiniK'n, and
the English name, Bonvilstone, w-ere bestowed in

126
honour of Simon Bonvile, the chief steward of Sir
Robert Fitzhamon.
Bryntroedgam. — Bryn, a hill ; troed, foot ; gam-cam,
crooked, signifying a place at the crooked foot of a hill.
English name — Crookhill.
BuTETowx. — This isolated village, which is situated
near Rhymney, received its name in honour of the late
Marquis of Bute.
Cardiff. — An .Anglicism of the Welsh name
Caerdydd, or, more correctly, Caer Daf. Opinions
differ as to the right wording of the postfix. Some
derive the name from Caer Didius, the city of Didius
(Aulus Didius), the Roraan general, who coraraanded
in Britain from a.d. 53 to about 57. It is supposed that
he built a fortress on the Taff, where, from its con
tiguity to the sea, he would have been much less
exposed to the onsets of the warlike Silures. As the
Romans Latinized British naraes with increments,
such as Casivellaunus from Caswallon, so, on the
contrary, the Britons rejected the final syllable of
Latin names and words, as Iwl, from Julius : Aleg,
from Alectus ; and here (a case in point) Dydd irom
Didius, whence Caer Dydd. Despite the plausibility
of the above derivation, we rather think the right
wording is Caer Daf, a fortress on the Taff, which, it
is said, was originally built by Morgan ap Hywel ap
Rhys. Close by we find Llandaf, the stately edifice
on the Taff, and in the metropolis of Wales we find a
fortress on the Taff. Taf means spreading. Tafwys,
the Welsh for Thames, means the spreading or
expanding water. English name — Broadfort.
Cerryg Llwydiox. — Cerryg, stones ; llwydion,
plural form of llwyd, grey ; frora a nuraber of grey
stones in the place. English name — Greystone.
CiLFFRiw. — A compound of cil, a place of retreat ;
and ffriw, mien, countenance, visage. " A gwaed ffrau
ar ffriw " — and streaming blood on a visage. Ffroen,
nose, nostril, comes from the same root. The name is
applied to hill tops or some kind of eminences. English
narae — Phizton .

127
CLWYDyi-AGWYR. — Clwyd, a hurdle, a wattled gate ; y,
the ; fagwyr-magwyr, a structure, a wall, an enclosure.
English name — Wallgate.
Craigcefnparc. — Craig, rock ; cefn, ridge, back ; parc,
a field, an enclosure. Enghsh name— Rockfield.
CwMBWRLA. — Bwrla is probably a corruption of
bwr-le; bwr, an old Welsh word denoting a place of
defence; le-lle, a place. " Ni sefis na thwr na hwr" —
i.e., there stood nor tower nor wall. English name —
Fortcomb. Cwmaman.— Cwm, a narrow vale; Aman, the name
of the rivulet that flows through it ; hence the name.
English name — Highcombe.
Castella. — Probably contracted from castellan, a
form of castell, a castle. English name — Castleby.
Caersalem Newydd. — A village near Llangy-
felach. It was known by the name Tirdeunaw until
the Baptists built their magnificent sacred edifice in
the place, and called it Caersalem Newydd, which means
New Jerusalem.
Cwmparc. —The rivulet Parc flows through the
combe ; hence the name. English name — Parkcombe.
Cwmbach. — From an old cottage bearing the
name, which signifies " small vale." English name —
Pettycombe. CwMDAR. — From an old cottage of the name, so
called from its situation on the river Ddr, or Dyar.
English name — Dincombe,
Cellywion. — Probably a corruption of Celliwyn,
which signifies the white grove. Some think the
right wording is Celli Gwion, Gwion's grove. English
name — Whitegrove.
Cadoxton. — Cadog's town. The church was dedi
cated to Catwg the Wise; hence the Welsh name
Llangatwg. From its contiguity to Neath, it is called
Cadoxton -juxta-Neath. The saint was called Catwg
the Wise from his superior wisdom in all councils.

128
Cryxaxt. — Probably a corruption of croyw, clear,
crystal ; and nant, a brook. The clear brook runs
through the place, and empties itself into the Dulais.
Enghsh name — Clearbrook.
Caerphili. — The prefix is clear, but opinions var}-
as to the origin of phily. lago Emlj-n says: The
probable root of phily is vallum, the moat that sur
rounded it (the castle), the watermark of which is still
visible on the old outer wall. Vallum could easily have
become "valley," and then " villy," and last ¦¦phily."
There are other less plausible derivations, but we
inchne to think it comes firom FfiU. the name of the
son of Cenydd. Its pristine name was Senghenydd
(Saint Cenydd), in honour of Cenv'dd, who founded a
seminary- here. When Cenydd moved to Gower he
left the seminary under tbe auspices of his son Ffili,
who built a caer, fortress or defensive wall round it ;
hence it was called Caer FfiU. If the old name Seng
henydd was given in honour of Cenj-dd, it is but
natural that the new name was given in honour of his
son FfiU. English narae — Fdfort.
Cefxpexar. — Cefn, back, ridge ; penar, a mutation
oipenor, bright, fair. English name— Fairridge.
Cowbridge. — A translation of the old Welsh name
of the town, Pontyfon. Mon is an old Welsh word for
cow. In an old manuscript, dated 1645, it is written
Pontyfu'wch, the bridge of the cow. Its pristine name
was Y Dref Hir yn y Waun, the long town in the
meadow, and its present name was derived from the
following incident. Soon after the stone bridge was
built across the river Dawen, a cow, being chased by
the dogs, ran under it, and her horns stuck in the
arch ; the place being so narrow, she could neither
move onwards or backwards, and ultimately the owner
had no alternative but to kill her on the spot. The
town's coat of arms ever since is the figure of a cow
standing on a bridge.
Cheritox. — Probably a corruption of Cherr}-
tow-n, so called from its abundance of cherries in olden
times.

i2g
CiLUEBVLL. — Cil, a hidden place ; pebyll, tents ;
signifying the retreat of the tents. It was customary
in olden times to repair to temporary tents in seques
tered places in the summer. This sequestered place
commands a beautiful view of the sea, and the
surrounding district. English name — Nookham.
Cymicr, — From cym-mer, which literally means a
confluence or junction. Several places in Wales are
called Cymer, from their situation on the junction of
rivers, as Pontycymer, Cymer Glyn Corwg, &c. English
name — Biwater.
Cykaktiifa, — Cyfarthfa is the right name according
to some, signifying the place of barking. It is said that
it was a general rendezvous for hunters. One writer
thinks it is a corruption of Cyfarwydd-fa, the place of
Cwla Cyfarwydd, one of tlic heroes of Welsh legend.
English name — Barkham.
CoLwiNSTONE. — A translation of the Welsh name,
Tregolwyn, Colwin's town.
Cadi. I'.. — Cad, battle; lie, place; signifying a battle
field. Cad is derived from the S;tnskrit kad, to hurt or
kill. It is supposed that a terrible battle was fought
here at some remote jieriod. English name — Battleton.
(ji.viMcii, — The village takes its name from the
rivulet Clydach, which dischargi^s itself into the riviir
Tawy. Some trace the name to the Gaelic clith, strong.
Wc have tlie Clyde in Scotland, the Clwyd in Wales,
and the Clyde in Ireland. Others refer it to cludo, to
carry. We h;tvc the Clndan in Scotland, and Strathclud,
or the kingdom of the Clyde. We offer the following :
Clyd, sheltering, warm; at/t, a river ; signifying a river
flowing through a sheltering place. Enghsh name—
Sheltcrham. Cabalfa. — A corruption probably oi ceuhalfa, which
signiiies a ferrying-])lace. ICnglish name— Ferryhsm.
Ckossvank. — An Anglicized form oiCroesfaen, which
signiiies tlie cross stone. English name — Cross-stone.
CovTY. — A corruption of coed, wood, and ty, a
house, signifying a wpod-house. English name —
Wood by. 9

I30
CoRS Einion. — Ccrs, a bog ; Einion, the name of a
descendant of Howell the Good. History tells us that
he led an army twice to Gower, and on his way thither
he probably encamped here. The name of Einion is
borne down to us also in Port Eynion Bay. It is a
strange coincidence that the name Einion signifies "our
leader," English name — Leaderham.
Caerau. — The church was built on the ruins of an
old Roman fortress ; hence the name. English name —
Fortham. CwMGiEDD. — Cwm, a narrow vale ; Giedd, the name
of the rivulet that runs through it to the Tawy ; hence
the name. We are inclined to think Giedd is a con
traction of gwy eidden, which signifies noisy water, in
contradistinction from taw-wy, the smooth or silent
water, and llyfnell, the smooth water. English name—
Dinvale. Cwmtwrch. — The river Twrch rushes through the
conbe and empties into the Tawy near Ystalyfera.
Twrch, probably, is a derivation of tyrchu, to turn up,
to burrow. The Welsh for a mole is twrch daear, irom
its burrowing nature. English name — Boarcombe.
CoYCHURCH. — Coy, is, probably, a corruption of
coed, wood ; the name signifying the church in the
wood. Pencoed is in the same parish. The Welsh
name is Llangrallo, irom Crallo, the founder and patron
saint of the church, and a nephew to Illtyd. Enghsh
name — Woodchurch.
Cenffig. — Probably a compound of cefn, a ridge,
and mignen, a bog, signifying a ridge above a bog,
which answers to the position of the place. Enghsh
name — Bogridge.
CoGAN. — A corruption, perhaps, of Gwgan, the
name of a celebrated "Welsh personage.
Cwmllynfell. — Cwm, a narrow vale ; llynfell, a
mutation of llyfnell, which means a smooth river.
Llyfn wy, the smooth water. " Ni bydd llyfn heb ei anaf,"
there is nothing smooth without its blemish. English
name — Smoothton.

131
Crwys. — This name is a mutation of croes, a cross.
A corpse lying in its shroud is said to be dan ei groes,
i.e., " under the cross," from the Popish usage of
putting a cross on the bosom of the dead. English
name — Crosston.
DowLAis. — Some derive the name from Dwrlais, the
supposed name of the brook that flows through the old
ironworks, and joins the Morlais at the upper part of
Penydaren, " Clais dwfr a glan," the water edge, was
an ancient Welsh expression. Dwr might be easily
changed into dow. Dowgate, London, was once called
Dwrgate. Llandwr, a small parish in the Vale of Gla
morgan, is now called Llandow. Others think it is a cor
ruption oiDwylais, from the confluence ofthe two brooks
in the place. Others derive it thus : du, black ; clais, a
little trench or rivulet. We rather think the right
wording is Dulas : du, black ; glas, blue, signifying the
livid water. Our forefathers were wont to name the
rivulets and rivers from the respective hue of their
waters. > Dulas is a very common appellation in
Welsh topography, and we find its cognate in
Douglas, Isle of Man. And, strange to say, Morlais
or Morlas is in close proximity to Dulas in several
districts in Wales, and in Brittany we find its
cognate in Morlaix. This coincidence inclines us to
think that glas, blue, is the suffix of both names. Mor-
glas, sea-green colour ; Du-glas, black and blue. We
have five Dulas in Wales, three in Scotland, and one in
Dorset ; and the word appears in different forms : —
Douglas once in the Isle of Man, twice in Scotland,
once in Lancashire, and twice in Ireland ; Doulas in
Radnor, Dowles in Salop, Dawlish in Devon, and
Dowlais in Glamorgan. English name — Lividton.
DiNAS Powis. — Dinas is a corruption of Denis.
When lestyn ab Gwrgant married Denis, the daughter
of Bleddyn ab Cynfyn, Prince of Powys, he built a
castle in the place, and called it Denis Powys, in
honour of his wife. English name — Denisham.
Deri. — This place adopted the name of a farm
house called Deri, irom its situation in a place
abounding with oaks. Deri means oaks, and it is

132
cognate with Derry and Kildare. It is also called
Darran irom Darren Ysgwyddgwyn, which towers above
the village. Enghsh name — Oakham.
Dinas. — A populous village in the Rhondda
Valley. It was first called Dinas y Glo, the city of
coal, on account of its wealth of coal. English name —
Coaltown. Dyffryn-.— Dyffryn means a valley. The village is
situated near Dyffryn Golueh, the valley of worship, or
the hill of -adoration, where the largest cromlech in the
kingdom and other remarkable remains of ancient
religious sanctuaries are visible. English name —
Worshipton. Ely. — The river Llai, which means a dun-coloured
water, flows through the village. The Welsh name
is Trelai, and the English is a corruption of the same.
English name — Dunwater.
Ewenny. — A corruption of Ewyn-wy, the name of
the river that flows through the place. It means the
frothy water. English name — Foamton.
Eglwys Ilan. — The church, according to some,
was dedicated to Elian. Others think it was dedicated
to Elen Deg (the Fair), the daughter of Morgan Mwyn
fawr. Ilan, therefore, is a corruption either of Elian or
Elen. English name — Ellenschurch.
Efailfach. — Gefail, a smithy ; fach-bach, small,
little ; from a smithy in the place. English name —
Smithham. Flemingston. — This place was named in honour
of Sir John Fleming, Robert Fitzhamon's knight, to
whom he gave the manors of St. George, Llanfaes, &c.
The ancient name was Llanfihangel-y-twyn, St. Michael's
church-on-the-hill. Fforchdwm. — Fforch, fforchi, to fork, to part into
two ; and twm, a round heap ; or, perhaps twn, fracture,
sphnt. The name, probably, signifies a hillock forming
a divergent point between two vales. English name —
ForkhiU.

133
Glanybad. — Glan, side, bank ; y, the ; bad, boat.
Before the present bridge was built across the river
Taff, the people were wont to cross to the other side
by means of a boat, and the place where they disem
barked was called Gldnybdd, the shore of the boat ;
hence the name of the village. Enghsh name — Boat-
side. Gower. — A corruption of the Welsh gwyr, from
gwyro, to deviate, to swerve. This name was probably
suggested by the deviation of the peninsula from the
mainland. Its original Welsh name was Rheged, which
implies a promontory running out into the sea. Enghsh
name — S wervington .
Gower Road. — At a vestry meeting of the rate
payers of the parish of Loughor, held October 15th,
1885, it was unanimously passed — " That the name of
this village be changed from Gower-road to Gowerton."
A few gentlemen were appointed to communicate with
the railway and postal authorities, with the view of
making the necessary arrangements for the new name
to be adopted January ist, 1886.
Gwaelodygarth. — Gwaelod, bottom, base ; y, the ;
garth, a hill. The mountain that towers above the
village is called Mynydd-y-Garth, and the village resting
humbly at its base is naturally called Gwaelodygarth.
English name — Foothill.
Garw Valley. — The river Garw runs through it.
Garw means rough. It is cognate with the Gaelic
garble. The river Llyfnwy is not far from it, and the
Garw rushes fiercely through a wild and rugged valley.
Garry in Perth and Inverness, Yarrow in Selkirk,
Gazelock in Ross, Garonne in France, and Guer in
Brittany, probably come from the same root. English
name— Rough Vale.
Glyncorwg. — Two rivulets, called Corrwg Fawr
and Corrwg Fach, join in the glen, near the church of
Glyncorwg. Some derive Corrwg from Carrog, an
obsolete term for brook. Others derive it from corr,
a Celtic name for sheep ; and the affix wg, as already

134
explained, implies a place or locality ; hence it means
sheep-dale. English narae — Sheepton.
Gellionen. — Gelli, grove, an enclosure ; onen, ash
tree ; signifying the ash-grove. Gellionen Well is
celebrated for its remediate waters. English name —
Ashgrove. Gadlys. — Gad-pad, battle, battle-field; llys, court.
The name is one of the traces left us of that terrible
battle fought in the upper part of the Aberdare valley
between Rhys ab Tewdwr and lestyn ab Gwrgant.
The general opinion is that lestyn's army encamped in
the Lower Gadlys, and Rhys's army in the Upper
Gadlys, whence came the name. English name-
Battle Court.
Gelligaer. — This narae is probably derived from
Caer Castell, the ruins of which still remain near the
village. It was built by lorwerth ab Owen in 1140.
English name — Castle Grove.
Gellideg. — Gelli, grove; deg, teg, fair. English
name — Fairgrove.
Glyn Neath. — Glyn, valley, glen ; neath, a corrup
tion of Nedd, the narae of the river that runs through it.
English narae — Glenneath.
Groeswen. — The narae, literally, means white
cross, but, figuratively, blessed cross. White in olden
times was. an emblem of moral purity, and, therefore,
a source of blessedness. English name — White Cross.
GiLESTON. — The Welsh name is Llanfabon-y-Fro,
irom the dedication of the church to Mabon, and its
situation in the Vale of Glamorgan. The English name
was given to it by a Norman, named Giles, who took
up his abode here.
Glais. — The village derives its name froni the
word Clais, which implies a trench through which a
stream of water rushes. English name — Glenbrook.
GoYTRE. — A corapound of coed, wood, and tre, a
dwelling-place. English name — W^oodham.

135
Gelli. — A rising village in the Rhondda Valley, so
called, from a fa,*m of the same name. English name 
Groveton. Gilfach Goch.— Cilfach, a place of retreat, a nook ;
coch, red. The village probably derives its name from
a heap of red cinders that remain as a memento of the
ironworks that stood there in olden times. English
name— Rednook.
Gwarycaeau. — Gwdr, the nape of the neck ; y, the ;
caeau, fields ; signifying a place situated in the upper
part of, or above, certain hilly fields. Enghsh name —
Highfield. HiRWAUN. The name signifies long meadow. The
correct name is Hitwaun Gwrgant, Gwrgan's long
meadow, or mountain-plain. It appears that this
meadow in olden times extended from Blaengwrach,
near Rhydgroes, to Mountain Ash, and so it was
nearly ten miles long ; but in the eleventh century,
Gwrgan ab Ithel gave a portion of it, called Y Waun
Hir, the long meadow, scot free, to his poor subjet ts
and all other Welshmen for raising corn, and breeding
sheep and cattle. English name — Long Meadow, or
Longmoor. Heolyfelin. — Its Enghsh name is " Mill-street,"
so called from the Llwydcoed mill that stood on the
river Cynon. In 1792 the first houses of this populous
place were built by a Morgan Watkin. It is also
called Trecynon from its situation on the bank of the
Cynon. Cynon is a compound of cyn, chief, and ain,
wat^r or running brook ; signifying the chief brook.
Hafod. — The name means a summer-house, in
contra-distinction from Gauafod, winter-house. The
village derived its name from a farmhouse of the same
name. English name — Solham, or Summerham.
Hendre. — A compound of hen, old, and tref, a
dwelling. In times of yore, the people took up their
abode for the winter in the valleys, and these home
steads were called Hendref, in contradistinction from
Hafod, which was only a temporary residence. Enghsh
name— Oldham.

136
Ilston. — // is an abbreviation of Illtyd, or Ilttitus,
the name signifying Illtyd's town. The Welsh name
is Llanilltyd. The church was probably dedicated to
Illtyd, a descendant of Emyr Llydaw, and a saint of
the fifth century.
KiLLAY. — An Anghcized form of Cil fai ; cil, a place
of retreat ; fai-mai, a plain. The name signifies a
sequestered place. English name — Hidham.
Llanfabon. — The church was dedicated to Mabon,
Teilo's brother, who founded it in the sixth century.
Mabon is derived from mapos, in Old Welsh map, now
mab, a boy, a youth, a son. Enghsh name — Boychurch.
Lewiston. — So called in honour of W. Lewis,
Esq., Bontnewydd House, on whose estate the village
is situated. Llangynwyd. — The church was dedicated to
Cynwyd, a saint of the sixth century. Cynwyd signifies
primary evil or mischief. Gwlaw cynwyd, a destructive
rain. English name — Primechurch.
Llangvfelach. — Cy felach, bishop of Llandaff ih
the eighth century, is supposed to have founded the
church here, which was dedicated to him. Cyfelach
implies one resembling his ancestors. English name —
Scionton. Llanblethian. — The ancient church was dedicated
to Bleiddian or Bleddyn, a contemporary of Garmon, who,
it is said, founded it in the sixth century. Bleddyn
probably means wolf-child. English name — Wolfton.
Llandough. — The church was dedicated to Dochwy,
an Armorican saint, who founded a seminary here in
the second century. The Welsh name, Llandochwy, is
Anglicized into Llandough. Dochwy is probably a
mutation of tawch-wy, the hazy water. English name —
Hazeton. Llanilltyd Faerdref. — The church is dedicated
to Iltutus ; Faerdref, a dairy hamlet. The Welsh princes
and noblemen kept dairy-houses at a little distance from
their castles and courts. Two farmsteads in the neigh
bourhood still retain the names of Faerdref Fawr and
Faerdref Fach. Iltutus's Church was probably built on

137
or near the site of one of these dairy-houses ; hence the
name. English name — Dairychurch.
Landore. — From the Welsh Glandwr, the name of
an old farmstead situated near the river Tawy. English
name — Waterton.
Lantwit-Major.— A semi-translation of Llanilltyd
Fawr. A rehgious seminary was founded here at a
very early period, which, about the year 450, was
renovated by Garmon, who, together with Dyfrig,
dedicated Illtyd to be the head teacher thereof; hence
it was called C6r Illtyd, Bangor Illtyd, and Llanilltyd
Fawr, The differentia fawr was added to distinguish
it as par excellence above every other institution bearing
the name Illtyd. English name — lUston Major.
Loughor. — A corruption of Llychwr, which forms
a part of the Welsh name Castell Llychwr. The castle
was built on an eminence above the estuary of the
river Llychwr. The name is a compound of llwch, an
inlet of water, a lake, a lough ; and dwr, water. The
ancient name was Treafanc, from the great number of
beavers abounding in the contiguous waters, afanc
being the old Welsh name of the beaver. Some sup
pose the place to have been the Leuearum oi Antonius.
English name — Castlelock.
Laleston. — A translation of the Welsh Trelalys,
the town of Lales. The parish and village were so
called in honour of Lales, who built the Neath and
Margam Abbeys. Having received a portion of land,
he built a mansion here, demolished the old church,
and, in 1 115, built a new one near his mansion.
Leckwith. — This name is one of the many
instances of the sad havoc the Normans played with
Welsh names when they settled in Glamorgan in the
•eleventh century. It is a corruption of llechwedd, the
steep of a hill, hill-side. English name— Slopeton.
Lavernock. — Another Norman corruption oi Llan-
wernog, which means a church on a meadow. English
name — Meadow Church.
Lisfane.— An Anglicized form ofthe Welsh Llys-
Jaen, Llys, court ; maen, stone. It appears that there

138
was a large stone in the vicinity, upon which the law
court was held in ancient times; hence the name.
English name — Stonecourt.
Llancarvan. — " Bonedd y Saint" tells us the
church was dedicated to Carvan. lolo MSS. inform
us that here the first monastery was built in Britain by
Germanus, from which circumstance the learned editor
thinks that Llancarvan signifies the church of Germanus,
Carfan being a corruption of the saint's name. English
name — Carvanton.
Llanharan. — In some ancient MSS. it is written
Llanaron, from the church being dedicated to Julius
and Aaron. English name — Aaronton.
Llanharry. — It appears that Llanarai was the
ancient name, and that Garai was the founder of the
church. English name — Garton.
Llanilid. — The church was dedicated to Hid,
who, according to some, was the first to introduce
Christianity to the Celts in the first century. English
name — Ilidton.
Llanwonno. — The church was dedicated to Gwyno,
Gwyno having been changed to Wono. English name —
Whitby. Llanfaes. — It was anciently called Llan Ffagan
Fach, in honour of Ffagan, the founder of the church.
The present name implies that Ffagan's Church was
demolished, and the present one was built on a spot
where a memorable battle was fought. Maes, a high
field, is to be understood here in a martial sense.
English name — Churchfield.
Llanedeyrn. — The church was dedicated to
Edeyrn, the son of Gwrtheym, who flourished in the
fifteenth century. He established a religious com
munity of 300 members in this place. Enghsh name —
Rexton. Llandaff. — The name signifies a church on the
Taff. It was built, according to the " Welsh
Chronicles," in the year 173 by Lleurwg (Lucius), and
the see is reckoned to be the most ancient in Britain.
English name — Taffchurch.

139
Llanddewi. — The church was dedicated to Dewi,
the patron saint of Wales. Enghsh name — Davidston.
Llandeilo-Talybont.— The church was founded
by Teilo, bishop of Llandaff, in the sixth century. Taly
bont has been already . explained. English name —
Bridgechurch. Llanrhidian. — From Rhidian, a student in Cen-
ydd's seminary at Gower, and the founder of the
church. English name — Rhidianton.
Llanmadog. — The church was dedicated to Madoc,
the son of Gildas. English name — Madocton.
Llysworney. — A mutilation of the Welsh Llysy-
fronydd, which, also, is a corruption of Llys Bro Nudd.
Bro means a cultivated region, a vale, and Nudd is
supposed to have held a court (llys) here ; hence the
name. English name — Court Vale.
Llwydcoed. — Llwyd, grey ; coed, wood. In the
sixteenth century the forest of Llwydcoed was reckoned
to be one of the finest in the Principality. English
name — Greywood.
Llwynpia. — From a farmhouse so named. Ll
bush, grove ; pia, a pie. English name — Pieton.
Llanishen. — The church was dedicated to Isan, a
disciple of Illtyd. Isan has been corrupted to Ishen.
English name — Isanton.
Llansamlet. — " Bonedd y Saint " tells us that the
church was founded by Samled, who flourished in the
seventh century. The place is sometimes called
Llwynbrwydrau, grove of battles, which probably refers
to some battles that were fought here. English name —
Samled. Llantrisant.- -Its ancient name -was Llangawrdaf,
so called in honour of Cawrdaf, who founded a seminary
here. Llantrisant implies that the church was dedicated
to three saints, namely, Illtyd, Tyfodwg, and Gwyno ;
hence the peculiar name. English name — Saintham.
Llanillteyrn. — intern is a corruption of Elldeyrn,
the name of the saint who founded the church in the
fifth century. Elldeyrn signifies a strange or foreign
king. English name — Kingschurch.

140
Melix Griffith. — This place derives its narae
from a Mr. Griffith, who kept a raill (melin) here to
grind com for the farraers of the district. English
narae — Griffith's Mill.
:Melix Crythax. — So called firom a mill situated
on the brook Crythan. Crythan means a little crooth, or
it may come from the verb cryddu, to stretch, or extend
round. English name — CroothmiU.
Michaelstoxe-super-Ely. — A translation of the
Welsh Llanfiltangel-ar-Elai, from the dedication of the
church to St. Michael, and its situation on the river
Ely. Mumbles. — This place was anciently known by
the name Oystermouth, so called, it is said, from its
abundance of oysters, of which even now considerable
quantities are jearlj- sent to London and other places.
In "Y Cymrodor," vol. vi., part II. , page 149, one
writer sajs that " v.hether of Scandinavian origin, as a
local antiquary of repute woxdd have it, or Celtic as is
sometimes contended, it is certain the "viUage owes
nothing to the oysters of the neighbouring sea for its
name, the early form of writing which was ' Ostre-
muere.' " The present narae was probably derived
from the perpetual mumbUng of the sea.
Maxselfield. — So called in honour of the Mansel
faraily. William Mansel, Esq., Penrice Castle, was
the owner ofthe estate in the reign of Henrj- VI.
Maesteg. — The popular Welsh narae was Lluyni,
bushes, from a farmstead of the name, but was changed
to Llyfn-.iy by Nathan D3'fed at an eisteddfod held here
in 1839. The present name is a compound of vuies, a
field, which probably comes from the Sanskrit matri,
terra ; and teg, fair ; so called firom another farmstead
bearing the name. English name — Fairfield.
Merthyr Tydfil. — The town takes its name fi-om
the raartj-r Tydfil, daughter of Brj'chan Br\'cheiniog,
who was brutally murdered here by the heathen Picts,
August 23rd, 420. Some are cf opinion that the Parish
Church is built on the scene of murder, and hence
dedicated to Tj-dfil. Enghsh name — Tydfilton.

141
Mawdlam — A corruption of Mtigd.ih-n. An old
chufcli in the parish was dedicated to St. Mary
Magdalen. Linglish name -Magdalen.
MoKKisroN.- So called in honour of Sir John
Morris, Clasmonl, who built a large copper works here
ill 17G8, and thi^reliy rendered the largest quota to the
growth of this ])0|)iilons pl;ice.
Mak(}am, — Morgan Mwynfawr, the Courteous,
foiinded IVIargain Abbey, which was known for some
centiiiies by liu^ name it[ Morgan, and ultimately it was
changed into Miirgant. K'ees Meyric l)elievt:<l that
" K'ohert (CouHtil) foniKhMJ Morgan (Margam) ii4fi,
;tn(l was benefac.lor to the Abbey of Nejith siwenteen
years before Morgan was foniHled."--" Morg.inii^ Arch-
aiogra]ihi(e," jiage 2ij, ICnglish name -Morganton.
Marckoss. I'roliably a translation of Croes Marc,
Mark's cross. It is sniiposed that a large cross was
(srecled luM'e at sonu! reiiioU' |)erio(l to SI. Mark, or,
perhaps, it is .a corruption of Mir-groes, the cross on
tho S(^a, shore.
Mm-i'i'iiVK hvi'AN, — Some ecelesiaslic.al hisloii;ins
thinii thai Dyfan introdnceil ( 'hrisli.-uiity to this neigh-
iKiiirhood as i^arly as the. si'cond century, .ind that he
l't:ll a niarlyr to liis hiilh here. The |)aiish church is
dedicated lo hiin, ICnglish name Dyvanton,
MoUN'I'AIN Ash. — The am-ienl name w.-is Aber
JH'UUar, and tlu^ presi^nt ii.anu' was heslovved upon it by
Jolni llrnce I'ryce, ICs(p, Iheii owner of tlu: estate, ;\
man named l)avi(l Jolm K'liys wtinl to Mr, I'ryce one
day lo asl< llini lor .-i lease on a cert.ain piece ol Liiicl,
(HI wliich he purposed Iniililinj; it public-house anil a
private house. They wenl loj;elher to measnre the
laiiil, and, in reply lo a (picslion of Mr, I'rycc wilh
regard lo the name of Ihe new iMiblic-house he was
lislvcil to name, seeing a, cndincu (niotmtain ash) close
hy, he Inrned to Mrs, I'ryce, ami said- " We shall call
Illis iilaee Mountain Ash."
MaI'^udv. — A name oN'reijuunt occurrence in Wales.
The Welsh niuer is synonymous with the ICnglish land
iiKiiiit, steward, and bailill'. In ancient times nuter

142
was the king's land agent ; but, in course of time,
the word became to signify any land steward. Maer
y biswail, the keeper of the cowlair. Maerdy means
a dairy-house. The village derives its name from a
farmhouse bearing the name. English name — Dairyton.
MisKiN. — The name is spelt Meisgun by old Welsh
historians. Meis-maes, field, land ; gun-cun, a leader, a
chief, a lord. Miskin, near Llantrisant, formed a portion
of the hereditary estates.of lestyn ap Gwrgant, lord of
Glamorgan ; hence the name signifies " the lord's land,"
or " the royal land." English name — Kingsland.
MoNKNASH. — The prefix was derived on account of
Sir Richard de GrenviUe having conferred this manor,
together with the castle and lordship of Neath, on the
monks of Neath Abbey. Nash is cognate with ness or
naze, which means a nose or promontory of land.
Neath. — An Anglicised form oi Nedd, the name of
the river on which the town is situated. Nedd means
turning, whirling ; the river was so called, probably,
from its various meanderings. The Romans had a
station here called Nidium. The Welsh popular name
is Castell Nedd, the castle on the Neath. Richard de
GrenviUe, a Norman knight, built a castle here early
in the twelfth century, and the Neath Abbey was
founded by him in the year iiii.
Nelson. — The ancient name was Ffos y Gerdinen,
the mountain ash bog ; but, when the village began to
increase, a public-house was built and named " Lord
Nelson," and, in course of time, the gallant admiral's
name, minus " Lord," was bestowed upon the place.
Nantymoel. — Nant, a streamlet ; y, the ; moel, a
heap, a conical hill ; signifying a brook rushing from a
high hill. English nauie — Brookhill.
Nantgarw. — So called from a violent brook that
runs through the place, called Nantgarw, the rough
brook. English name — Roughbrook.
NicHOLASTON.-^The church was dedicated to a
saint named Nicholas, of whom nothing more is
known.

H3
Newton Nottage. — A semi-translation of the
Welsh name, Trenewydd Ynottais. The y was dropped ;
hence Nottais and Nottage. Ynottais, perhaps, comes
from hynod, noted, remarkable.
Norton.— A corruption of North-town, so called
after an ancient homestead bearing the name in the
vicinity. Ogmore.— An Anglicism of the Welsh Ogwy or
Eogwy. Eog, salmon ; ihy-gwy, river. We are inclined
to thmk the correct wording is Ogwy ; og, apt to move,
active ; and gwy, water ; the moving or stirring water,
Diog means not active, sluggish. English name —
Moveton Overton. — When a suffix, over seems to mean a
hill site ; when a prefix, it indicates the higher of two
places. Pontardawe. — Pont, bridge ; ar, on, upon ; Tawy,
the name of the river. The place takes its name from
a bridge built by William Edwards about the year
1757. Tawy means the still or silent water. English
name — Tawy Bridge.
Penrhiwfer.- Pen, head, top ; rhiw, slope, moun
tain-side ; fer, feminine form of the adjective byr, short,
abrupt. English name — Uphill.
Pandy. — Several grinding mills were in the
Rhondda Valley called Cwmsaerhren Mill, Tyle Coch
Mill, &c., and Pandy was the fulling mill. English
name— Fulling Mill.
Pentre. — A populous village near Treorky, so
called from a very ancient farmstead bearing the name.
It was decided, at a meeting of the Rhondda Chamber
of Trade, April 8th, 1886, to petition the Postmaster-
General for a town post-office at Pentre, to be called
Ystrad Rhondda.
Pendoylan. — A corruption of Pendeulwyn, which
means " the top of two groves." The physical aspect
of the district probably suggested the name. English
name— Grovesend.
Pantdu. — Pant, a hollow ; du, black, so called
from an old farmstead bearing the name, and it

144
answers to the physical position of the village, being
situated in a dreary dingle between Cwmavon and
Aberavon. English name — Darkcomb.
Pwllygwlaw. —This village takes its name from a
farmhouse so called. Pwll, pool ; gwlaw, rain. Enghsh
narne — -Rainpool.
Pantcadifor. — So called, according to some, in
honour of Cadivor, son of Cedrych, who is supposed to
have lived here some time. Others think Cadifor is a
corruption of cawd Ifor, signifying the place where Ifor
Bach was found dead after a terrible conflict with his
enemies. A few refer the name to Coed Ifor, Ivor's
wood. English name-Ivor's-place, or Ivorton.
Pantscallog. — The village takes its name from a
farmhouse of the same appellation. Sgallog is an abbre
viation of ysgallog, abounding with thistles. Enghsh
name — Thistleham.
Penmarc. — The name signifies the head of St.
Mark. We had occasion before to refer to Mark's
cross, but here we are quite at sea as to the origin of
Mark's head. English name — Markshead.
Penrice. — An Anglicism of the Welsh Pen Rhys,
Rhys's head. Rhys, the son of Caradog ab lestyn,
was beheaded here by the Normans in 1099, from
which circumstance the place took its name. English
name — Reeshead.
Penyfai. — Fai is a mutation of mai, a plain ;
therefore, the name signifies the head of the plain.
English name — Plainham.
Pentrebach. — The name signifies a small village.
It is situate about a mile below Merthyr Tydfil, and
so called, evidently, to distinguish it from the latter,
which is called colloquially Y Pentref, the village.
English name — Smallham.
Port Eynon. — Probably from Einion, a descendant
of Howell the Good. See Cors Einion.
Pkntyrch. — -The affix has elicited many conjec
tures. An old tradition has it that a parish wake was
wont to be held in the vicinity in olden times, during
which, very questionable pastimes were carried on. A

145
few days previous to the festival a piece of wood -R'as
fixed in the ground. Every- young woman that intended
being present in the wake was expected to raake a
torch (torque or wreath), with her name on it, and the
colour she purposed wearing on that day^ plaited
therein. This wreath was an ornament worn by our
forefathers round the neck, formed of small rings of
metals interlaced in each other. One young woman
produced a better torque than all her ri^'als, and the
bystanders unanimously exclaimed, " Wel, dyma ben y
tyrch," i.e., " WeU, this is the head of the torques," and
so runs the traditional origin of this place-name. " Mi
d}-na'r dorch a ch-wi" ("I'll pluck the torques with
you ") is a very common Welsh expression. Some
thmk the name is a corruption oi Pen-yr-ych, the head of
the ox. There is a combe hard by called Cwm-y-fuwch,
the vale of the cow, the extreme end of which bears
striking resemblance to the form of an ox's head. The
right wording is Pen Twrch, boar's head, from the
similarity of the brow of the Garth mountain, at the
base of which the village quietly rests, to a boar's head.
A mountain in Wales is called Moel-hen-twrch, boar's
head hill, obviously for the same reason. English
name — Boar's Head.
Penprysg. — Pyysg means brushwood, or that w-hich
extends. The appellation is given to some of our hills,
as Prysg-du in Radnorshire, and Y Prysg in Glamorgan.
The name therefore signifies either a place abounding
with brushwood, or a place situated near the Prysg
mountain. English name — Brushwood.
Paxtyrid. — A corruption of Pant-y-rhyd, which
means the hollow near the ford. English name —
Fordham. Pexgarnddu. — A small village perched on a
hillock near Dowlais. Gam, heap of stones ; ddu, black.
The name is derived from a black heap of stones that
was once in the place. English name — Blackheap.
Pyle. — An Anglicism of the Welsh PU, which
means a creek, a small inlet of the sea filled by the
tide, or perhaps it is a corruption of ptvll, pool, lake.
10

146
It is supposed that the place was once covered by the
sea ; hence the name. We have Pill in Milford
Haven, and Pill in Falmouth, and PU Gwenlli in the
parish of St. Woolos, Monmouth. English name—
Poolham. Pontlottyn. — The bridge that crosses the Rhym
ney river, according to some, was named in honour of
a man called in the vernacular Lottyn. Others think
the right name is Pontyplottyn, which means a bridge
built on a dry plot between two streams of the river.
The name is derived from an old farmstead of the
name, which existed long before the bridge was ever
built. Enghsh name — B ridgeton.
PoRTKERRY. — Some think this quaint place takes
its name from Ceri, the son of Caid, a remarkably wise
man, and a shipbuilder, who, it is said, took up his
abode here. Professor Rhys (Welsh Saints) thinks
that the church of Portkerry was dedicated to Curig,
but this derivation is untenable. Font-de-Gery, Ceri's
¦well, is not far from this place.
Penydarren. — An old cottage was so called from
its situation on a rising eminence, and at the com
mencement of the ironworks the name was bestowed
upon the place. Darren means a rocky hill. English
name- Rockham.
PoRTHCAV^-L.— Porth, port, harbour ; cawl, a corrup
tion of Gaul. It appears that the Gauls were wont to
land here, and we have traces of their name here, as
well as in Galloway, Scotland, and Galway and
Donegal in Ireland. English name — Gaulport.
Penarth. — Some think it is a compound of pen,
head, end ; and arth, a bear ; signifying a bear's head,
in allusion to the similarity of the promontory to that
animal's head. But the suffix arth is, more probably,
an abbreviation of garth, a hill ; therefore, Penarth
means headland, which is quite descriptive of the
place. It was once called Cogawn Penardd. English
name — Headland.
Pencoed. — The name signifies a place situated at
the head of the wood. It appears that the vicinity

H7
was richly wooded in olden times. English name 
Head wood.
Penclawdd. — This place derives its name from
Pen Cae Clawdd, an old camp on the Gaer mountain,
near an old Roman road. Clawdd is a derivative of
llawdd, which signifies gladness, or what causes joy or
gladness. In ancient times a dyke (clawdd) was con
sidered as a sign of defence and safety; hence the
reason for joy. English name — Dykesend.
PoNTCLOWN. — Pont, bridge ; Clown, the name of a
brook that flows under the bridge, and empties itself
into the river Ely near Llantrisant station. Clown,
perhaps, is a corruption of clowyn, which implies a
white swelling water. English name— Whitebridge.
Pontypridd, — This town takes its name from the
unique bridge that was built across the Taff by
William Edwards in 1755. The name is an abbrevia
tion oi Pont-yr-hen-dy-pridd, which means "the bridge
near the old clay house." English name — Claybridge.
Pontrhydyfen. — Pont is clear. Some say Rhyd-y-
Waun, the meadow ford ; others think it is Rhyd Ifan,
Evan's ford ; others think it is Rhydyfon, cow's ford.
We think the original name was Pont-ar-rhyd-Afan, a
bridge on the ford of the Avan. This huge bridge was
built about the year 1826, and is 459 feet long, 75 feet
high, with four large arches. English name — Avan-
bridge, Pwll Cwm. — Pwll, a pit ; cwm, a valley ; so called
from an old coal pit that was in the place. English
name — Pitcomb.
Port Talbot. — So called in 1835 in honour of C.
R. M. Talbot, Esq., M.P., Margam Park, who is the
sole proprietor of the harbour. The name is now
being applied to the whole district.
Port Tennant. — So named in honour of H. T.
Tennant, Esq., Cadoxton Lodge, who constructed it at
his own expense in 1826.
Penmaen. — The name signifies " the head of the
rock or stone," from the situation of the place at the

148
extremity of a ridge of rocks overlooking Oxwich Bay.
English name — Rocksend.
Peterston-super-Montem. — A translation of the
Welsh Llanbedr-ar-Fynydd. The church w-as probably
dedicated to Peter le Sorre, and is situated on the
mountain. Peterston-super-Ely. — The church was probably
dedicated to Peter le Sorre, and is situated on the river
Ely. Pontlliw. — Pont, bridge ; Lliw, the name of the
rivulet that flows under the bridge, and hastens to
discharge itself into the Loughor river. Enghsh
narae — Huebridge.
Pontardulais. — The name means a bridge on the
Dulais. English name — Dulais Bridge.
Pontygwaith. — Gwaith means work. It appears
that there was an ironworks here once, and a smelting
furnace was seen here as late as the year 1850. A
bridge was probably built near the works ; hence the
name. — English name — Workbridge.
Penrhiwceiber. — Penrhiw, head of the slope;
ceiber-ceihr is probably either a contraction of ceu bren,
hollow tree ; or of ceibren, rafter, joist. Ceibren is
sometimes spelt cebr, the plural of which is ceibr or
ceibrau. English name — Woodhill.
Pantywaun. — Pant, hollow ; y, the ; waun, moun
tain raeadow. The place, as the name signifies, is
situated on a low, isolated spot on a mountain meadow.
English name — Dinglemoor.
Pexwaux. — The name signifies the head or end of
the moor or meadow. The small village lies in the
upper part of the Aberdare valley, and, like Hirwaun,
derives its name from Gwrgant's meadow. Enghsh
n ame — Moorsend .
Quaker's Yard.— Lydia Fell, a wealthy member of
the Quaker fraternity, was the owner of the northern
portion of the Llanfabon estate, and, when a burial-
place for the Quakers became a desideratum, she gave

149
a piece of land tor the purpose, which was made a
suitable repository for the dead about the year 1670 or,
1680, The village takes its name from this ancient-
burial-place. Rudry. — A corruption of Rhydri or Rhuddry. Some
think the original name was yr yw dre, the home of yew
trees, from the abundance of yew trees in the neigh
bourhood. English name — Yewham.
'Ru.Y-DYBon-RkN.—Rhyd, foird ; hoithan, a corruption
of byddin, an army. Another attempt : Boithan is a
corruption, perhaps, of hwthyn, a cottage ; the name
signifying the ford near the cottage. English name —
Armyford. Rhosily. — The right wording is Rhos Sulwy. Rhos
means a dry meadow, a plain, which was given by
Fitzhamon to Reginald de Sulwy ; hence the name.
Sily is a corruption of Sulwy. English name — Sulton.
Radir. — A small parish in which the waters of the
Taff form a cataract. Rhaiadr is the Welsh for cataract
or waterfall, and Radir, according to some, is a corrup
tion thereof. We rather think it is a contraction of
yr dr dir, the arable land. Bar, the root of hara, bread,
signifies what grows from arable land. English name —
Tillton. Rhydfelen. — The right wording is Rhydyfelin,.
signifying the ford of the mill. English name — Mill-
ford. Raven Hill. — The village was once called Fforest-
Fach, from its situation near a forest. Raven puzzles;
us. Perhaps from Nraefn, a raven, the Danish standard,
indicating the place as the abode of a Dane. There is
a farm in the vicinity called Penile' rbr ain, which signifies
the chief rendezvous of the raven tribe in the district,
and the present name is, doubtless, a translation of the
same. Rhigos. — It is spelt Regoes in ancient MSS. It
may be a compound of grug, heath, and rhos, mountain
meadow. The physical aspect of the place suggests
another derivation. Rhug, what has breaks or points;

I50
rhos, meadow ; but we rather think it is a contraction
of grugos, heath, heather ; signifying a heathy place.
The place is noted for its small batches of heath.
English name — Heathham.
Resolven. — Re, a corruption of rhiw, a slope, the
brow of a hill ; Solven, the name of the hill near which
the village is situated. Solven may be a compound of
siol, head, and maen, stone. Some think the name is a
contraction of bre soflen; which signifies the hill of
stubble, but, viewing the physical aspect of the place,
we rather think it is a corruption of rhiw sylfan ; rhiw,
slope ; sylfan, a place to gaze. English name — Hill-
view. Reynoldston. — So named in honour of Reginald
de Breos, who was once the lord of the manor, and is
said to have been the founder of the church ; Reginald,
for the sake of euphony, being changed to Reynold.
Rhondda. — In some old documents it is called
Glyn Rhondda, Glyn Rhodneu, and by some English
writers Glyn Rotheney, and Glyn Rothire. Some think
Rhondda is a corruption of Yr Honddu; hoen, com
plexion, hue; ddu, black. The valley received its
name, probably, in 877, when Roderic the Great
divided the Principality into three provinces, which
were afterwards sub-divided into cantrevs and com-
mots. English name — Blackvale.
Sketty. — An Anglicized form probably of 7s Ketti.
Maen Ketti signifies the stone of the Arkite power. The
place was called Is Ketti from its situation at the base
of the hill where Maen Ketti stands. Is means below or
under. English name — Underbill.
Skiwen. — A corruption of the Welsh Ysgawen, the
elderwood, so called from the abundance of that wood
in the neighbourhood. English name — Elderwood.
St. Ffagan. — The parish was named in honour of
Ffagan, who is recorded to have founded a church here
in the second century.
St. Bride. — Bride is probably a clipped form of
Ffraid, the saint's name to whom the church was dedi
cated ; hence the right name is St. Ffraid. According

151
to lolo Morganwg, the church was dedicated to St.
Bride, the nun, .the daughter of Dwpdagws, an Iri.sh
saint. St. Athan. — The church was built by Tathan,
son of Amwn Ddu, in the sixth century, and, according
to the " Welsh Chronicles,'' his remains were interred
here. St. Donnatt's. — Donnatt is a modification of the
Welsh Dtmawd, the saint's name to whom the pristine
church was jprobably dedicated. It was anciently
called Llanwerydd, the church being dedicated to
Gwerydd, a descendant of Bran the Blessed.
St. Hilary. — Hilary is a modified form of Elari,
the saint's name, to whom the church was dedicated.
St. Nicholas. — -The Welsh name is Llaneinydd, so
called after Einydd, the son of Morgan the Courteous,
who, it is said, built the church. Pope Nicholas Brek-
spere, according to lolo Morganwg, lived in the vicinity
in the twelfth century, when probably the present name
was given to the place.
Sully. — Abersili is the Welsh name, from its situa
tion at the mouth of the rivulet Sili, which means the
hissing water. Sully is a corruption of Sili. English
name — Hissmouth.
Skerry. — -From the Norse scar, a precipitous bank
of earth, a chff, as Scarborough and the Skerries.
English name— Cliffham.
Ton. — From a farmstead so named. Ton means
unploughed land, a grassy plot of ground. English
name — Plotham.
Treherbert. — The name was bestowed on the
place in 1851 by the Marquis of Bute in honour of
Herbert, a favourite name in the Bute family. Enghsh
name — Herbertston.
Treorky. — Orky is probably a modification of the
Welsh Gorchwy, the name of the rivulet on which this
populous place is situated. Gorch-wy signifies encom
passing or overflowing water ; or, perhaps, the root is
orch, a limit, a border. English name— Borderton.

152
Treal.4w. — This appellation was given to the place
in honour of D. Williams, Esq., whose nom-de-plume
was Alaw Goch, and on whose land the village stands.
Alaw here means a lily, a genus of plants and flowers
of man)' species. Alaw gwyn, white lily ; alaw glds, the
blue water lily. English name — Lilyton.
Treforest. — This name is derived from Craig y
Fforest, the rock of the forest, near which the village
is situated. English name — Foreston.
ToxDU. — Ton means a grassy plot of ground. Itliel
Ddu, a grandson of Morgan Hen, had a summer-house
here, called Ton Ithel Ddu. He was called ItJiel ddu,
Ithel the dark, from his very black hair and beard.
Eventually Ithel was omitted, and then the name was
contracted to Tonddu and Tondu. English name —
Blacksward. Taibach. — The name signifies " small houses," so
called from the four small thatched houses that some
time stood at the bottom of the present Water-street.
English name — Smallham or Smallton.
ToNGWYNL.-vis. — Ton, already explained ; gwynlas,
¦white and green, so called from the hue of the soil.
Some call it Tongwyrddlas, which signifies a green,
grass}- plot of ground. There is a mansion near the
village called " Green Meadow," which is an approxi
mate equivalent to the Welsh name. English name —
Green Meadow.
Taff's AVell. — So called on account of the cele
brated well that springs from the bed of the river Taff;
The village takes its name from the well. Taff is an
Anglicism ofthe AVelsh Ta/, which signifies "spread
ing." Tafwys, the AA^elsh for Thames, means the
spreading or expanding w-ater.
Talygarx. — Tal, front, end ; carn, a heap, a
prominence. English name — Browhill.
Tvthegston. — Tytheg is a modification of Tudwg,
the name of a saint w-ho flourished in the sixth century,
and to whom the church is dedicated. Llandudwg is
the Welsh name. English name — Placechurch.

153
Treharris. — This rising place was named in
honour of Mr. Harris, who opened a large colhery
here in 1873, and called it Harris's Navigation Colliery.
English name — Harriston.
Tylorstown. — So called in honour of Mr. Alfred
Tylor, who opened the first colliery here about the
year 1872.
Tonyrefail.-— To«, a green sward; yr, the; efaiU
gefail, smithy. The name signifies a smithy built upon
a green sward. A smithy has been here from time
unknown. English name — Smithham.
Troedrhiwfuwch. — Troed, foot ; rhiw, slope, hill-
brow ; fuweh, the consonant / was inserted between the
vowels w and 11 for the sake of euphony ; the correct
affix is uwch, higher. There is an old farmhouse lower
down in the valley called Troedrhiw-isaf, and the farm
¦higher up on the hill-side is called Troedrhiw-uchaf, to
distinguish it from the former. We incline to think
the village takes its name from the latter ; hence the
right wording is Troedrhiw-uchaf. English name —
Highbrow. Troedyrhiw. — This place derives its name from a
farmhouse bearing the name. It means a place situate
at the base of a hill. English name — Foothill.
TiRPHiL. — Tir, land ; Phil, an abbreviation of
Philip, the name of the then owner of the land on
which the place is situated. The village branches
into two divisions, Tir Phil in Glamorgan, and New
Tredegar in Monmouth. The Monmouth side was
called in honour of Lord Tredegar, the owner of the
land. English name — Phillipston.
Swansea. — Caer Wyr, the fortress of Gower, was
the original name of the town. It is called Abertawy
from its situation at the estuary of the Tawy river.
Tawy is a contraction of taw, silent, still, and gwy,
water, signifying the silent river. Opinions differ as to
the origin of Swansea. Hearne, in 1722, records :-—
" King Swanus, his fleet, drowned at Swenawick, alias
Swanesey {i.e., Swanus-sea)." Edmunds thinks the
name is derived from Sweyn, king of Denmark, and
conqueror of the Saxons in England, and explains it

154
thus : " Swansea, Sweyn's water or harbour." The
prevalent opinion is that the name is a modification
of swine-sea, so called on account of the number of
porpoises found in this part of the Bristol Channel.
The name has been variously spelt from time to tirae : —
In 1 1 88 it was spelt Sweynsei ; in 1234, Sweineshie ; in
1278, Sweynesheie ; in 1313, Sweyneseye ; in 1433,
Sweynesey; in 1463, Swaynesey ; in 1553, Swannesey;
in 1569, Swanesey; in 1585, Swansey ; in 1738, Swan
sea. VocHRiw. — Some are of opinion that it is the
ancient Bochrhiw-carn, which is translated in " The
Lives of British Saints," " the check on a stony road."
Others derive it from moch, pigs ; and rhiw, slope.
Viewing the physical aspect of the place, one may
be induced to derive it from moch, ready, quick, swift ;
and rhiw, slope ; signifying a steepy hill-side. Mbch-
ddwyreog, quickly rising. Some think the prefix is J6f A,
cheek, from the geographical position of the place.
Bach-rhiw, the little slope, is suggested by others as the
right etymology. English name — Steephill.
Wauxarl"wydd. — Waun, meadow; arlwydd, modem
Welsh arglwydd, a lord, a lord of the manor. Mr.
Griffiths, Bryn Dafydd, purchased a piece of land
which belonged to the lord of the manor, from which
circumstance the place was called Waunarlwydd, the
lord's meadow. Enghsh name — Lord's Meadow.
AValxut Tree Bridge. — On a well-known plot of
ground, in the place, three walnut trees had grown
near each other, and in order to facihtate the con
struction of the Taff Vale railway in the place, it was
necessary to uproot these beautiful trees and build a
bridge on the spot ; hence the name.
AA'envoe. — A corruption of Gwynfa, which signifies
white or blessed land. Gwyn, white ; fa-mai, a fair
region. Enghsh name — Whitland.
AV.auntrodau. — Waun, a meadow; trodau is per
plexing. Some think it is a corruption of Ty Rhoda,
the house of Rhoda. Others say it is a corruption of
trotian, to trot, to go on trot ; trodi, to journey. Others

155
think the name is a contraction of Gwauntroedyda, ^vhich
signifies the meadow where traces of cows' feet were
visible. In support of the first derivation, it is certified
that an old house called Castell Rhode, Rhode's castle,
once stood in the place. English name — Moorton.
AVicK. — An Anglicized form of the Welsh Wig, a
wood. The place was once called Y Wig Fawr, the
great wood, which implies that the locality was some
time thickly wooded. English name — Woodham.
Walterston, — So called in honour of Walter de
Mapres, son of Blondel de Mapres, who is supposed to
have been the founder of the place.
Ystrad Owen. — Prince Owen, the son of Morgan
Hen, the king of Glamorgan, took up his abode in this
parish, and his remains were consigned to their last
resting-place here in the year 987 ; hence the name.
English name — Owenston.
A'stalyfera. — Ys, the ; tal, front, end ; y, the ; fera-
bera, a pyramid, a stack of corn or hay ; signifying the
end ofthe rick. Or, perhaps the prefix is ystnl, a stock
or produce, a stall. English name — Stallton.
Ynyspenllwch. — Ynys, island ; pen, head ; llwch,
lake ; signifying a place at the head of a lake. It
appears that the vale was once studded with many
lakes. English name — Lakesend.
Ynyslwyd. — So called from a cottage bearing the
name, situate on the river Cynon. Some say it is
Ynys y tywod llwyd, an island on grey sands. English
name — Grejdiam .
Ynyshir. — So named after a farmstead of the name.
It means long island. English name— Longtown.
Ystradyfodwg. — The Parish Church was dedi
cated to Tyfodwg ab Givilfyiv, a saint of the sixth
century. Enghsh name— Tyvodwg.
Ynysyhwl, — A corruption, perhaps, of Ynys-y-ptcll,
the island near the pit ; or, perhaps, the suffix is picl,
unprofitable. A\'e are inclined to think the right
wording is Ynys-y-bel, which signifies the ball-meadow.
It was in olden times a famous rendezvous for ball
players. English name — Bailton.

156

MERIONETHSHIRE.
The county takes its name from the old cantrev of
Meirion, so called in honour of Meirion, grandson of
Cunedda \Aledig. The affix eth is a modification of the
A\'elsh ydd, a particle denoting agency or personality.
It is the only Northern county that has kept its original
name. Aberdvfi. — So called from its situation at the
mouth of the river Dyfi. Some think Dyfi means
smooth w^ater, and that the right wording is Dofwy,
the tame or smooth water. Others think it is Dyfnwy,
the deep river. AA'e adopt the former, English name —
Smoothton. Arthog. — The right word is Garthog, mountainous,
hilly; the little village is embosomed between rugged
mountains. English name — Hillyham.
Aberwyxolwvn, — Gwynolgwyn is probably a corrup
tion of GiiJcrnol-wy . The river is called Gwernol, and has
its source in Gwernol's Well, Gwernol, swamp}-, boggy;
and wy, water. English name — Bogmouth.
Abercyvvarch. — A small place situated at the
mouth of the river . Cywarch. Perhaps cywarch is a
mutation of cawcrch ; caw, moveable, swift ; and erch,
terrible, rushing ; signifying a swift and terrible water.
English name — Rushmouth.
Abercorus. — The rivulet was called Corns from its
making round excavations in the angles of its banks.
English name — Breakmouth.
Aberdysyxi. — Dr. Pughe thinks the name of the
rivulet (Dysini) means a sonorous water. AVe are
inclined to think it has a contrary signification, and
that the etymology is di-swn-wy, the noiseless water.
English name — Silenton.
Bala. — The name seems to be derived from bah, to
shoot, or issue forth. Bala coed, the budding or blossom
of trees. Bala llyn, the outlet or efflux of a lake. It
is cognate with Balloch, in Scotland. The town is

157
situated at the effluence of Llyn Tcgid, the lake of
Tegid. The lake was so called from the following
circumstance :—" Tegid, the son of Baran, was a wise
king and a good bard. He enacted excellent regula
tions for literature ; restored ancient learning, which
had nearly become lost ; and instituted a council of
bards and Druids, as of old. He continued at war
with his enemies, but they took him at last, through
treachery, and drowned him in the great lake, called
from that circumstance Llyn Tegid (Tegid's lake), in
Gwynedd."— {" lolo MSS.," p. 346.) Enghsh name —
Outlake. Barmouth.— An Anghcized fonn of the AA'elsh
name, Abermaw, which signifies a place situated at the
mouth of the river Maw. Bar is a modification of Aher,
and mouth of Maw, or Mawddwy. Maw means broad,
expanding. Mawddach, according to Dr. Owen Pughe,
means overflowing water. " Oedd maw ei rhydau," broad
were its fords. 'The Anglicized name was adopted in
1768 by the seafaring fraternity in order to have an
English name inscribed upon the vessels. English
name — Broadmouth.
Bryn y Crug. — Bryn, a hill ; y, the ; crng, a heap ;
signifying a heap on a hill. English name — Heaphill.
Carrog. — From carog, which signifies a torrent or
brook. English name — Brookby.
Cwm Prysor. — Cwm, valle}- ; Prysor seems to be
derived from prysu, to form a resort or covert. The
name is quite descriptive of this deep and solitary vale,
in which the ruins of Castle Prysor are still visible.
English name — Covertham.
Ceinog. — The root is cain, clear, bright, fair. The
name was given to the place, probably, on account of
the beautiful views it commands. English name —
Brightham. CoRWEN.— Some derive the name from Coru'ena,.
the name of the mother of Bran and Belli, twin
brothers. Others derive it from Corvaen, wdiich implies
a stone in a circle. Others think it is a mutation of
Caer Owain. History tells us that the place is famous

I5S
for being the rendezvous where the AVelsh assembled
about the year 1163, under their valiant leader, Owen
Gwynedd, against Henry II. , and also for being the
place of encampment of Owain Glyndwr when he
defended his country against Henry IV. We incline
to think the name retains its primitive form ; hence
it means the white choir or church. English name —
Whitchurch. Cwmorthin. — A corruption probably of Cwm-cerih-
hin. Cwm, valley ; certh, awful, dangerous ; hin, the
weather. The name is quite descriptive of the
physical aspect of this deep valley. English name —
Perilton. Cymerau. — The root is cymer, the union of two
rivers. The place is situated near the confluence of
the rivers Erch and Heli. English name — Biwater.
Cynwyd. — The name, which signifies primary evil,
or mischief, was probably derived from Cynwyd ab
Cynwydion, once a very powerful prince in Edeyrnion,
but spent the latter end of his life in hermitage.
English name — Primeill.
Doldrewin. — Some are of opinion that the name
refers to the druidical circles, remains of which are
now seen in the village. Dol, a meadow ; drewin, a
corruption oi derwydd, a druid. English name — Druid's
Meadow. Derwen l^As. — Derwen, an oak; las-glas, green.
English name — Greenoak.
DoLGELLEY. — Dol, a mcadow, a plain, dale ; gelley
is derived by some from celli, a grove. The name is
quite in correspondence with the physical aspect of the
town, which is situate in a fertile vale between the
rivers Aran and Wnion, and surrounded on all sides by
lofty and thickly-wooded mountains. We rather think
that gelley is a corruption of collen, hazel-tree, from the
abundance of hazel-wood in the district. English
name — Hazeldale.
Dinas Mawddwy. — A small place, although digni
fied with the name dinas, a city. In olden times it was
the capital of an extensive lordship, preserving the

159
insignia of power, the stocks and whipping-post, the
feg fawr, or great fetter, the mace, and standard
measure. Mawddwy, broad water. English name 
Broadwater. Dugoed. — Du, black ; goed-coed, wood. English
name — Blackwood.
Ffestiniog. — Edmunds derives the name from
mesen, an acorn, and wg, a district. Others derive it
from the Latin Festino, which, it is supposed, was
bestowed upon it by the Romans when they took up
their abode here. Dr. O. Pughe traces it to the Welsh
ffestinio, to hasten. The pedestrian was obliged to
hasten through the place if he destined to cross the
mountains and reach Bala or Ysbytty ere being
enveloped in darkness. We rather think the name is
allied with penffestin, a helmet. Penffestiniog , wearing a
helmet. The name, therefore, implies a district possess
ing fortified places. English name — Helmetton.
Glyndyfrdwy. — Glyn, glen ; dyfrdwy, the name of
the river that flows through it Various explanations
have been given of Dyfrdwy. Some derive it from
dwfr-dwy-afon, the water of two rivers ; others maintain
it is a mutation of dwfr-du, black water ; according to
others it is a corruption of Dwrdd-gwy, the roaring
water. Another derivation is y drydedd wy, the third
river : Cynwy (Conway), being the first river ; Elwy, the
second river ; and Drydwy, the third river from Arvon
to England that emptied themselves into the sea before
reaching Chester. The most popular derivation is
dyfr-dwy (f), the goddess' water, or the water of the
divinity, from the supposition that its waters were
held in superstitious veneration by the Kymry. English
name — Glendee.
GwYDDELWERN. — Gwyddcl, a man of the woods ;
gwern, alder trees. Alder wood, perchance, abounded
in the district, and the early inhabitants probably were
obliged to build their hut-homes in the woods. Or,
perhaps, it means the alders of the Irish, indicating the
place where a band of Irishmen were defeated. Dr. O.
Pughe translates the word thus : " A moor or
meadow overgrown with bushes," which signification

i6o
tallies well with the bushy aspect of the place. We
also find Y Wern Ddu, black moor, and Ty'nywern, the
house on the moor, in the district. English name —
Bushland. Harlech. — In ancient times the castle was known
by the names of Twr Bronwen, Bronwen's Tower, from
Bronwen, the AVhite-necked, sister to Bran ap Llyr,
king of Britain ; and Caer Collwyn, from Collwyn ap
Tango, one of the fifteen tribes of North Wales, and
lord of Eifionydd, Ardudwy, and part of Lleyn. When
Edward I. built the present castle it was denominated,
according to some, Arlech, from its situation on the
rock, or Harddlech, the fair or fine rock or stone. The
county is exceedingly rich in cromlechs and fine stone
monuments. A traveller, in climbing an adjacent hill,
may observe several meini hirion, and circles formed of
large common pebble-stones. English name — Beau-
rock. Llandanwg. — From Tanwg, son of Ithel Hael, and
a saint of the sixth century. Tanwg means lowland.
English name — Downchurch.
Llaxdecwyx. — From Tecwyn, son of Ithel Hael,
and a saint of the sixth century. Two lakes in the
parish, Tecwyn Ucha and Tecwyn Isa, bear his name.
Some derive tecwyn thus — teg, iar ; gwyn, white, lovely.
Llyn Tecwyn is near the village, whose waters are of
crystalline clearness. English name — Fairchurch.
Llaxdrixio. — Trinio, a descendant of Emyr
Llydaw, is supposed to have been the founder of the
church. Trinio probably comes from trin, which
means a battle or combat ; trinio, to meddle, to manage.
English name — Strifeton.
Llaxddwywe. — From Dwywau, a descendant of
Emyr Llydaw, and a saint of the sixth century.
English name — Bichurch.
Llaxfihaxgel-y-Traethau. — The Parish Church
is dedicated to St. Michael, and is situated near the
two beaches, called Y Traeth Bach and Traeth Mawr.
English name — Beachton.

i6i
Llanfor. — Some think the church is dedicated to
Mor Meirion. The right wording, perhaps, is Llanfawr,
the great church. English name — Bigchurch.
Llangar. — The right word probably is Llangaer,
which means the fortress church. The church is built
near an ancient fortress called Caerwem ; hence the
name. English name — Forton.
Llangower. — Gower is a corruption of Gicaur, the
mother of Llywarch Hen, and a saint, to whom the
church is dedicated. Englisli name — Dawnton.
Llanuwchllyn. — The name indicates a church
above the lake. The \'illage is situated on the Dee a
short distance above Tegid lake. English name —
Lakechurch. Llandderfel. — From Derfel Gadarn, a celebrated
wartior in the sixth centurjf. The church was remark
able for a vast wooden image of Derfel, which was the
subject of much superstition in olden times. English
name — Dervelton .
Llaxdrillo. — From Trillo, son of Ithel Hael.
Trillo's A\ell is near the village. English name —
Trilchurch. Llanfrothex. — From Brothcn, son of Ilelig ab
Glanawg, and a popular saint of the sixth century.
English name — Brothenton.
Llangelyxin. — From Celynin, son of Helig ab
Glanawg. English name — Hollyton.
Llanegryx. — Egryn, a saint of the seventh cen
tury, is supposed to have founded the church. Englisli
name — Fearton.
Llaxwrix. — From Gwrhin, son of C\-nddilig. a
supposed saint of the sixth centur\ . English name —
Manby. Llanelltyd.— From Illtyd, one of the most cele
brated of the Welsh saints. English name— Iltutus.
Llanferin. — Merin. a descendant of Seithen}n, is
recorded to ha\e been the founder of the church.
English name — Merinton.
II

l62
Llaxbedr. — The church is dedicated lo S:. Peter.
This neighbourhood, according to some iiistorians,
forms a part oiCar.rnf y Gu.j;'.:i, the lowland hundred.
Enghsh name — Peterschurch..
Llaxaber. — The church stands on the south
extremity of the plain of Ardudwy-. within about a
furloniT firom the sea. English name — Seaion.
Llaxymawddwy. — The church and village are
situated at the base oi Aran Fju-JJ::;. . English name —
Broadwaier. Llaxycil. — The name indicates a church built in
a sequestered place. Enghsh name — Nookchurch.
Llaxerchfydda. — Fydjj is probably a corruption
oibyjj, a beehive. The name indicates a noted place
for bees. EngUsh name — Beesham.
Llwyx. — A -vdllage in the parish of Llan^ryn.
The name means a bush. English name — Bushton.
Llwyxgw-ril. — LInyii. bush: s--./;'.". perhaps an
abbreviation of garijJ, a heroic act, a combat. Some
remains of druidical circles and of an old encampment
are still ¦visible in the parish. English name — Braveton.
!Maextwrog. — So called firom the memor'al stone
of Tu r:g. a celebrated British saint of the fifth century,
which StiU remains at one angle of the ch"jrch. English
name — Towerston.
Mallwyd. — Tills place derives its name firom maen,
a stone, and lltiyd, grey. A Druidic monument is
supposed to have been here ; whence came the name.
Some think the name is a compound of ;i.-.JB-i7u'yi, the
grey district : so caUed probably- firom the appearance
of the mountains. EngUsh name — Grevstone.
Naxxau. — A compound of nant, a brook, and au, a
plural termination. The f is dropped and ff substituted
for the sake of euphony. Englidi name — Brooks, or
Brookton. Pexrhyxdeudraeth. — Penrhyn, headland : djiti,
two ; trj/t/i , beach, seashore. The headland projects
into the Tremadoc Bay, between the Traeth Mawr and
the Traeth Bach. EngUsh name — Beachham.

1 63
Peniarth. — The right wording is probably Peny
garth, which means hill-top, from the village being
situate on a part of the Cader Idris range. English
name — Hilltop.
Pandy'r Capel. — Pandy means a fulling-mill, which
was situated near what is supposed to have been some
time a Roman Catholic Chapel. Enghsh name — Mill-
chapel. Pennal. — A compound of Pen, head, top, and al, a
partition, a fence, a defence. The village lies on the
old Roman road called " Sarn Helen," Helen's cause
way, and it is supposed that the Romans had a station
here. English name — Fenceton.
Rhyderin. — Rhyd, a ford ; erin, a corruption of
gerwin, rough. The name is derived from a rough and
perilous ford across the Dysyni river. The etymology
oiDysyni is di-swn-wy, noiseless water. English name —
Roughford. Rhydonen. — Rhyd, a ford; onen, the ash tree.
English name — Ashford.
Rhyduchaf. — The name signifies the highest ford.
English name — Highford.
Rhiwaedog. — Rhiw, slope, the brow of a hill ;
gwaedog, bloody ; so called from a battle that was
fought here at some remote period. A small lake in
the district is called Pwll y Gelanedd, the pool of
slaughter. English name — Battle Hill.
Saeth Marchog. — In this place Owen Gwynedd
is supposed to have surprised Reginald de Grey and
seven knights (Saith Marchog) in his train ; hence the
right wording is Saith Marchog, and its English name is
Seven Knights.
TowYN. — Edmunds derives the name from twyn, a
a curved hillock or bank ; but we think the right word
is Tywyn, .which is. derived from tywodyn,. sand; hence
the name signifies a place of sands. The village is
situate near the seashore, and is celebrated as a
beautiful bathing-place. Enghsh name— Sandham.

164
Trawsfynydd. — Traws, across ; mynydd, a moun
tain. The name indicates a place situate on the side of
a mountain. English name — Mountham.
Talsarnau. — Tal, front ; sarnau, causeways, roads.
English name — Roadsend.
Talyllyn. — The name signifies " the end or head
of the lake," from the situation of its church at the
head of a beatiful lake called Llyn Mynydd. English
name — Lakend.
Tanygrisiau. — Tan, under, below ; y, the ; grisiau,
steps, stairs. In coming down from Cwmorthin to
Dolredyn, the pedestrians used to descend over a
series of steps raade of stones, called Grisiau Mawr,
great steps ; and, on account of the village lying
below these steps, it was called Tanygrisiau. English
name — Stepton.

MONMOUTHSHIRE.
Monmouthshire, although incorporated with
England in 1535 by Henry VIIL, and included in the
Oxford circuit, is still considered by a great majority
of the population as a AVelsh county to all intents and
purposes. The law asserts its separation from Wales,
but Welsh patriotism still owns it as a near relation,
as is expressly shown in the conventional term,
" Wales and Monmouthshire." The county takes
its name from its capital town, which was once
called Abermynwy, from its situation at the mouth
of the river Monnow or Mynwy. The prefix of the
river-name is perplexing. Some think it is main,
slender, small ; the name, therefore, signifying a
small or narrow current of water. " Dwfr yn rhedeg
yn fdin," water running in a small current. Menai is
probably main-wy, narrow water. It may be a corrup
tion oi mawn, peat, turi; mawndir, peat land; mawn-wy,
a river running through peat}' soil. Viewing the course
of the river one might think the root is tntn, an edge, a
margin ; the name, therefore, means border-water. The

i65
river flows between the counties of Monmouth and
Hereford. We rather think the right wording is
myntc-wy : niynw. quick, active ; the name signifying
the brisk or livel}- water,
Aberbig. — Aber, estuar\- ; big-pig, a slender, narrow
thing : or pei'haps the suffix is a contraction of pygwy,
tar, a liquid pitcli, in allusion to the hue of the water.
W'e are inclined to think the name in its pristine form
V!&s .4ber-byga : byg.i. a point. The two valleys, Ebbw-
and Nantyglo, meet here in a point. English name —
Pointham. Abercakx. — The river-name cjm, a hoof, is a
descriptive term, showing the semi-circular tum of
the river, like that of a horse's hoof. C.ini it ebol,
colt"s foot. English name — H cotton.
Abergavexxy. — Flavel Edmunds derives Gaventiy,
the river-name, fi'om ^"u ;r. water, and vc!i!:y from fvuy.id,
mountain ; hence the mount.iin water. It is generally
called b}' AVelshmen Y Fcuni, which induces some to
think the name in its original form was miii-ay, the
active water, W'e ratlier thmk the name is a compound
of f^/«, ridge, and cf'M'- ^vater, denoting a river having
its source in high places. This eix-molog}' is supported
by the fact tliat this small stream rises on a ridge
where some of the water runs in the direction of Crick-
hcwell and some in the direction of Abergavenny. The
town is almost encircled b\- ridges and mountains.
Englisli name — Ridgeton.
Abersychax, — Sycku! is the name of the rividet
that joins tlie Afon Lwyd at the place. Sych. dr}- ;
m-ain, a stream of -water, a brook. We find a brook
called SychryJ in Breconshire. and also H^psre, whicli is
probabl} a coiTuption of Hes,^-j!t, ^\¦ater that dries up.
We have also Havcsf; hif, summer; hesp, dr\-. In
summer time the channels' of these rivulets di-}- up ;
hence the name. English name — Dr\-mouth.
Abertillery. — TiUery is the name of the river tliat
flo-w-s tlirough the place.' Til imphes a small thing;
air, clear, bright : j;f.:v, water ; the name, according to
this derivation, sicrniries the mouth of the small clear

1 66
river. Another attempt : Tel, implying straight ; llerw,
soft, smooth ; gwy, water. We are induced to think
the name is a compound of telor, warbler, and gwy,
water ; signifying the warbling river. English name —
Warbleton. Argoed. — A contraction of ar-y-coed, signifying a
place situated on or above a wood. Dr. O. Pughe
says camps were fortified, 'on emergencies, by felling
trees to surround them, and one so constructed was
called Argoed. It is cognate with Arghait in Scotland.
English name — Upwood.
Bassaleg. — Many conjectures have been pro
pounded as to the origin of this name Nennius and
others think it means Maes Aleg, the field of Alectus,
signifying elect-land, Aleg being a Welshism of Alectus.
It is supposed that here the famous Myrddin was
discovered by the messengers of King Gwrtheym.
About a mile from the village there is a circular
entrenchment supposed to have been a Saxon camp.
Some think the correct wording is Baes-Aleg ; baes-bais,
flats or shallows, a ford ; Aleg, a contraction of
Alexander. It is, according to some, a corruption of
maes-yr-helyg, the field of the willows, from the abund
ance of willow-trees in the vicinity. In the middle
ages there was a priory here dedicated to St. Basil,
which was a cell in connection with Glastonbury
Abbey. The name of the priory m full was probably
Basili Eeclisia, the church of Basil. The name was
ultimately contracted into Basil-eec, and further cor
rupted into Bassilech and Bassaleg. The parish church
is dedicated to St. Basil. Basil-ece is identical in
meaning with Llanbasil. English name — Basilchurch
or Basilton. Bedwas. — Some derive the name from St. Bedwas,
one of the twelve sons of Helig ab Glanawg. We are
inclined to derive it from bedw, birch ; and as, a plain
surface ; signifying a place of birch-trees, English
name — Birchton.
Blaenavon. — Blaen here means the source of the
river; Avon, river. This place is situated near the

167
source of the river Llwyd ; hence the name. Enghsh
name — Springton.
Blaixa.— A shght mutation oi Blaenau, plural form
of blaen, source. Blaenau afonydd, the sources of rivers.
The name signifies a place where several streams of
water commence their sea-ward journey. English
name — Springston.
Bryngwyn.— The correct wording, perhaps, is
Brein Gwyn, the supreme or royal tribunal. AVe do
not know of any vestige of this royal court, but a
British camp called " The Camp Hill " is in the
parish. English name — Rexhill.
Bwlch Trewyn. — Bwlch, a break or breach, a
gap ; generally applied to places where mountains
terminate, and form a pass ; Trewyn, leading awa}-,
persuasion. English name — Passton.
Caergwent. — Cn«;', fortified wall, camp ; gwent, a
fair or open region. The name Gwent in ancient times
comprehended portions of the counties of Gloucester,
Hereford, and Monmouth ; and Caergwent, or the
A'enta Silurum of the Romans, was the capital ; but
now it is confined to the county of Monmouth.
Enghsh name — Campton.
Caerleon. — Caer, already explained ; lleon, legion.
It is generally believed that the Roman station of the
Second Augustan Legion was situated here, which was
then called Isca Silurum. The Silures occupied the
eastern half of the country between the lower course of
the Severn and Cardigan Bay, and Isca was the
reputed seat of Caractacus when leader of the Silures.
Isca is the Latin for Wysg or Usk. The Second
Legion was permanently posted here under the com
mand of Vespasian, hence the name Caerlleon ar Wysg,
the Camp of the Legion on the Usk. English name —
Legionton. Caldicot. — Some think the right wording is Gal-
digoed ; gal, a plain ; digoed, woodless ; signifying a
woodless region. Others derive it from Cil-dy-coed, a
house of retreat in the woods. Isaac Taylor derives it

i68
from " cold cot.'" Gal was in ancient times used to
denote a goal or station ; di-ty, a house ; cot, a contrac
tion of coed, wood, and is found in many place-names,
as Mancot, &c. This wood-house may have been a
station or place of entertainment to receive the way
farers in time of yore, before the Roman stations and
villas were reared on British soil. English name —
Woodham. Casbach. — A contraction of Castell-hach, little castle.
It was anciently called Castell Gwgan, the castle of
Gwgan. Gwgan was a brave warrior, and is supposed
to have built a castle here in the seventh century,
which was rebuilt soon after the Norman Conquest,
but of which very few, if any, vestiges now remain.
English name — Castleton.
Casgwent. — A contraction of Castell Gwent, the
castle of Gwent. The old castle is still here, and
special attention is paid by visitors to the tower where
Henry Marten was incarcerated for upwards of twenty
years for his conspiracy against Charles I. Notable are
his last written words : — " Care not how you end, but
how you spend your days." English name — Castleby.
Casnewydd. — A contraction of Castell-newydd-ar-
Wysg, the new castle on the Usk. Giraldus Cam-
brensis calls it Novus Burgus, the new town or borough,
in contradistinction from Caerleon, the old Roman port
of Isca Silurum. It was also called Castell Newydd, or
Newcastle, in honour of Robert, Earl of Gloucester,
son of Henry I., who built a castle here to defend his
possessions. In the " AVelsh Triads " this ancient port
was called Ysgewin, elder wood, and was considered
as one of the " three privileged ports of the Isle of
Britain." English Name — Newcastle.
Chapel Hill. — So called from the dedication of
an ancient chapel in the parish to St. Ann.
Chepstow.— The ancient Welsh name was Castell
Gwent, the castle oiGvient. (See Casgwent.) The present
name is a compound of ceap, price or sale ; and stowe,
stoc, a stockaded place. Many English place-names
are derived from the root ceap, and they indicate early

ibg
seats of commercial activity, as Cheapside, Chipping-
ham, &c. Chipping was the old English term for a
market-place, which in Wickliffe's time was spelt
chepinge. " They ben like children sitting in chepinge
and spekinge togidre." (Wickliffe's translation df
Luke vii., 32.) Cheapside and Eastcheap occupy the
sites of the two chief centres of trade in London in
olden times.
Coed-duon. — Coed, wood ; duon, plural oi du, black.
The English generally put the adjective before the
noun, hence we have Blackwood, but the Welsh usage
is vice-versa ; hence Coed-duon. A local gentleman once
endeavoured to bestow his own name upon the place,
and call it Moggridgeton. He persisted in calling it
after the self-made name for some time, but the
inhabitants clung tenaciously to the old name, and
have done so ever since.
Cross Keys. — This village takes its name from a
public-house so named. The " Cross Keys," common
in the mediaeval ages, is in allusion to St. Peter, or one
of the bishops, whose cognomen it was — probably the
lord of the manor, or the patron saint of the parish
church. Crumlin. — A compound of crwm, bending, crooked ;
and Ihm, a form, a shape ; probably from the meander
ing course of the river in this picturesque part of the
valley. Leland spells it Cremline, a little brook. Some
derive it from crwm-lyn, crooked lake, from the con
figuration of the valley, in which, probably, there was
a lake in time of yore. English name — Crookton.
Cwmavon. — Cwm, valley ; afon, the river Llwyd,
which runs through the place. English name —
Rivervale. Cwmbran. — Cwm, valley ; Brdn, the name of the
first British Christian. We find Bran in mountain and
river names, as Dinas Bran, Brandon Hill, Aberbran,
Glanbran, &c. The root is brean, which signifies the
mountain brook ; bre, mountain ; an-ain, brook. It
remains intact in Brean Down,, and we have variations

170
of it in Braintree, Brentford, Brentry, &c. English
name — Brookvale.
CwMSYFiOG. — From a farm so called. Cwm, valley ;
syfiog, abounding with strawberries. English name —
Berryvale. Cymmerau. — This name is the plural form oi cymer.
Cyd-mer, the union of two waters. The confluence of
the Erch and Heli in Eifionydd is called Cymmerau.
English name — \\'aterby.
Ebbw Vale. — An Anglicized form of the Welsh
name Glyn Ebbwy. Glyn, a deep vale through which a
river flows ; Ebbwy, from eb, an issuing out ; and gwy,
water, a river. Ebrill, April, from the springing up of
herbs and flowers. Eppil, progeny ; eh efe, says he.
The original name was Penycae, the upper part of the
field, from an old farmhouse so named, upon which the
works were built. English name — Exvale.
Fleur-de-Lis. — The Welsh name of the place is
Trelyn, a place on or near a lake, which was bestowed
upon it as a mark of respect to the Welsh idiosyn
crasies of Lady Llanover. The present name was
taken from a brew-ery which stands at the lower end of
the valley. It is a French name signifying " flower of
the lily," the royal insignia of France. English name--
Lily ton .
Gellygroes. — A compound of gelly, grove ; and
groes, cross. English name — Crossgrove.
Gilwerx. — A compound of eil, a sequestered
place ; and gwern, a bog, a meadow. English name —
Bogton. Glas-goed. — Glas, green ; coed, wood. Glasgow is
probabl}' a corruption of this name. Greenock is the
name of the port of Glasgow, the prefix being a literal
translation from that of the city. English name —
Greenwood. GoLDCLiFF. — In this parish there is a peninsulated
rocky hill, rising abruptly from the sea to the height of
about sixty feet. It consists of limestone lying horizon
tally, intersected with siUcious crystallizations, above

171
an immense bed of mica. The glistening of this
substance when the sun shines upon it is supposed
to have given it its present appellation.
GoviLON. — Several derivations are given to this
place-name. Some derive it from " Gafael loan,"
John's holding. Gafael means the share which each
brother held in their father's land however numerous
the brothers were. Gafael cenedl, the hold or tenure of
a family. There is a tradition in the neighbourhood
that a considerable part of the district was owned at
one time by twin-brothets, and that the part now
called Govilon was John's portion ; hence Gafael loan.
We rather think the name is derived from the plural
form of gefail or gofail, smithy. In olden times, before
the construction of railways and canals, when almost
everything, especially coal and lime, was carried on pack
horses and mules to Abergavenny, Hereford, Brecon,
&c., there were many " smithies " in the immediate
locality, the chief work at which was shoeing horses
and mules. The place is also called after that of the
parish, Llanwenarth, ; Llan, church ; given, feminine form
of givyn, white ; arth-garth, a promontory, a ridge.
English name — Smithby.
Goytre. — A compound of coed, wood ; tref, a
dwelling ; signifying either a dwelling in a wood, or a
house built of wood. English name — Woodham.
Griffithstown. — This village was named after a
Mr. Griffiths, who now resides in the place.
Grosmont. — This name signifies a mount marked
by a cross. English name — Crossmount.
Heni.lvs. — Hen, old, ancient ; llys, a court, a hall,
a palace. Various courts (llysoedd) were held in olden
times called Llys y brenin, the king's court ; llys benadur,
the principal court ; llys hreyr, a court baron ; henllys,
old court. English name — Oldcourt.
Kemeys. — A gross mutilation of Cemaes, which is a
compound of cefn, ridge, high ; and maes, a field ;
signifying a high place forming a vantage ground for
mihtary operations. English name — Highfield.

172
Llaxarth. — A compound of llan, church ; and
garth, a promontory, a ridge ; signifying a church built
on a high place. English name — Hillchurch.
Llaxbadoc. — A corruption of Llanfadog, from the
dedication of the church to St. Madog. Madog is
derived from mad, a good, a benefit. Madog, goodly.
English name — Goodchurch.
Llandegfeth. — From the church being dedicated
to St. Tegwedd. Tegwedd signifies one of a noble
appearance. English name-— Nobleton.
Llaxdogo. — Dogo is a corruption of Odoceus, the
name of the saint to whom the church is dedicated.
English name — Odoceus.
Llanddewi Rhydderch. — The church was built
or founded by Rhydderch, Richard, one of the three
generous princes of Britain, and dedicated to St.
David. English name — Richardston.
Llanellen. — From the church being dedicated to
St. Ellen. English name — Ellenston.
Llanfaches. — From Maches, a saint of the sixth
century, and a daughter of Gwynlliw Filwr, who
suffered martyrdom here at the hands of the Saxons.
Mach means a bail, a surety. English name — Bailton.
Llanfair Discoed. — The church is dedicated to
St. Mary, and is situated is-y-coed, below the w-ood ;
hence the name. Dis, as a prefix, sometimes implies
privation or negation, and is equivalent to the English
im and un ; so if discoed be the right wording, the name
signifies the church of St. Mary in a woodless place.
English name — Maryston.
Llaxfapley. — The name signifies a church dedi
cated to Fabiali, son of Brychan Brycheiniog. English
name — Fabialton.
Llanfethrin. — A corruption of Llan-G'wytherin,
the church being dedicated to St. Gwytherin. Guytherin
means golden vein, or the bright or splendid vein.
English name — Brightchurch.

173
Llanfihangel Crucorney. — Llanfihangel, St.
Michael's church ; crug-craig, rock ; corn, horn ; and
gwy, water ; the name signifying a church built on
an elevated place on the horn of the water. The
village is situated on the river Monnow, overshadowed
by the mountain Skyrrid Fawr. English name —
Cragton. Llanfihangel - near Usk. — Llanfihangel, St.
Michael's church. The place is situated about six
miles north-west from the town of Usk. The river
Usk forms the boundary of the parish on the south.
English name — St. Michael-near- 'Usk.
Llanfoist. — Foist is probably a corruption oi Faith.
Llanfey, Pembroke, according to some, is Llanyffydd,
Fanum Fidei, the church of the Faith. It is spelt in
some ancient documents Llanfaith and Llanfeth. lago-
Emlyn thinks that the Normans translated it into-
Llanfoi, foi being French for faith. If so, it may easily
have been changed into Llanfey, Lamphey, and Llan
foist. English name — Faithchurch.
Llangattwg-Llingoed. — The church is dedicated
St, Cattwg. Llingoed may be a compound of Hi, stream ;
yn, the ; coed, wood ; signifying a stream in the wood.
Or the prefix may be llain, a slip or long narrow place ;
llain 0 dir, a slip of land ; the name, therefore, signify
ing St. Cadoc's church on a narrow field near the
wood. We adopt the former. English name —
Streamwood. Llangwm. — The name signifies a church in the-
combe or yale. English narne — Churchvale.
Llangybi. — From the dedication of the church to^
St. Cybi. English name— Kybi's Church.
Llanhiddel.— Some are of the opinion that the
church takes its name from Ithel, King of Gwent, who-
was slain in battle in 846; but we rather think that
Hiddel is a barbaric transposition of Elltyd or Illtyd,
Ihutus, the patron saint of the church. Elltyd means-
an alien, a stranger. EngUsh name— Alienton.
Llan MARTIN. —From the dedication of the church
to St. Martin. English name— Martinton.

174
Llanover. — The correct spelling of the suffix is
gover, which means a small current, a stream that runs
out of a spring. Gofer ffynon, the rivulet of a well.
There are nine springs in the park called Ffynon Ofor,
Gover Well. English name — Streamton.
Llaxtarnam. — Tarnam is a corrupted form of
Torfaen, breaker of stones, the original name it is said
of the river Llwyd. The church, situated not far
from the banks of this torrent, was called from its
geographical position, Llantorfaen, afterwards corrupted
into Llantarnam. Some derive it from Llan-tor-Nonn,
the church on the hill dedicated to Nonn, the mother
of St. David. We adopt the former. EngUsh name —
Breakstone. Llantillio-Crosseny. — Tillio is a corruption of
Teilo, the celebrated saint to whom the church is
dedicated. Crossenny or Croes-senw, means a cross of
honour- " Enw heh senw," a name without dignity.
English name — Crossby.
Llanthony.— A contracted form of Llanddewi Nant
Honddu. The ancient chapel or church was dedicated
to St. David, and erected near the brook Honddu. The
monastery was established here in 1107 under the
patronage of Walter de Lacey, Earl of Hereford,
Henry I., Empress Maude, and others. EngUsh
name — Blackbrook.
Llaxwern. — The name signifies a church among
the alder-trees. English name — Alderchurch.
Machen. — A compound of mach, a high ridge, a
barrier, a place of defence ; and ain, water. AVe find
magh as a prefix in more than a hundred Irish names,
as Magh-Era, &c., and as a suffix in Armagh, &c. If
we take mach as signifying a place of defence or surety,
the verb mecAnio, to become surety, strengthens the
above derivation. The name, therefore, signifies a
place of safety near or on the water. English name —
Safeton. Maesycwmmer. — Some spell the latter portion of
the name as cwmmwr, which in this district means any
kind of a bridge to cross the river. " Myn'd dros y

175
cwmmwr," crossing by means of the wooden brid^-e.
The correct wording probably is Mdis-y-cynmur. Mac's,
a field ; y, the ; cyifuner, a confluence of waters. English
name — Watertieid.
Magor. — A corruption of Mit.g-wyr. which signifies
the remains or ruins of a demolished or decav ed build
ing, fortress, &c. Hen figwyr, an old building or toft of
a house. ".1 byddwch fel magwyr cs^wyddeJig." "As a
bowing wall shall ye be.' The place takes its name
firom an old ruin covered with ivv. Eni:;lish name —
Wallhani. Maixdv. — Some derive the name from maen-du,
which signifies the black stone or rock. We rather
think it is a compound of n-.a^n, stone; and ty, house;
signifying a house made of stones, in contraclistinction
from cc<:d-dy, wood-house. English name — Stoneham.
Malpas. — This is one of the few- Nonnan-French
names that remind us of the conquest. It signifies a
bad frontier pass, from malus, bad ; and /ii^a'^?, step.
Marshfielp. — Marsh, a derivative of man. the sea,
Anglicized into w.i/jV.^, then shortened into marsh ; and
fiV.'i, signihing a tract of land on the sea-coast. The
suffix means a forest clearing or place where the trees
have been /c-Z/c-J', hence fii Li.
M.\therx. — This place is supposed to derive its
name firom Merthyr Tendrig. who died here in the sixth
centur>- firom the effects of a wound he received in
battle against the Saxons, A church was built on the
spot where his remains were interred, and dedicated to
him. English name — Martyrton.
Mitch el-Troy-. — Mite':.: is a corruption of St.
Michael, the patron saint of the church. Troy is a
contraction of Trcthy, the name of the river on which
it is situated. The suffix is a compound of troth, what
tends through : and ^'u_c. water. TnLiiiei: troth ;«...« —
let it burst through the rock. Tn<yddc:i means a
passage through. This river-name imphes a violent
orfiirious water. Or it may be a contraction of ^r^-K^^',
the town by the water. We adopt the former. English
name — Borew-ater or Passwater.

176
MouxTOX. — A corruption of the old name of the
place, Manckton, the monk's town, probably so caUed
firom the monks of Chepstow, who for some centuries
held the tithes and provided a priest for the church.
English name — jNIonkton.
Naxtyglo. — -V-Tii', brook ; y, the ; glo, coal ;" signi
fying the coal brook, fi-om the fact, it is said, that in
diis place coal was first used to make iron, about the
middle of the eighteenth century. EngUsh name —
Coalbrook. Nash. — From the Norse ness or naze, which means
a nose or promontory of land. Norse names are fire-
quently found on places firinging our coasts, such as
Stack Rocks, Penyholt Stack, Stockholm Island,
Nash, &c. This place is situated on the coast of the
Bristol Channel.
Newbridge. — A translation of the Welsh name,
Pontnewydd. Newcastle. — From the fortress which anciently
stood here, surrounded by a moat.
Paxteg. — Pant, hoUow ; teg, fair : signifying a
beautiful vale, a name quite descriptive of the place.
EngUsh name — Beauvale.
Pexgam. — It was anciently caUed Pont-maen-pen-
gam, which signifies a bridge built on a bended rock,
or on the river Pengam. Pengam means wiy-headed.
EngUsh name — Wryton or Twistton,
Pexmaix. — A compound of pen, head, top ; and
maen, a stone, a rock. EngUsh name — Topstone.
Peterstox. — From the dedication of the church
to St. Peter.
Poxthir. — Pont, bridge; hir, long; fi-om a long
bridge built over the river Llwyd about ninety years
ago. When the Tin Works were first erected here,
that is, prior to the erection of the bridge, the place
was caUed Gwaith Neuydd, New Works, but within the
past sixty years Gwaith Newydd has given place to
Ponthir. EngUsh name — Longbridge.

177
Pontllanfraith. — Pont, bridge ; llan, church
a mutation, perhaps, of ffridd, a forest, a plan
tation. Or perhaps the church was dedicated to St.
Ffraid or St. Faith. English name — Brideschurch.
Pontnewynydd. — Some say this is a contraction
of Pont-y-naw-mynydd, the bridge from which nine
mountains are visible, but we cannct find so many
mountains to support this derivation. It is more
probably, says the Rev. J. Williams, Pontypool,
derived from pcnt-dewinydd, the bridge of the divine.
Dewinydd is the old Welsh form of duwinydd, divine,
theologian. The bridge is supposed to have been
built by a parson, a divine, called Sir Dafydd, vicar
of Trevethin, in the reign of James or Charles I. Close
to the bridge there are remains of his residence, whilst
the narrow meadow adjoining is called Waun Sir
Dafydd, Sir David's meadow. English name — Priest-
bridge. Pontrhydyrun. — A compound of pont, bridge ;
rhyd, ford ; 'yr, the ; ynn, ash tree ; signifying the
bridge across the ash-tree ford. EngUsh name—
Ashford Bridge.
Pontrilas. — The name probably means the bridge
of the three rivers. Lais is an old British word,
standing for water, or stream, and here we have three
rivers meeting, and just below the confluence a bridge
is thrown across ; hence Pont-tri-lais. Some say it is
the Pont-tri-llais, the bridge of the three murmuring
streams. Others think it is a clipped form of Pont-rhyd-
Dulas, the bridge on the ford of Dulas. English name —
Bridgewater. Pontymistr. — A corruption of Pont-y-minster, the
cloister or abbey bridge. Minster is the Anglo-Saxon
form of the Latin monasterium, and is a frequent com
ponent in English and European place-names, as
Leominster, Westminster, Monstiers, &c. It is sup
posed" that a Conventual church once existed in this
neighbourhood. English name — Abbey Bridge.
Pontymoil. — A compound of pont, bridge ; and
moel, a conical hiU. The place lies at the foot of a hiU
called Moel. Enghsh name— Bridgehill.
12

178
Pontypool. — Some derive the name from Ponty-
pwll, which signifies a bridge thrown over a pool in the
river Llwyd. The correct wording is Pont-ap- Howel,
the bridge of the son of Howell, from the bridge having
been built by Ap Howel. It is difficult to determine
who this Ap Howel was. Some raaintain that he was
Dafydd ap Howel, a parson of Trevethin, probably the Sir
Dafydd of Pontnewynydd. It appears that there was
in the reign of Queen Elizabeth a certain Lord Howell
living somewhere in this neighbourhood, who left a
deep impress on this vicinity, and Sir Dafydd might
have been Ap Howel, the son of Howell. The
patronymic ap or ah, son, was used very frequently in
personal names in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.
We meet the clipped form of it in Prichard, from Ap
Richard ; Pugh, from Ap Hugh ; Prys or Price, from
Ap Rhys ; Powell, from Ap Howell, &c. ; hence we
may call this ancient town Powell's Bridge.
PoNTYWAiN. — Pont, bridge ; y, the ; wain, meadow,
down. English name — Downbridge.
Portskewett. — A corrupted form of porth-is-coed,
the.port by or below the wood. In ancient times this
port is said to have been the chief port of Gwent.
English name — Portwood.
Raglan, — Some think it is a contraction of rhagor
llan, which means the supreme or excellent church.
It is spelt in ancient books Ragland, perhaps from rag,
a fragment, a patch; and land. Or perhaps the latter
part is a clipped form of llanerch, as it is in Penlan ;
therefore meaning a flat piece of land stretching
forward in opposition to Penylan. This derivation is
supported by the physical aspect of the district.
Rhiwderin. — A compound of rhiw, slope ; and
taren, tump, knoll. EngUsh name^Tumphill.
Rhydymerc. — A compound probably of rhyd-y-
march, the horse's ford. English name — Horseford.
Rhymney. — This place takes its name from the
river that flows through it. The root is rhym, what
stretches round, what extends. It is cognate with the

179
Gaelic word ruimne, marsh. Romney Marsh is now a
large fertile tract of land situate at the most southern
part of the county, but in olden times it was a worth
less marsh overflowed at every tide. Ramsey, Old
Romney, New Romney, and Riraina (Italy) are
probably derived from the same source. The name
Romney Marsh is one of the many instances we have
of reduplication of synonyms. When we say Romney
Marsh we say in effect Marsh Marsh, and are guilty of
such tautology as the Englishman is when he says
River Avon, which is in effect River River. English
name — Marshton.
RiscA. — The root, according to some, is rhisg,
bark. Yr hesg-gae, the sedgy field, is another deriva
tion. Others derive it from is-y-cae, below the field.
We rather think it is a contraction of Yr Isca, the
Latin form of Yr Wysg. Caerleon was called Isca
Silurum. Rogerston. — This place derives its name from
Roger de BerkeroUes, a Norman lord, who built a
small castle in the place, of which very few remains
are now discernible.
ScENFRiTH. — Some derive it from hesg-gae- ffridd,
the sedgy place in the wood. We are inclined to
think it is a clipped form oi ys-gaw (n)-ffrith, which
means a plantation of elder wood. EngUsh name —
Elderwood. Shire Newton. — The ancient Welsh name was
Tre-newydd- gelli- fach, the new town near the small grove.
Perhaps sliire was prefixed on account of the place
having been in ancient times a detached portion of
the lordship of Caldicot. Shire is derived from the
Norse skera, to shear, or cut asunder. A division of
land is called a shire, that which divides land from sea
is called a shore.
SiRHowY. — A compound of star, an articulate
sound ; hoyw, sprightly, lively ; and gwy, water. English
n ame — Sprightwater,
Six Bells. — From a public-house so called. " The
Bell" is a common tavern sign, selected from its

i8o
allusion to races, a silver bell having been the winner's
prize up to the reign of Charles II.
St. Mellons. — The Welsh name is Llaneurwg, or
more correctly Llan-Lleurwg, from Lleurwg ab Coel ah
Gyffin Sant, who, according to the " Welsh Chronicles,"
was the first to devise means to introduce Christianity
to the Isle of Britain. He is recorded to have
established a church here. The present narae is
derived from the dedication of the church to 5^.
Mellans. TiNTERN Abbey. — A ruined abbey of that name
stands here. It is supposed a Cistertian abbey was
founded here May gth, 1131, by Walter de Clare,
dedicated to the Virgin Mary, and colonised from
L' Aumone. Some derive Tintern from din, fortified
hill, a camp ; and Teyron, or Tegernacus, the grandson of
Gwladys. We rather think the correct wording is Din-
Teyrn. The prefix is quite clear, as the ruined abbey
occupies a gentle eminence in the middle of a circular
valley. The suffix teyrn means a king, a supreme ruler,
in allusion here probably to the royal founder of the
abbey, who was a scion of Gilbert, Earl of Brionne.
Tintern Parva, or Little Tintern, takes its name from
this celebrated abbey. English name — Rexhill Abbey.
Tredegar. — Troedygaer, say some, is the right
wording, which signifies a place at the foot of the
fort. Others think it is Tre-deg-aradr, the town of ten
ploughs, or Tre-deg-erw, the town of ten acres. A very
plausible derivation is the following : tre, abode ; deg-
teg, fair ; and dr, land ; signifying an abode situated on
a fair land, or a fine abode situated on arable land.
Mr. Octavius Morgan in the " Archaeological Cam-
brensis " offers the following derivation : — The earliest
mention of this name is in an old copy of a poem by a
Welsh poet who . . flourished between 1430 and
1470, and presided at a gorsedd in Glamorgan in 1460,
about which time he wrote a poem in praise of Sir
John Morgan, whom in the title he styles " Syr Sion ap
Morgan o Dre-Degyr (t and d being interchangeable
consonants in the Welsh language). The Tre and
Degyy in both instances are separated by a hyphen.

I'il

and Degyr in both instances has a capital D, indicating
a proper name. In a MS. of the seventeenth century,
in the possession of the late Mr. S. R. Bosanquet, is
this statement, "The house of Tref-ddigr, holden by
inheritance of blood from time to time, is the most
ancient in Wales ;" " Teigr ap Tegon-wy was an
ancient prince in King Arthur's time." The t is
changed into d for the sake of euphony. The place,
again, is called Tref-Deigr, and though Teigr may be as
m-^^hical as King Arthur, this is strong presumptive
evidence that there was such a traditionary personage
connected with this place, at whatever time he may
have Uved. Again, in a pedigree by Robert Vaughan,
of Hengwrt, made about 1660, and now among the
Hengw-rt MSS. at Peniarth, the name is written
" Thomas Morgan de Dref-deg-yr, Esq." From this
evidence it seems to me clear that Tredegar received
its name firom its early possessor, whose name was
Teigr, though when he lived and who he was is not
known, but his name was attached to his tref or home
stead, and has continued to this day, as is the case
with an adjoining hamlet in the same parish, which
now retains its name of Tre-G'wilym, derived firom
being the tref, residence or homestead, of WiUiam de
BerkeroUes, a Norman who came over at the Conquest,
and was father to Roger de BerkeroUes, who built a
smaU castle adjoining it, which after the Norman
usage he caUed Rogerstone, and both names are
retained at the present day ; the one being the Welsh
name of the tref and hamlet, and the other the name
of the manor founded by Roger, the builder of the
small castle, a scanty firagment of the waU of which
StiU exists." W'e have a few instances in which ttef
has been changed to troed. Troedyraur was anciently
caUed Tredeyrn, the king's abode ; but we cannot find
a single instance of troed being changed to tref. Troed-
rhiwgwair is in the immediate neighbourhood ot Tredegar,
but we can find no etymological reason to think the
one is aUied with the other. The rendering of the
name into Tre-deg-erw, the town of ten acres, is too
wide of the mark, because the territory is immensely
more than ten acres. Tri-deg-erw, sixty acres, would

.i82
be more feasible from the numerical point of view, but
this mode of counting is far too modern to be applied
to this ancieni place-name. Wc were once inclined to
derive it thus : tre, abode ; deg, fair ; gwar, the nape of
the neck, a ridge ; signifying a fair abode on an
elevated place ; but since we saw Mr. Octavius
Morgan's exposition of the name we adopt his in
preference to all others. Many Welsh personal naraes
contain the word teyrn, a king, a raonarch, the Irish
forra of which is tigern, tighearna ; and in our early
inscriptions we have tigirn-i and tegern-o. Tegyrn was
the Brythonic for Teyrn. Frora Cornwall we have
Tegernomali, which means king-like or lord-like, hence
we are induced to think that Tegyr is an ancient forra
of Teyrn. English narae — Kington.
Trefethin.- — Some derive it from Tref-y-din, camp
town ; but we rather think it is a compound of tref,
abode, and eithin, furze, gorse ; signifying an abode
situated on furzy land. English name — Gorseton.
Trelleck. — A corruption of Trelech, place of
stones ; so called from three stone pillars which stand
in a small field in the place. Tradition says that they
were erected by Harold in commemoration of a victory
over the Britons. It is raore probable that they are
relics of Druidisra, and the spot whereon they stand
was included within the precincts of a consecrated
grove. English name — Stoneham.
TwYNGWYN. — A compound of twyn, a hillock, and
gwyn, white. Ar dwyn, on an eminence. The name is
quite descriptive of the position of this place. English
narae — Whitehill.
Tydee. — A corruption of Ty-du, which means black
house, probably from an ancient homestead ofthe name.
English name — Blackham.
Usk. — The Welsh name is Bryn-higa ; bryn, a hill,
and pig-byga, a point. The English peak specifically
means the sharp top of a hill or mountain, which is
quite descriptive of the hill in the place, which termi
nates in a point or peak. The present name, Usk, is an

i83
Anglicized form of Wysg, -water, the name of the river
upon which the town is situated. It assumes various
forms — Eice, Ax, Ux, and Ox, &c. The Exe has given
its name to Exeter ; the Ax to Axbridge ; and the Ox
joins the Thames near Oxford. We have an Esk in
Donegal ; an Esky in Sligo ; and a Wisk in Yorkshire.
The Gaelic and Erse word for water is tiisge, of which
whiskey is probably a corruption. English name —
Waterton. Victoria. — The place was anciently called Troed-
rhiw'r-elawdd, which signifies a place near a dyke at the
foot of the hill. The present name is derived from the
street that leads to the place from Ebbw Vale.
Waun Avon. — A compound of watm, meadow,
moor ; and afon, river, from its proximity to the source
of the river Llwyd. English name — Rivermoor.

MONTGOMERYSHIRE.
The Welsh name is Trefaldwyn, Baldwin's town, so
called in honour of Baldwin, a Norman general, who
built a castle on the border of the county. In 1090
the castle was taken by Roger Montgoinery, and the
Saxons called the place afterwards Montgomery. Some
seem to think the English name is a Norman corrup
tion of Mynydd y Cymry, the mount of the Kymry.
Aberhavesp. — The place is situate at the con
fluence of the rivers Havesp and Severn ; hence the
name. Havesp signifies a river whose channel is dry
in the summer. English narae — Hespmouth.
Aberrhosan. — Aher, estuary ; rhosan, the name of
the river, which signifies the meadow brook. English
name — Moorbrook.
Abermule. — The village is situated near the point
where the river Mule discharges itself into the Severn.
Mule is probably a contraction of mudliw, changing
colour, from which we have the English motley.
EngUsh name — Motleyton.

184
Berriew. — The correct etymology, doubtless, is
Aber-rhiw. The river Rhiw flows through the parish
and empties itself into the Severn. Rhiw, perhaps,
from rhw, what breaks out. English name — Break-
mouth. Blaenglesyrch. — A place situate on the rivulet
Glssyrch, irom which it takes its name. Glesyreh is a
corruption of glas-erch, dusky blue. English name —
Duskyham. Buttington. — The Welsh name is Talybont,
bridgend, from a bridge crossing the Severn near it.
Offa's Dyke passes through the parish, and here
separates England from Wales. During the Saxon
period it was called Butdigingtune ; hence Buttington.
The name signifies Archer's town.
Bwlchyffridd. — Bwlch, pass, breach; y, thie;
ffridd, plantation, forest. . English name — Passwood.
Carno. — From carn, cairn, heap. Pennant says:
" The mountains of Carno, like those of Gilboa, are
celebrated for the fall of the mighty." On a mountain
called Mynydd y Gam, or Garnedd, a huge heap of
stones was raised to comraeraorate the death of a
celebrated warrior. English name — Moundham.
Cann Office. — An abbreviation of Cannon Office,
so called from the cannons used by Cromwell's soldiers
during their encampment in the place.
Ceri. — A corruption of Caerau, fortresses or walls,
according to some ; but some derive it from Ceri Hir
Lyngwyr, the name of Caradog's grandfather, who was
the owner of the estate, which, as it was customary
then, was called after his name. Others derive it
from ceri, the medlar tree, which, it is supposed,
abounded in the district in time of yore. We adopt
the latter derivation. EngUsh name — Medlarton.
Cemmaes. — A compound of cefn, back, ridge, and
maes, a field. English name — Highfield.
Clitterwood. — Perhaps from glitter and wood.
Crigion. — A corruption oi crugiau, heaps. English
name — Heapham.

1 85
Church Stoke.— P"rom stoc, or stocce, the stem or
main part of a tree. Woodstock, woody place.
Cyfeiliog. — This pleasant vale is named in honour
of Owen Cyfeiliog, who, in 1130, became the sole owner
of the estate through the death of his grandfather,
Mered} th, the prince. The name means " compact
together." English name — Jointon.
Caersws. — It appears that the Romans had a
station and a road in this place. The latter was
called Sarn Swsan, Susan's road, portions of which are
discernible to this day. The station was probably
•called after the same name, and the Britons decided to
perpetuate it, reducing Sivsan to Sfi".'; ,• hence Caersws.
English name — Susfort.
Croesllw'ybir. — Croes, cross, over ; llwybir, a cor
ruption of llwybr, a way, path, English name — Cross-
way, Cvfronydd, — A compound of cyd, with, united, and
hronydd, sloping hills. Cvfronydd Hall is situated on a
ri.sing eminence, commanding the beautiful sceneries of
the valle}' below, through which the ri^•er l\Ianw flows.
English name — Slopeton.
Dolarddin.— Some are of opinion that this place
was named in honour of Arddiin, daughter of Pabo Post
Prydain, and a saint of the sixth century. Arddnn
means sublime, grand. English name — Grandmoor.
Darowen. — A corruption of dar or deri, oaks, and
Owain, name of a man, English name — Owen's Oak.
Derllw'vn. — From deri, oaks, and llwyn, bush,
grove. English name — Oakbush.
DoLFOR. — A compound of del, a meadow or plain,
and famr, large, great. English name Big Meadow.
Dolwen. — A compound of dol, meadow, and wen,
feminine form of gwyn, white. EngUsh name — White
Meadow. Doll. — .-V corruption of dol, a meadow. For the
sake of variety we assign to this the foUowing English
name— Plainham.

1 86
DwYRiw. — A compound of dwy, feminine of dau,
two ; and rhiw, slope, ascending path. English name —
Bislope. DwYNANT. — Dwy, two ; nant, brook ; signifying a
place situated between two brooks that flow into the
river Bachog. English name — Bibrook.
Dylifau. — Some think the name is the plural form
of dylif, a warp. Dylif goton, a cotton warp. It is
sometimes spelt Dylife, which is probably a contraction
of dylif-le, which means a high place whence water
flows to different directions. English name — Flowhill.
Dolyfelin.— Do/, meadow, dale ; y, the ; melin,
riiill. Near this place is the site of an ancient British
smelting-hearth, where numerous pieces of lead-ore
have been found. English name — Milldale.
Dyffryn.— A village in the parish of Meifod.
English name — Valley.
Esgair-Geiliog. — Esgair means a conspicuous
promontory. Geiliog-geilig, hunting, exploring. The
name signifies a hunting-ground. English name —
HunthiU. Esgair Maen. — Maen, a stone. The name signi
fies a stony or rocky ridge. English name — Stoneham.
Forden. — Perhaps an Anglo-Saxon word, meaning
a shallow part of a river where a road crosses. The
use of the Anglo-Saxon verbal plural en is very common
in some parts of this county. English name — Ford
ham. Gaer.— From caer, a fortress. This place is in the
parish of Caereinion, English name — Fort.
Garth- Mill. — Garth, an enclosure, a ness, a
promontory. Enghsh name — MiUyard.
Garthbeibio. — Peibio is a modification of Peibiaw,
the name of a king recorded in njany of the Welsh
legends. English name— Rexhill.
Garth Gellin. — Gellin, perhaps, is a corruption
of collen, hazel-tree. EngUsh name — Hazelham.

i87
Glanynant, — The name signifies the bank of the
brook, English name — Brookside.
Glyn Trefnant,- G/j-h, a glen, a narrow vale;
Trefnant is a corruption of tri-nant, three brooks, sj
called from the confluence of three brooks in the place.
English name — Glenbrooks.
Griubin.— A compound of crib, crest, summit ; y,
the ; bryn, hill ; signifying a place situated high on the
hill. Crib mynydd, the summit of a mountain. English
name — CresthiU.
Guilsfield.— The Welsh name is Cegidfa, signi
fying a place of hemlock, or, perhaps, it is a compound
of cegid, the bird witwal ; and fan-man, place. Some
derive Guilsfield from St. Gulan's field. Perhaps it is a
compound oi guild, an incorporation, and field.
Gungrog. — A corruption of Gwaun-y-grog, the
meadow of the cross, so called from the supposition
that a cross was erected here in the middle ages in
connection with the Ystrad Farchell monaster}-. Eng
hsh name — Crossineadow.
Gwestydd. — From gwcst-ty-ddin, the camp resting-
place. English name — Canipluim.
GwERN-Y-BwLCH. — Gis'cm, a swamp, a bog ; y, the;
bwlch, a pass, a gap. The name is derived from a moun
tain-pass in the district, from which a distant view of
Cader Idris is obtained. English name — Passmeadow.
GwERN EsGOB. — Gwern, a swamp, a meadow ;
Esgob, a bishop. English name — Bishop's Meadow.
HiRKANT.— Hir, long ; nant, a brook. The village
is situated in a narrow vaUey, and watered b}- an
inconsiderable stream, tributary to the Tanat. English
name — Longstream.
Llangadfan. — The church was dedicated to St.
Cadfan. The " Myvyrian " says:—" This Cadvan, being
a nobleman and son-in-law of the king of Armorica,
came over with Uthr Bendragon, or his son king
Arthur, and a great number of pious and learned men
in his retinue, and chose for his residence Ynys Enlli
(that is the monastery in the Isle of Bardsey), where he

i88
was an abbot, and many of his followers had churches
dedicated to them." Some of his foUowers were Cynon,
Padarn, Tydecho, Dochtwy, Mael, &c. Cadvan means
the battle-place. English name — \\'arriorston.
Llaxgurig. — A -village near Plinlimmon. The
church was dedicated to Curig, an eminent saint of
the seventh century. Eisteddfa Curig, Moel Gurig. in
the same vicinit}-, bear his name. Curig-curiog means
bearing pain or affliction. EngUsh name — Painton.
Llaxfyllix. — From Myllin, to whom the church
was dedicated. Myllin is an old Welsh word implying
a violet. EngUsh name — Violaton.
LLAXWTfDDELEX.- — From Gwyddelan, the patron saint
of the church. Gwyddelan is probably a compound of
gwydd, wood, and elain, a young hind, a fa^wn. EngUsh
name — Fawnwood.
Llaxidloes. — Idloes, a saint of the seventh centurj-,
is the patron saint of the church. Professor Rhys refers
the prefix id to the Skr. yudh, "to fight;"' and loes is
probably a mutation of glwys, fuU of love, signifying one
eager to fight ; or perhaps the suffix is gloes, a pang, a
pain. \'\'e adopt the former. English name — !Mileston.
Llaxdixam. — Dinam is referred bj' some to the
Roman Dinum, a frequent termination in place-names
in Gaul and Britain, equivalent to the English Tune,
now ton, town, &c. EngUsh name — Churchton.
Llaxgy-xog. — The church is dedicated to Cynog,
the eldest son of Br}-chan. EngUsh name — Kynogton.
Llaxwyxog. — G'wynog, son of GUdas, a saint of
the sixth centiiry, is the patron saint of the church.
EngUsh name — ^VVhitham.
Llaxdysilio. — The church is dedicated to Tysilio,
the son of Brochwel Ysgythrog. EngUsh name —
TysUton. Llaxfair Caereixiox. — Llanfair, a church dedi
cated to St. Mar}-. Caer, fortress ; Einion, the name
of the river near which the town is situated. The
latter part of the name is derived from an old British

1 89
encaippment, about three miles from the town, parts-
of which are discernible to this day. English name 
Eynon's Fort.
Llanerfyl.— The church is dedicated to Erfyl, in
memory of whom a large stone is erected in the
churchyard. English name — Ervylton.
Llanymechain. — Mechain is a compound of ma, a
place ; and cain, fair, the name of the river on which
the church is situate. This parish is famous for being
the birth-place of GwaUter Mechain, in 1761. English
name — Fairchurch.
Llanfihangel-yn-Ngwynfa. — The church is dedi
cated to Si. Michael, and the village is situated in that
part of Powys called Gwynfa, the blessed place ; hence
the name. English name — Blisston.
' Llanymynach. — Mynach here is probably a corrup
tion of mwnau, mines. The ch is frequently added to
plural nouns ending with au. Mwnau is the right word,
but it is colloquially pronounced mwnach. The place
probably derives its name from the mines in which the
district formerly abounded, and which were worked so
early as the Roman period. Some think the word is
mynach, monk, from the supposition that a monk lived
some time in the vicinity. English name — Mines-
church. Llansantffraid. — From St. Ffraid, to whom the
church is dedicated. English name — Fraidham.
Llanwddyn, — The church was probably dedicated
to a monk named Wddyn, who, according to tradition,
lived in a sequestered spot in the neighbourhood.
English name — Monkchurch.
Llanwrin. — From Gwrin, to whom the church is
dedicated. English name — Heroton.
Llandrinio. — Trinio is the patron saint of the
church. English name— Bustleton.
Llanllwchhaiarn. — From Llwchhaiarn, to whom
the church is dedicated. English name — Ironchurch.
Llanbrvnmair.— 5yyM, a hiU; Mair, the Virgin
Mary. The church is dedicated to St. Mary; and

igo
pleasantly situated on an eminence ; hence the name.
English name — HiUchurch.
Machynlleth. — Some derive the name thus : Ma,
a place ; chyn, irom cain, fair, beautiful ; lieth, an abbre
viation of llethr, a slope. Another derivation : Mach, a
high ridge, a barrier ; yn, in or on ; lleth-llefhr, a slope.
Edmunds thinks lieth is a contraction of llaith, dead,
and that the narae signifies " the field of the dead by
the wayside." Viewing the situation of the to^wn, we
offer the following derivation : Mack, a dam, an em-
bankraent, a place ; yn, the ; lieth, corruption of llaith,
moist, humid, wet. English narae — Moistham.
Mochxaxt. — Moch, quick, swift ; iuint, brook ; the
name of the swift stream that flows through the place.
English name — Runbrook.
Meifod. — Mai, a plain, or campaign country ;
bod, a dwelling. The parish consists of an open and
extensive tract of land. Or, perhaps, it is a compoimd
of maes, a field ; and bod, a dweUing ; signifying a
dweUing in a field. English name — Plainham.
Moughtre. — A corruption of Mochdre. EngUsh
name — S^winehara.
Newchapel.- — So called frora the chapel which is
situated on the confines of the parishes of Guilsfield,
Llansantffraid, and ^Meifod, for the accoraraodation of
those who reside at a distance from the parish church.
Ne^wtowx. — A translation of the Welsh narae
Trefnewydd. Its ancient name was Llanfair-yn-N ghyd-
ewain ; but, in consequence of the large flannel
manufactories that were built here, the place grew
so rapidly that, in 1832, the privileges of corporation
were bestowed upon it, and henceforth it was caUed
Newtown. Pool Quay. — A viUage near AA'elshpool, whence it
derives its name.
Pexxaxt Melaxgell. — Pen, head or end ; nant,
brook ; Melangell, called in a Latin saint book St.
Monacella. Her remains were interred in Pennant
Church, which, henceforth, was called Pennant Melan
gell. English name — Brookton.

191
Penstrowed. — Pen, termination, head; strewed,
perhaps from ystref-wydd, a dwelling among trees ; or
from pen strata, the termination of a Roman road.
Compare Stroud (Gloucestershire). English name —
Waylon. Penybont Fawr. — A village in the parish of
Pennant. English name — Bridgend Major.
Penygelli. — The name signifies the head or termi
nation of the grove. English name — Grovesend.
Pont-Dolgoch. — This name signifies a bridge on
the red meadow. English name — Meadow Bridge.
Pontrobert. — English name — Robert's Bridge.
Pentref Heilyn. — This pentref {village) derives its
name from a family named Heilyn, who flourished here
in the time of " Llewelyn, the Last Prince." Heilyn
means a cup-bearer, a waiter, a butler. Heilio gwin, to
serve wine. English name— Butlerton.
Penegoes. — A corruption of Penegwest. The place
derives its name from a supposition that a Welsh chief
named Egwest was beheaded near the church. English
name — Feaston.
Pontdolanog. — A compound probably of pont,
bridge, and dolenog, having curves or bows. English
name — Bowbridge.
Pentre Cilcwm. — Pentre, village ; _ Cil-cwm, a
sequestered place in a valley. English name —
Nookham. Rhiw Saeson. — Rhiw, slope ; Saeson, Saxons,
English. We find the name Saeson introduced into
many names in the district : Nantysaeson, Saxons'
brook ; Plas-rhiw-Saeson, and Rhiw Saeson. About 300
years ago a number of Saxon soldiers were stationed
in the place which is now called Rhiw Saeson. English
name — Saxonshill.
Snead.— From the English sntsd, a piece of land
separated from a manor.
Staylittle. — The ancient name was Penfforddlas,
the head or end of the green way. The present name

192
is derived from a public-house in the place bearing the
name. Tylwch. — From ty, a house ; and llwch, a lake, or
inlet of water. English name--Lakehara.
Tregyxox. — From the dedication ofthe church to
St. Cynon. English name — Gynonton.
Tafolog. — The name implies a place abounding in
dock plants ; dail tafol, dock leaves. English name —
Dockham. Trefeglwys. — The narae means a hamlet or a
district privileged with a church. EngHsh name —
Churchhara. Tir-y-Myxach. — Tir, ground, territory; y, the;
mynach, raonk; so called from the township having
some time formed a portion of. the possessions of the
Abbey of Strata MarceUa. English name — Monkton.
Welshpool. — The Welsh name is Trallwm, or
Trallwng. Tra, extreme, very; llwng, a corruption of
llwnga, so caUed from the great depth of the lake
below Powys Castle. The name signifies ' a greedy
swaUow. . It has been prophesied that the pool is some
day to swaUow up the whole of the town of Welshpool.
It was called Welshpool by the English to distinguish
it from a town in Dorsetshire caUed Poole. EngUsh
name — Deep-pool.

PEMBROKESHIRE.
Some Welsh scholars think that the Old Welsh
form of the name was Penbrog or Penbrogh, and the
Latinized form Pembrochia, whence probably the
English Pembroke. The roots are pen, head, end;
and bro, a country, or extensive tract of land, signi
fying a headland, which is a very proper appellation,
since the county forms the west end of Wales. The
narae Dyved was once appUed to the whole county,
from which the Roman Dimetae was derived, but in the
tirae of Giraldus Cambrensis, the smaU peninsula of
Castlemartin, lying between MUford Haven, on the
north, and the Bristol Channel on the south, consti-

193
tuted the province of Pembroke. The name was also
extended to the town and fortress built there by
Arnulph de Montgomery, in the reign of Henry I., and
ultimately it was given to the whole county.
Angle.— Probably from the angle-like form of the
district. It lies in angulo.
Ambleston. — This place was named in honour of
HamiU, one of the Vikings who founded the Welsh
colony. English name — Hamillston.
Amroth. — Am, about, encircling ; roth, a corrupted
form of rhath, a mound or hill, and rhath is used to
denote a plain or moorland. Roath, Cardiff, comes
from the latter root. In "Liber Landavensis" it is
called Radh and Llanrath. English name — Roundhill.
Brawdy.— Fenton thinks it is a mutation of Broad-
¦way. We incline to think it has a more ancient deri
vation. Brawd is an ancient Welsh word for judgment.
Dydd brawd, the day of judgment. Dy-ty, house.
The remains of an old British encampment that are
discernible near a farmhouse called Brawdy points to
the probability that a judgment court was held here ;
hence the name Brawdy or Brawd-dy. English name —
Courtham. Butter Hill. — In an ancient deed it is called
"the Grange of Butter Hill," supposed to have been a
grange to the Priory of Pill, settled by the founder,
Adam de Rupe. Butter, perhaps, is a corruption of
Buthar, the name of another Viking who visited these
shores. Brimston. — From Brimi, the name of a Norse
settler. Brimi is the Norse for flame, and the name of
a magical sword mentioned in Norse poetry. Brimi
has left his name in Brimscomb, Somerset.
BucKSTON. — Named in honour of Bakki, a Norse
settler. Burton. — An old Saxon form of Briton. Briton
Ferry was once called Burton Ferry.
Brynberian. — Bryn, a hill ; herian, according to
some, comes from Beran, the name of a rivulet, signif}-
ing a short river ; but we inchne to derive herian from
13

194
beri, a kite or glede. Beri Farm, near Newport, Pem.,
was so called probably from the visit of the kite to this
district. English name — Gledeland.
BoxcATH. — Named after another of the bird
species, the buzzard. English name — Buzzardton.
Bugely. — Bu, an ox ; gely, a corruption bf gelly, a
grove, signifying the buffalo of the forest. English
name — Oxgrove.
Blaexffos. — The village takes its name from a
farmhouse so caUed, signifying the head of the ditch.
A\'e have Penyfoes, or, as it should be written, Penyffos,
near St. David's, so named from the tenement of
Mynydd Din, bounded by a deep ditch. English
name — Boghead.
Blaexcoxix. — The name signifies a place situate
at the source of the river Conin. English name —
Coninton. Barry. — The narae means bare island.
Colby. — A compound of cold and the Norse by, an
abode ; signif}-ing a cold place.
C.aldy. — The name is Norse, signifying cold island.
CiLGER.AX.— This name has been, more wittifythan
correctly, derived thus: Cil yw dy gaerau, Ann — narrow
are thy -n-alls, Ann. Cil or kil forms a part of a large
number of Welsh, Irish, and Scottish naraes of places.
It means a hidden place, a place of retreat. Cil haul,
the shade, or where the sun does not shine. Geran is
an abbreviation of Geraint, son of Erbin, and a prince
of Devon. Before the castle was built the spot was
known by the name Dingeraint, Geraint's fortress. The
prefix din was changed into cil, and now the name signi
fies the place of retreat of Geraint. English narae —
Gerainton. CiLFowYR. — The right wording is Cil Ofwyr,
signifying Ovates' place of retreat. English name —
Ovateston. Castle Martix. — So named in honour of Martin, a
descendant of Martin de Tours. The family built a

195
castle here in time of yore, of which Leland remarks:
" Towards this extreme part of Pembrokeshire be the
vestigia of Martin Castle."
Creamston. — Cream is a corruption of Grim, the
name of a Norse settler. English name — Grimston.
Camrose. — An Anglicized form of Camrhos ; cam,
crooked, and rhos, heather. English name — Crook-
heath. Castli-: Morris. — So called in honour of a man
named Morris.
Cylch Bychan. — The parish is divided into four
districts, of which this is the smallest ; hence the
name. Cylch Bychan, the small district. English
name — Smallton.
Capel Newydd, — A smaU village not far from
Castell Newydd. English name — Newchapel,
Cilymaenllwyd. — Cil, hidden place ; y, the; maen,
stone ; llwyd, grey, English name — Greystone.
Clydey,— So named in honour oiClydai, a daughter
of Brychan, to whom the church is dedicated.
Crymych. — The popular explanation of the name
is ych yn crymn, the ox stooping or bending. We find
the root crwm in crymlin and cromlech. The name may
be a contraction of crwm-rhyeh ; crwm, bending, con
cave, crooked; rhych, ditch, trench. English name—
Ditchham. Creselly. — The roots are cres, a heating ol
parching, and gelly, a grove, so called probably from
the abundance of culm and coal in the district.
English name- Heatgrove.
Carew,— A corruption of caerau, walls, or fortifica
tions. The castle was built by Nest, the daughter of
Rhys ab Tewdwr, Prince of South Wales. English
name — Castlefort.
Dale,— A Norse name, signifying a broad valley,
answering to the Saxon " vale,"' and to the Welsh cwm.
One writer thinks it is a contraction of De Vale, the
name of one of its ancient lords, in whose time it was
dignified with the title of a borough.

196
Dinas. — This place derives its name from Pen dinas,
the promontory that forms a part of the Fishguard
anchorage. Fortified walls were once built on the
headland ; hence it was called Pen dinas. Enghsh
name — Forthill .
Drewson. — A corruption of Druid's town. Near
the village there is an enclosure of nearly one acre
called Drewson chapel. The stones which formed the
Druidical circle were removed in 1740. English
name — Druidston.
Eglwyswrw. — Eglwyseirw is the right wording, the
church being dedicated to Eirw, whose remains are
supposed to have been interred here. English name —
Eirooton. Estington. — A translation of Tre lestyn, Iestyn"s
town. lestyn was a Welsh prince.
Freysthorp. — The prefix refers to the goddess
Freya (Friday), and the affix thorp is the Norse word
for village, and the equivalent of the Saxon ham.
English name — Freyham.
Felindre. — This place has probably taken its
name from an old mill that was in the vicinity. English
name — Millton.
Fishguard. — Abergwaun is the Welsh name, from
its situation at the mouth of the river Gwaen or Gwain,
which implies a river taking a level or straight course.
It bore the name of Fishgarth as far back as the time of
Richard II. The Welsh garth and the Norse gardr,
originally meant an enclosure or yard. The name
occurs in Normandy, as Fisigard, Auppegard, and
Epegard, the former of which may be compared with
Fishguard, which means a fishing wear or fishing
enclosure. English name — Fishton.
Flatholm. — A large body of Danes took refuge
here in the year 918, and left their mark in the above
name, which was originally Fladholmene, signifying a
flat island. Holm is the Danish word for a grassy
bank near water, ' or an island. Stockholm, the

197
Swedish capital, is situated on two grassy hiUs near
the water. Flemingston. — This name is a conclusive ethno
logical evidence of the Flemish settlement.
Gellyswick. — Another hybrid. Gelly, a grove ;
¦wick, a creek or bay. English name— Groveham.
Gresholm. — A compound of grass and holm, signi
fying a grassy island. English name — Grassey.
Gomfreston. — So called in honour of Gorm or
Gomfre, a Norse settler.
Glynderwen. — A compound of clyn, a place
covered with brakes, and derwen, oak. English
name — Oakton.
GooDWicK. — Some say it is a corrupted form ofthe
Welsh coedwig, a forest ; but we are inclined to think it
is a hybrid name, made up oi good, and the Norse wick,
a creek or bay. Isaac Taylor is of opinion that the
Vikings, or " creekers," derived their name from the
wics or creeks in which they anchored. In the ninth
and tenth centuries the creeks and islfinds along the
Welsh coast, especially those of Pembrokeshire, were
infested with these marauders. The Anglo-Saxon verb
wician means to run a ship on shore, to take up a
station, and finally it became to mean a village.
Haverfordwest. — The AVelsh is Hwlffordd, from
hwyl, a sail, and ffordd, a way, a striking appellation to
a place where the sea makes its way into it. Edmunds
derives the English name from Gafr-ffordd-gwest, the inn
on the goat's road. Haver is rather perplexing. It may
be a modification either of the Norse hofn or of the
Welsh aher; ford, perhaps, from fjord; and west is
probably a differentia added to distinguish it from
Hereford East.
Hakin.— Also caUed Hagin, which is probably a
modification of the Danish hagen, a port. Compare
Copenhagen. English name — Port.
Harroldston. — So called in honour of Harold, a
Norse settler, who became the lord of the manor.

igS
Henllan. — The name signifies an old church, so
called from the supposition that an old chapel of ease
stood here in ancient times, but whose ruins are not
now discernible. English name — Oldchurch.
Henry's Moat. — There is a mound called Castell
Hendref, the castle of the old town, in the parish, sur
rounded by a moat, and when the English settled here
they attempted a translation of the name, reducing
Hendref to Henry, and Castell to moat ; hence Henry's
Moat. English name — Old Castleton.
Harburston. — From Herbrandt, the name of a
Fleming, who, soon after the Conquest, fixed his
abode at that place.
Honeyborough.- — Honey is probably a corruption
of Hogni, the name of a Viking, who settled here soon
after the Conquest ; or, perhaps, it is from Hunna, a
chief's name. We find Honeybourne, Hunna's Brook,
in Worcestershire. Some think it was so called because
honey was so largely made here in olden times.
Hearston. — So called m honour of Hearn, a Norse
settler. Hodgeston. — A modification of Oggeston or Hogges-
ton, probably from some Norse chief called Ugga.
Hubberston, — So called in honour of Hubber, or
Hubba, a Norman warrior, who, with his brother
Hingua, led the Norsemen in that great invasion of
866. His name is also preserved in Hubberst, Derby
shire ; and probably in 'Ubbeston, Somerset.
Hungerston. — From Hingwar, the companion of
Ubba, 866.
Jameston. — So named in honour of James, a
Fleming who took refuge here after the submersion of
Flanders in the year mo.
Jeffreston. — From Jeffrey, another of the settlers
of Angha Transwallia. Jeffrey or Geoffrey is probably
a Norman corruption of Godfred, the good peace, or
God's peace.

199
Johnstown. — Named in honour of John, an
English nobleman, it is supposed, of the twelfth
century. Keston. — Probably from Kessa or Cissa, a Norman.
Keswick (Cumberland), Cissa' s dwelling.
Lawrenny.— Some think it is a corruption oillaw-
reni, plural of llawren, or Ihrn/r, floor, ground. Others
think it is a corruption of Llan-yr-ynys, a church in the
island. This accords with the topographical situation
of the place, as it is an island surrounded by water,
forming two creeks, one running to Carew and the
other to Langum. We prefer the following : Llawr,
ground; yn, the; tuy, water; signifying land in the
water, an island. English name — Islet.
Langum. — A corruption of Llangwm, signifying a
church in the vaUey. English name— Churchvale.
Ludchurch.— The Welsh name is Eghvys Lwyd.
Liid is an Anglicism oi' Iwyd-llwyd, adorable, blessed.
English name — Holychurch.
La.mbstone. — So called in honour of Lambi or
Lamha, one of the settlers of tlie A\'elsh colony, whose
name is also preserved in Lambeth, Lambourne, and
in the surname Lambe,
Lamphey. — A corruption of Llanyffydd, Fanum
Fidi-i, the church ofthe faith. It is spelt in some old
documents Llanfaith and Llanfeth ; then it was cor
rupted into Llanfey and Lamphey. The consonant « is
frequently substituted in A\'elsh place-names in lieu of
the letter m. English name — Faithchurch.
Lanteague. — Probably a corruption of Llan-deg,
signifying a fair church. English name — Fairchurch.
Letterstox. — A translation of the A\'elsh name,
Treletterf, from Lettard, the ancient owner of the land,
who gave the advowson of the church, with the chapel
oi Llanfair annexed, to the commander}- of Slebech.
Llaniadex.— 7a(/fH is a corruption of Acddan, the
name of the patron saint of the parish church. Pro
fessor Rhys refers the name Aedd to the w-ord udd,
which is explained in Dr. Da^•is's dictionary as mean
ing dominus, master. " It would seem," he says, " to be

matched in O. Irish by Oeda, the genitive of Oed, later
Aedh, Aodh, Haodh, Anglicized Hugh, and the late Mr.
Stephens, of Merthyr Tydfil, was probably right in
regarding the Aedd of modem Welsh tradition as a
Goidelic° importation from North Britain." EngUsh
name — Masterchurch.
Llanfrynach or Llanfyrnach. — From Brynach, a
popular Irish saint, who accompanied Brychan Bryck-
einiog to Britain in the fifth century. English name—
WaterhiU. Llangloffan. — The church is dedicated to Cloffan.
English name — Cloffan.
LLANGOLMAN.--From Colman, supposed to be an
Irish saint. English name — Colman.
Llanwxda. — Wnda is a corruption of Gwyndaf, a
descendant of Emyr Llydaw, and a saint of the sixth
century, who is supposed to have been the founder of
the church. Llanwnda Point is celebrated for the
surrender, in 1797, ofthe French troops under General
Tate. English name — Fairby.
Llantyd. — Tyd is an abbreviation of Illtyd, to
whom the church is dedicated. It is also calbd
Llantwd. English name — Iltutus.
Llandeloy. — A corruption oi Llandeilo ; the parish
church is dedicated to Teilo. English name — Teilo.
Llanrhiax. — Rhian is supposed to have been the
founder of the church. English name — Ladychurch.
Llanstinax. — Stinan or Justinian, a saint of the
sixth century, was the founder of the church. English
name— Justinian.
Milford Haven. — Some are of opinion that this
is a translation of Rhyd-y-milwr, the name of a brook ;
taking mil from milwr, a soldier, and translating rhyd
into ford, then Milford. Others think it is an Angli
cized form of Myl fdr, or ymyl mor, bordering the sea.
Within a mile of the present town a streamlet was
wont to turn a mill that belonged to the Priory, and,
before the bridge-period had dawned in the district, the

201
people were obliged to cross the brook over the mill's
ford, called in Welsh Rhydyfelin, and we incline to
think Milford is a translation oi Rhydyfelin. The Welsh
name is Aher-dau-gleddyf, from the fact that the two
rivers, Cleddau Fawr and Cleddau Fach, discharge them
selves into the haven. Dau Gleddyf means two swords.
It appears that the two rivers in their flowing course
resemble two swords ; hence the name. English
name — The old one, with / inserted between I and f;
hence Millford. Haven is an Anglicized form of hafn, a
flcit, still place ; hence a refuge for ships.
Moleston, — The place was once remarkable for
its numbers of moles, on account of which it was called
Moleston, moles' town. Compare Molton (Devon) and
Molesworth (Hants), &c.
Manorbier. — Very many of the inhabitants think
the name was derived from an expression made by the
eye-witnesses of a conflict that took place between a
man and a bear. When the combatants met vis-a-vis,
the people shouted " Man or bear," hence Manorbier.
We dismiss the derivation as an outcome of vain con
jecture. Some derive Pyrr irom Barri, a Norman
lord. Others think it is the plural of por, a lord.
One writer derives it from heyr, the Norse for farm
stead. Evidently the English name is a modification
-of the Welsh Maenor Pyrr. Maenor is the Welsh for
manor, and Giraldus Cambrensis (who was born here
about the year 1146) thought it was called after Pyrrus,
who took up his abode here ; hence Maenor Pyrr, Mansio
Pyrr, or the residence of Pyr. Had we not better call
it Manor Pyr ?
Maenclochog. — Maen, a stone ; clochog, bell-like,
ringing. It appears the place derived its name from a
large stone that lay on tlie roadside near the church,
which, on being struck, gave a bell-like sound. English
name — Ringstone.
Mynwere. — This name seems like a corruption of
Mwyn aur, gold mine, which was supposed to have
been here in olden times ; but we rather think it is
<lerived from a weir on the Eastern Cleddy, on the

202
banks of which river the parish is situated, which was
noted for the abundance of fish caught there during
the season. English name — -Weirton.
Marloes. — A mutation of Marlais ; mar, an exten
sive traci of land ; lais, a corruption of clais, a trench
or rivulet. English name — Trencham.
Mazebridge. — The prefix may be the Anglo-Saxon
maze, signifying a place or passage full of windings and
turnings, which is very often spanned b}' a bridge.
Marthrey or Marthri, which is a corruption of
merthyr, martyr. The place suffered ver}' heavily from
the Danish onslaughts, and the church is dedicated to
the holy martyrs. English name — Martyrham,
Middlemill, — A translation of Felinganol. A
Baptist Chapel was built here in 1756, and called
Felinganol, from its situation near a mill of that name,
which intervened between two other mills.
MuzzLEWiCK. — From Moussel, a N.orse settler ; and
wick, a creek or bay.
Mynachlog Ddu. — Black monastery ; i.e., a
monastery belonging to the Black Friars. English
name — Blackfriars Place.
Moylgrove, — A compound of moel, a bare pointed
hill, and grove. English name — Grovehill,
Neyland. — The old Norman name was Nayland,.
signifying nigh land, the land near the sea. A\'e find
Nayland in Suffolk and Nyland in Somerset. The
inhabitants, aspiring hard to compete with their
neighbours in Milford, abandoned the old name, and
called the place New Milford.
Narberth. — In the Mabinogion it is called Yr
Arber'h, which signifies a place situated on a sloping
hill, abounding -with pe) thi, bushes. The name answers
to the physical aspect of the town. The preposition
yn, in, was generally used before Arherth; hence the
consonant n adhered to the name, and thence we have
Narberth. English name — Bushton.
Nevern, — The parish derives its name from the
rivulet Nevern, which flows through it, Lewis, in the
" Topographical Dictionary," thinks the word is

203
derived from nifer, a number, on account of the
numerous streamlets that run through the parish into-
the sea. Tegid spelt it Nanhyfer ; it so, the roots are
nant, a brook ; and hyf, bold, daring. English name —
Boldbrook. Nash. — A modification of the Norse ness, a cape,.
or promontory. Nash Point, Naze, and Nazeby, come
from the same root. Nash village is situated near
Milford Bay.
Nolton. — Noi is supposed to be a contraction of
Oliver ; hence the name means Oliver's town.
New Moat. — So called from the Flemings having
constructed a new moat here in the time of Henry 1 1.
Newport. — The Welsh name is Trefdraetk, which
signifies " a town on the sands," from its situation
near a sandy beach of considerable extent. Six or
seven places in the United Kingdom bear the name
Newport. It was wisely proposed sometime ago to
change Newport, Monmouth, to Uskport. We would
strongly advise the corporation of Trefdraeth to abandon
the name Newport, and give it the right English
name — Beachton .
Newcastle. — There is an ancient mound near the
church called "the Castle," which was called "new"
to distinguish it from a much older one, which is at a
short distance from the village.
Pelcwm.— From Pela, the titmouse; and cwm,.
valley. English name — Titcombe,
Penybryn. — The name signifies a place on the top-
of the hill. Enghsh name — Tophill.
Pope Hill.— The lower part of the county was-
once designated Pebydiog, popedom, because St. David
was considered as the pope of the district.
Pater, or Pembroke Dock.— This place once
consisted only of a farm, one house, and a church,
then designated Paterchurch. In 1812 surveys were

made, and in two years after the nucleus of the piesent
¦Govemn-.enr was formed, when it was called Pembic^e
Dock. Pexallt. — Pen, head; ally, a corruption oi gelly. a
grove ; signih-ing the head of the grove. The church
is situated in a thickly-wooded place. English name —
¦Grcveshead. Poxtfaex. — P'jnt, bridge : faai-maeM, stone. Per
haps faen is a corruption of Ga-aen, the name of the
river that dow-s throagh the parish : / being changed
into c for the sake of euphony. EngUsh name — Stone-
bridge. Prendergast. — This place derives its name fi-om a
Demetian family oi the name, who w-ere the owners of
the land in olden times. Maurice de Prendergast was
the last member of the femily that Uved here. Some
think the name is a Saxonized form of Bryn y Gest.
B-/y:'., a hiU ; y, the ; gest-cest, a deep glen between two
mountains having but one opening. Others sav it is
Pren-.'s.-r-guist. the inn by the tree near the water. The
right wording is probably Pen-dre-gast. The suffix is
Druidic. Lleck-yr-ast. in Cardiganshire, consists of tive
cisi faen, stone chests or ceUs, enclosed ¦within a circle
of rude stone pillars.
PuxcHESTOx. — Casmael, the Welsh name, is a
compound of C jis tdl, castie ; and Maelcg. or more
probably JAv.Va w: — J/j^.V::rt Fychan. The M\-v4-
rian " caUs it Castill Mdl. Some derive the English
name firom finsji:. pine tree ; Fijuranes-tua, then Pa«-
^-hestoH, the town of the pine trees. Others derive it
from Poynts, a proper name, pronounced Punches.
Roach. — A mutation of reck, fi-om the castle being
perched on a solitarj- rock standing out of the plain.
The first possessor of the castie is supposed to have
been Adam de Rupe, or Adam of the Rock, in the reign
of Henry I. The Roche family held p)ossession of the
castie tmtil the reign of Henrj- VI., when their exten
sive estates were li^-ided between two co-heiresses,
since which time it is supposed to have been abandoned
as a residence. EngUsh name— Rockby.

205
RHOSMAKKi'.r,— /I'Aos, the name of the cantrev. A
market was once held here ; henc<; the market for Rhos.
Rhos is spelt Roos, Roose, and Rouse by English writers.
Rhyugwilym.— The Rev. William Jones was the
first Baptist minister of the place, and having per
formed the rite of Baptism for the first time in the
river, the spot was called after him Rhydgwilym.
ICnglish name — Williamsford.
Revnoldston,— So called in honour of Reynold, a
Fleming, who probably settled here in the reign ol
Henry 1.
Kogeston. — l'"rom Roger, another Fleming, who-
took up his abode here.
.St. David's,- a free trmslation of the Welsh
Tyddewi, so called in honour of Dewi, David, the
patron saint of Wales. Its ancient n;ini(; was Mynyw,
jutting, peninsulated ; but after SI. David removed
there, and became the bishop of the see, and was
buried, the old name was abandoned, and his honour
able name was bestowed upon it. SI. David was
grandson of ('eredig, who gave his name to Ceredig
ion, and was son of Cunedda, It is snjiposed that
he was the Iirst who .sysleniatic,-illy undertook to
Christianise the people of Deinelia.
St. Dogmei.l's. — The Welsh name is Llandudoch.
Tud, a Hiirl'ace, a region ; oich, the Celtic for water, a
name quite descrijilive of the physical aspei I of the
place. The church was dedicated tn Dngfacl, .son of
Ithel, son of Ceredig. Dogniell is an Anglicism of
Dogfael, Sr, IsMAi'.i,. — This village derives its name from
Ismael, a saint of the sixth century, and supposed to
have been the foinider of the church.
Sr. Fi.oKHNCi!,.— Called in Welsh Trcgoyr, which is
probably a corruption of Tregacr, walled town or place.
We have no reason to suppose that this place was
fortified by a caer; but it may be so called from its
contiguity to ;i large wall that belonged to the extensivi;

2o6
park of the Earls of Pembroke. The church was dedi
cated to St. Florence ; hence its present name.
St. Nicholas, — The place was once called Monk-
ton, from the church being granted by Arnulph de
¦Montgomery, in 1088, to the Abbey of St. Seyes in
Normandy. In a short time after this a priory of
monks of the Benedictine order, dedicated to St.
Nicholas, was founded at this place, and made a cell
to that foreign abbey.
St. Lawrence. — This parish derives its name
from the church, which is dedicated to St. Lawrence.
St. Petrox. — A free translation of Llanbedrog.
The church was dedicated to 5^. Pedrog, or Petrox,
who flourished about the beginning of the seventh
century. SoLVA. — This beautiful little village derives its
name from the river Solfach. Sol may be a corruption
of sio, to hiss, whiz ; and Hi, a stream, signifying the
hissing stream, or it may be derived from silod, seed
lings, young fish. Or, perhaps, sol is the feminine form
of the adjective swl, which signifies dirty or muddy,
modifying ach, water ; hence solach, the muddy stream.
Some think the name is an Anglicism of Cilfach, giving
the hissing sound to e ; hence Silfach, then Solfach,
Solfa. It appears that the name was once spelt Cilfach
and Silfach ; hence it might be easily changed to
Solfach, Solfa. We adopt the latter. English name —
Creekton. Spittal. — This name is a modification of the Latin
hospitium. An ysbytty, hospital, is recorded to have been
erected in olden times near Roach encampment.
Steynton. — This village probably was so called in
honour oi Adam de Stainton. Some derive it from stean,
a stone, sometimes a boundary stone.
Sutton. — An abbreviation of South-town. It is
analogous with Surrey, the south realm, and Suffolk,
the southern division of the East-Anglian folk.
Saundersfoot. — The prefix is a contraction of
Alexander. The name signifies Alexander's place at
the foot of the hill.

207
Silvi-;r HiLL.--rerhaps the burial-place of a
Viking called Solvur.
South Dairy.- So called to distinguish it from the
north and west dairies.
Skokhoi.m. — .-\ Norse name signifying a wooded
island, Tafarn ^vvi-i:.— Tafarn, inn, public-house ; Spile,
a corruption of ysbytty, hospital ; the name is derived
from an inn raised from the ruins of an hospilium, which
had been foumled there for the accommodation of the
pilgrim traveller to the shrine of St, David's. Spital
S(iuare, London, derives its name from the church of
the piiory tnul hospital of St, Mary, which stood in
Spitalliields, luiglish ii;inie — Hospeston,
TiI'.k's Ckoss. — Perhaiis from Thor, one of the
Vikings who founded the Welsh colony,
Tkki'garn. — Tref, place, town ; carn, heap, cairn ;
signifying, literally, the town on the heap. There are
H'leat nuisses of lock contiguous to tlie village, which
from a (lislanct^ appear like extensive ruins of build
ings. ICnglish name — ("airnton.
Ti-'.MPi.i-'.ToN, — This village is so called from the
fact th.it the Knights of the Temple in olden times
iiuule it a special place of resort.
Tki-:i'IN, - - .\ corruption probably of Treffin, a
boundary-pkice, Lnglish name — Markton.
Ti-.NUY. — Called in Welsh Dinhvch y Pysgod. The
wortl /;'.s',i,'ii,-;, fish, is the tlillerenlia added to distinguish
it from its namesake in North Wales. Some maintain
it is a corrupt .\nglicisni of the original name, dinbychan,
the little fortilication or camp. The ICnglish name
affords an cthnoloi^ical evidence of the temporary
occupation of the Danes. Ten is a mutation of Dane,
ami by is Norse for ;i dwelling, a resilience, an abode ;
hence the namo signifies the dwelling-place of the
Danes, D.inesby would be the correct name, Wc
have Danb}-, the Dane's abode in Yorkshire, and
sixteen places in the north-east counties of England
called Denton, the Dane's town.

208
Tref Asser. — So called in honour of Bishop Asser,.
the bosom friend and celebrated biographer of Alfred
the Great. Some say that he was born here. Others-
derive it from Asserius Menevensis, who is supposed to-
have been born here, became a Benedictine monk,
and was scribe and chancellor to his uncle Asser..
English name — Asserton.
Trewyddel. — Gwyddel, a forester, one that lives-
in the wood; hence the name means the woodman's
abode. English name — Woodham.
Thornton. — So called in honour of Thorni, one of
the Norse settlers.
Tegfryn. — A corruption of teg, fair, and bryn, a
hill. English name— Fairhill.
Treleddidfawr. — A corruption of tre, place ;.
lladdfa, slaughter ; and fawr, great ; signifying a place
of great slaughter. Some are of opinion that some
bloody battles were fought in this district. English
name — Slaughterham.
Treteio. — Teio, perhaps, is a corruption of teiau,.
small houses, cottages, or of taeog, a vassal, tennant in
villanage, a peasant. One of the old Welsh laws-
reads thus : — " Tair rhandir a fydd yn y daeogdref" — there
shall be three sharelands in the villain-town. English
name — Vassalton,
Treflerw. — Lerw, an inflection of llerw, what is
nice or delicate. English name — Niceton.
UsMASTON. — Usmas is a corruption of Ismael, to-
whose memory the church is dedicated.
WisTON. — A free translation of Cas Gwys, the
Castle of Gwys, which was built by a Norman named
AViz ; hence the town of Wiz.
Walton. — This district was given by a Norman.
named Walter de Wale to the Knights of St. John, and
was so called in honour of the donor.
Williamston. — So called in honour of William,.
another settler of the twelfth centur}-.

209

RADNORSHIRE.
The Welsh name, Maesyfed, is variously derived.
In some ancient MSS. it is written Maeshyfaidd, which
signifies a land of boldness, or a martial region. We
are informed in the British " Triads " that three exiled
princes, Gwrgai, Cadafael, and Hyfaidd Hir, the son of
Caradog Freichfras, were on account of their military
prowess made kings ; the former two in the north, and
Hyfaidd Hir in the south. Some are of opinion that
the latter was made king of Radnor, and hence his
name was bestowed upon it. Others adhere to the
present orthography, Maesyfed, which signifies " the
imbibing meadow," or " the drinking land," from the
fact that the little river Somergill suddenly sinks into
the earth in the vicinity of New Radnor, and then
follows a subterranean course for a considerable dis
tance. The popular derivation among the inhabitants
is Maesyfed w, from the abundance of birch-groves in
the county. The English name, Radnor, was given to
it in the reign of Henry VIIL, and signifies the red
district. , We find Radford in Notts, Radlow in Here
ford, Redcliff in Gloucester, &c.
Aberedwy. — From the river Edwy that flows
through the place. Edwy is probably a derivative of
eddn, to press on, to go. Or, perhaps, the right
wording is aidwy, signifying the lively water. We
adopt the latter. English name — Briskmouth.
Abbey Cwm Hir. — Cwm Hir, long vale. Cad-
wallon ab Madoc built an abbey here in the year
1143; hence the name. English name— Longton
Abbey. Beguildy, — A corruption probably of Bugcil-dy,
the shepherd's house, a very appropriate name in a
sheep-rearing district. English name — Swainham.
Bettws-Ci.yro.— JS«Wws has been explained already.
Clyro is a corruption oiclear-wy, the clear water. English
name — Wa'terb}'.
14

210
Blethfa. — Some derive it from blith, milk ; and
man, a place ; signifying a dairy place. It is some
times spelt Bleddfa as a contraction of Bleddyn-fan,
Bleddyn's place. Bleddyn was the name of several
bards in the years 1090-1260. We incUne to think it
is a compound of blaidd, wolf ; and man, place. English
name — "Wolfham .
BouGHROOD.— Edmunds' thinks it is a corruption
oibuwch ffrwd, the cow's brook. We rather think it is
an .Anglicised form of Bachrhyd, which is a. compound
of bachog, crooked, having many turnings or windings ;
and rhyd, a ford. A streamlet that discharges itself
into the Wye, near the viUage, is called Bachwy, the
meandering water. The Wye makes a sharp turning
here. Maiandros, a river in Phrygia, is proverbial for
its many windings, whence came the word meander.
Some think the right wording is Bach-rhyd, signifying
" the little ford " on the Wye, where a boat and horse
were in constant attendance. English name- Mean-
derford. Croesfeilig. — Croes, cross ; Meilig, the name of
the son of Caw, and a saint of the fifth century.
English name— Meilig's Cross.
Cregrina. — A mutilation of Crugynau, heaps.
English name — Heapton.
CoLFA. — A corruption of Collfa, which means the
place of the hazel-wood. English name — Hazelton.
Cascob. — In "Doomsday Book" it is called
Cascope, which, according to some, is a compound of
cask and hope. Mr. Williams, in his " History of
Radnorshire," derives it thus : " Cas, a fortress ; and
ccpe, an eminence. The justness of this etymology' is
confirmed by tradition, which reports that a small
fortification of earth formerly stood on a summit on
which the church is erected ; or, perhaps, the name
casgob might mean the eminence impending over the
brook Cas, which runs through the parish, and dis
charges itself into the river Lug."

211
Cefnllys, — C(f/», "back, ridge; llys, court, haU.
Ralph Mortimer built a castle here in the year 1242,
which suggests the probability of the place being
¦defended against the incursions of the Saxons. The
name might have been derived from a martial court
that was held here. Camden says that there were ruins
of an ancient fortress upon the spot when he wrote,
almost surrounding the Court House, except on one
side, where it lies open to the common. English
name — Courthill.
Cenarth.— Cf« is Gaelic ior pen, head; arth is an
.abbreviation of garth, a hid. The place forms the
lower end of the parish. English name — Upton.
Cilgil, or KiLGiL. — Cil, a hidden place, a nook ;
gil, probably a corruption of coll, the plural of collen,
hazel-tree ; so called from the abundance of hazel wood
in the district. ICnglish name— Hazelham.
Coed-glassen. — Coed, wood; glassen, a corruption
<iigleision, the plural oi glas, green; so named from the
abundance of green trees that beautified the district in
¦olden times. English name — Greenwood.
CwM-GELLAU, or CwM-GiLLA. — Cwm, a vale; gellau,
a corruption of collen, hazel-tree. The place lies in a
beautiful valley, abounding with hazel wood. English
name — Hazel Vale.
CwMDAUDDWR. — Dttuddwr, two streams of water, so
called from the situation of the parish church near the
confluence of the rivers Elain and Wye. The parish
adjoins the counties of Brecon, Cardigan, and Mont
gomery, and is the only one in Radnorshire where
Welsh is understood and spoken. According to collo
quial pronunciation it is Cwmwd Douddwr, the commote
of the two waters. English name — Watercomb.
Clas Garmon. — Clas, a green spot or enclosure, a
cloister ; Garmon, perhaps the memorable Germanus.
Enghsh name — Garmon's Cloister.
Dyffryn Elan. — Dyffryn, a long vale; Elau, the
name of the river that runs though it. EngUsh
name — Elan Vale.

EvENjoBB.— The popular opinion in the neighbour
hood anent the name is that a man named Job Uved
here at some remote period, and was proverbial, as
the prototype Job, for patience and evenness of temper,
and hence the place was called in honour of him. The
name is," perhaps, a compound of efes, brink or margin ;
and. hwpp, a slope. Burlinjobb, in the same county,
means Brechla's hwpp or slope. It was anciently spelt
' Evanchohh, Evan's cop, i.e., Evan's hill-top.
Felindre. — A compound oi melin, mill; and tref, a
place. English name — Millton.
Glascomb. — A compound of glas, green ; and comb,
an Anglicism of cwm, a valley, a dingle. The village
lies in a beautiful and verdant valley, where also
stands the fine mansion of Glascomb. English narae —
Greencomb. GoLON. — A corruption probably of colwyn, a sharp
hillock, a promontory. English name— Hillton.
Harpton.— A translation of the Welsh name,
Trefydelyn. Heyop. — A compound of haye, a grove, and cope, an
eminence. English name — Grovehill.
KiNNERTON. — A corruption of Cenarth, headland,
and town, signifying a place at the headland.
Knighton. — The Welsh name is Trefyclawdd,
¦ Dykestown, so called from its contiguity to Offa's
Dyke, traces of which are discernible to this day.
The English name means knight-town, which, after
the Norman Conquest, was probably held on the
tenure of knightly service, and is one of those names
" that illustrate the old law phrase, " a knight's fee."
Knucklas. — A corrupted form of cnwc, a slight
eminence, and glas, green. Cnwc has been corrupted in
- a few English place-names, such as Knocklin (Salop),
Knock-holt (Kent)-, and Knock (Wilts) ; and in Ireland
we find Knockglass, Knockdow, &c. English name —
Greenbank. Llananno. — The church is dedicated to Wonno, or
Anno. English name — Annoton.

213
Llanbadarn Fawr. — The church is dedicated to
Padarn, a descendant of Emyr Llydaw, and it is called
Fawr in distinction from Llanbadarn-Fynydd and Llan-
badam-y-Gareg. English name — Padarn Major.
Llandegley. — The church was probably dedicated
to Tegwel, a Welsh saint. Tegwel means a fair coun
tenance or aspect. English name — Fairchurch.
Llangunllo.— The church is dedicated to Ctmllo,
a Welsh saint. Cunllo, or Cynllo, is probably made up
oi cyn, the first or chief, and Uo or lo, referred by Pro
fessor Rhys to a word of the same origin as the Latin
lupus, a wolf. English name — Wolfton.
Llandrindod. — Its ancient name was Ffynon Llwyn
y G6g, the well of the cuckoo's bush ; but in 1603 the
church was dedicated to the Drindod (Trinity) ; hence
the name. English name — Trichurch.
Llanddewi-Ystradenni. — The church is dedicated
to St. Dewi. Ystrad, a flat, a vale ; enni-yn-wy, on or near
the water. The village is situated in a low vale on the
river Ithion. English name — Ithonton.
Llanfareth. — The church is situated near the
confluence of the rivers Mareth and Wye; hence the
name. Mareth signifies lively or active water. English
name — Sprighton.
Llanfihangel Rhydithon. — The church is dedi
cated to St. Michael. Rhyd, a ford ; Ithon, the name of
the river that flows through the parish. English
name — Ithonford.
Llanyre. — Yre is an abbreviation of Llyre. The
church is dedicated to Llyr, a descendant of Cunedda
Wledig, and a saint of the fifth century. English
name — Lyrton.
Meisty-Rhos-Lowry.— M«"s^j)/ is, probably, a cor
ruption of maes, a field, and ty, a house ; rhos, a dry
meadow, a plain. Lowry perplexes us; the root,
perhaps, is llawr, ground ; or, perhaps, it is a gross
mutilation of loyw-ddu, reddish black, in allusion to the
hue of the boggy ground. EngUsh name— Plainton.

214
MoNOGHTY. — A corruption of mynach-dy, a monas
tery. It is supposed that a monastery stood here in
olden times. Monaughty Poydd (Salop) is said to be
Monachty Poeth, the hot monastery. English name —
Monkton. Nantmel. — Nant, a brook ; mil, according to some"-
is an abbreviation of Mael, a personal narae ; but w-e
rather think it is the Welsh for honey ; hence the
name means honey-brook, so called, perhaps, from its
hue, or from the hives of wild bees in the neighbouring
rocks. English name — Honeybrook.
Norton. — The name probably means north-town,
or, perhaps, Norman town. The British name was
supplanted by that of the Norman Castle.
Painscastle. — A castle was built here during the
Norman period by the De Pain family, whose name
was conferred upon it and the village which lies at the
base of the hill. Pain was a Norman knight, and his
name is also preserved in Paignton (Devon) and Pains-
wick (Gloucester).
Presteign. — It was anciently known as Llanan-
dras, so called from the dedication of the church to St.
Andrew. The English name means the priest's town.
It is the solitary instance of Prest occurring in Welsh
place-names. We have thirty-six Prestons, two Prest-
burys, and two Prestwolds, in the nomenclature of
England ; but we have only one in Wales, and that
occurs in the more than half English county of Radnor.
Who was this priest ? Probably David Martin, bishop
of St. David's, about the end of the thirteenth century.
He was an extraordinary benefactor to this place,
having obtained for the inhabitants many privileges,
and among others, those of holding a weekly market on
Saturday, and fairs three times a year. English name —
Prieston. Pantydwr. — The name signifies the hollow of the
water. English name — Dalewater.
Penybont. — The end of the bridge ; hence
Bridgend.

215
PiLLETH.— A corruption oi pwll, pool; and llaith,
moist, humid. The vale is very narrow and well-
watered, which probably suggested the name, Enghsh
name— Glenwater.
Rhaiadr. — This town derives its name from a
Rhaiadr, a waterfall, that is contiguous to it. The
Welsh call it Rhaiadr Gwy, from its situation on the
eastern bank of the river Wye. The word rhaiadr is
derived, perhaps, from rhuo, to roar, bluster, in allusion
to the din of the water in its fallen state. English
name— Dinwater.
Salford. — A compound oi sath, a willow, and ford;
signifying the willow ford.
St. Harmon. — From St. Garmon, to whom the
parish church is dedicated.
Trefonen. — Tref, an abode, a place ; onen, ash tree-
English name — Ashtown.
Weythel — A corruption oi Gwyddel, a man of the
wood, an Irishman. English name — AA^oodby.

i^fe^v

2l6

LIST OF SUBSCRIBERS.

Copies.
Allen, Rev. R , Cwmavon 12
Allen, Jotin, Bryntroedgam
Allen, W., Bryntroedgam
Antiquarian 20
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Austin, J., Treorky i
Benjamin, J., Swansea
Bevan, J., Llansadwm
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BeynoD, Rev. D. J., Abercarn
Beynon, A., Pentre 2
Bird. J., Rhymney
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Bowen, D., Abercarn
Bowen, Alfred, Dowlais
Brown, Hev. J. .T., Birmingham
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Butterworth, H. G., Bedminster
Cartwright, .1., Dowlais 2
Charles, E., Bassaleg
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Clegg, J., Rochdale
Corbett, J. A., Cardiff 8
Crawshay, W. T., Cyfarthfa Castle
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Davies, D., Llanddeusant
Davies D., Myddfai
Davies, T., Dowlais
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Davies, Rev. D., Dyfri Myrddin
Davies, R., Pontypool College
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Davies, Rev. D.. Newport
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Davies, T., Dowlais
Davies, W., Portmadoc
Davies, John, Swansea
Davies, Rev. D. R, Foxhole
Davies, Alfred, Cwmavon
Davies, E., M.D., Vochriw 2
Davies, Rev. W., Langum
Davies, W^., Tredegar
Davies, Rev. W. 6., Dowlais
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College
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(Carm.)
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Davies, J., Postmaster, Dowlais
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Davies, Jonathan, Middlesboro'
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Davies, Rev. J. P., Caerphilly
Da-vies, J. R., Bedlinog
Davies, T., Cwmavon
Davies, Rev. T. Teirionydd, Maerdy
Dyfed, Nathan, Merthyr!
Edmunds, Rev. E., Treherbert
Edwards, Eev. W., B.A., Pontypool
College
Edwards, Rev. J., Llanddewi
Edwards, W., Blaenavon
Edwards. Rev. John, Porth
Ellis, D. F. Aberystwyth
Evans, T., Dowlais
Evans, W., Oxford
Evans, Rev. T., London
Evans, Rev. J. D., Caio
Evans, Rev. B., Rhuddlan
Evans, Rev. R., Hengoed 2
Evans, Samuel, Dowlais 6
Evans, M. T. , Dowlais 6
T^vans, J., Chemist, Dowlais
Evans, Beriah Gwynfe, Cardiff
Evans, Rev. J. R. . Rhymney
Evans, Herbert, Cwmavon

217

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Evans, John, Dowlais
Evans, Rev. J. C. , Dowlais
Evans, T. N., Rhymney
Evans, Key. J. ii., Oxford 2
Evans, Rev. W., Vicarage, Rhymney
Evans, Rev. Mesech, Merthyr Vale
Evans, Rev. T. M., Abergwili
EvaiiS, Rev. D. Silyu, Aberdare
Evans, Rev. T. V., Clydach
Evans, E. R., Pontypool College
Evans, Kev. J., Pontypool
Evans, Rov. T. T., Abertillery
Evans, Mrs. S., Pengaruddu
Evans, T. J., Loudou
Evaus, J., Draper, Dowlais
Evans, LL Cynfyn, Treboeth
Evans, K. D. , Swansea
Evans, T. B. , Dowlais
Evaus, Samuel, Bangor
Fivans, E., Llandeloy
Evaus, John, Pumsaint
Evaus, Daniel, New Tredegar
Evans, E. W., Dolgellau
Evans, Arthur B., Crickhowell
Evans, Rev. Evan, Stockton
Evaus, D. O., Penydarren
Evaus, Rev. Rees, Merthyr
Evaus, Kev. E., Hirwain
Evans, Rev. B., Telynfab, Aberdare
Eynon, W., Bedlinog
Fitzgerald, James, Kidderminster
Fleming, G., M.A., Dowlais
Frimstou, Rev. T., Swansea
6ibby,T., Dowlais
Gimlet, Rev. J., Dowlais
Goodwin, D. J., Build was
Gower, Daniel, t'wmavou
<lriifiths, Eev. W. B, New Tredegar 2
Griffiths, Rev. D., Cwmdare
Griffiths, W., Fishguard
Grittiths, John, Dowlais
Griffiths, D., Printer, Dowlais
Griffiths, The A'en John, Archdeacon,
Llandaff
Griffiths, Rev. George, Rhymney
Griffiths, Rev. G., Dowlais
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GriffiUis, D., Black Wells
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Griffiths, Daniel, Dowlais
Griffiths, LL Glan Afan, Cwm Corn
Griffiths, Rev. O. Giraldus, Utica 12
Gwyn, Howel, J. P., Neath
Harris, Rev. H., St. David's
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Harris, William, Dowlais
Hairis, W., Merthyr
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Harris, T., Pontypool College

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Hairis, B., Swansea
Harris, R. Rhydfelen
Herbert, Job, Pontypool College
Hiley, George, Llaneliy (Brecon)
Hiley, Rev. D. J., Merthyr
Hill, Solomon, New Tredegar 4
Hilton, J., Dowlais
Hirst, D., Dowlais
Holmes, W., Tredegar
Hopkins, Evan, Rhydfelen
Hopkins, D. W., Deri
Houlsou, A., Dowlais
Howells, H. Dowlais
Howells, Kev. J., Mountain Ash
Howells, Rev. John, Olohon
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Hughes & Son, printers, Pontypool
Hughes, Rev J., Nantymoel
Hughes, R., Morriston
Hughes, W., Briton Ferry
Hughes, Elias, Colwyn Bay
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Hughes, John, Staylittle
Humphreys, (i. VV., Pontypool Col.
James, Rev. Isaac, Portmadoc
James, David, Ynysybwl
James, Rev. W., Cyfarthfa
James, Rev. D., Llandeilo
James, D., Cwmavon
James, William, Dowlais
James, D., Dowlais
James, C. H., C.E., Merthyr
James, U. C. , solicitor, Merthyr 2
James, C. H.,M.P., Merthyr 4
James, Enoch, Rhymney
James, Charles K., Merlhyr
James, Rev. Jason, Penydarren
Jeffreys, Rev. W. E., Llangeler
Jenkins, Daniel, Cwmavon
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Jenkins, Rev. T., Pentyrch
Jenkins, W., Dowlais
Jenkins, Miss, Abermorlais School
Jenkins, R., Pontypool College
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Jenkyn, R. I., F.R.H.S., Bethesda 2
John, John, Mountain Ash
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Jones, T., grocer, Dowlais
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Jones, D., gasworks, Dowlais
Jones, Rev. W., Bradford
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Jones, J. Griffith, Dowlais
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Jones, J. B., draper, Clydach

2l8

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Jones, Owen, Pwllheli
Jones, Rev. J., Mynydd Islwyn
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Jones, Rev. J. V , New Tredegar
Jones, Rev. T. Denis, Swansea
Jones, G. R.. Caradog, Cardiff
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Jones, Daniel, Dowlais
Jones, John, Dowlais
Jones, C. W., Balkam, London
Jones, D., Merthyr
Jones, Eev. M. , Cwmif or
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Lewis, Richard, Dowlais
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Lewis, Rev. 0., Talywain
Lewis, T. , Biigam
Lewis, Edmund, Deri
Lewis, Henry, Khydftlen
Lewis, James, Dowlais
Llewellyn, J. T. D., J.P., Penllergare-
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Morris, Rev. J. A., Aberystwyth
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Nicholas, W. J., Pontypool College
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O'Neill, John, Dowlais
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Owen, W., Ap Brutus, Dowlais-
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Owen, Henry, Pontrhydyfen
Owen, Edward, Dylife
Parry, Rev. A. J., Carmarthen
Parry, Rev. E., Ffestiniog
Parry, R. M., Portmadoc

219

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Parry, John, Abercarn
Parry, J., PontsticiU
Parry, G. K., Beddgelert
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Peregrine, Rev. K., B.D., Rhymney
Phillips, I., Burry Port
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Phillips. G., Morriston
Picton, John, Cwmavon
Poole, J. P., Merthyr
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Price, John, Dowlais
Price, B. T., California 4
Pi-ice, David. Dowlais
Price, Rev. J., Beaufort
Prohert, Eev. E. E., Abercarn
Probert, Rev. L., Pentre, Ystrad
Prosser, D., Tredegar
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Protheroe, R., Pontypool
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Powell, D. Blaenavon
Powell, D., Dowlais
Powell, Kev. W., Ebbw Vale
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Powell, E., Pootypool College
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Pugh, Mi.-5s, Merthyr
Pugh T., Caio
Eees, Eev. John, Merthj-r Vale G
Rees, Eev. Thomas, Jamaica
Rees, Rev. John, Pontrhydyrun
Rees, B. , Granant
Rees, W.. Troedyrhiw
Rees, E. P., chemist, Dowlais
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Eeichel, M. R., MA., Bangor
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Short, E. H., H M. Inspector
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Sylvester, C, Bristol
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Thoraas, J. D ,- Rliymney
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Thomas, John, B.A., Bangor
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Thomas. Rev. 'VV., Aberewmboy
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Truran, Matthew, Bedlinog Hall £
Vaughan, J., solicitor, Merthyr
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Vivian, Sir Hnssey, Bart., M.P.

220

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Walters, W. , Pengam
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Williams, Rev. James, Dowlais
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Williams, R., Holyhead
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Williams, Rev. W. "r., Gelligaer
Williams, W. J., Tony pandy 6
Williams, H., Dowlais
Williams, R., Llanrwst 100
Williams, Edward, Dowlais
Williaras, P., Dowlais
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