This is the first thorough, authoritative study of the place-names of the entire pre-1974 Flintshire, scholarly in substance, readable in presentation, with its selection of names based on the OS Landranger 1:50,000 map. The entry for each of the 800 names presents a grid reference, documentary and oral evidence with dates, derivation and meaning, and a discussion of the significance of the name in terms of history, language, landscape and industrial associations. Additionally, comparisons are drawn with similar names in other parts of Wales and the UK, and the later linguistic development of names is charted in light of the particular influences of a bilingual society.
This is the first thorough, authoritative study of the place-names of the entire pre-1974 Flintshire, scholarly in substance, readable in presentation, with its selection of names based on the OS Landranger 1:50,000 map. The entry for each of the 800 names presents a grid reference, documentary and oral evidence with dates, derivation and meaning, and a discussion of the significance of the name in terms of history, language, landscape and industrial associations. Additionally, comparisons are drawn with similar names in other parts of Wales and the UK, and the later linguistic development of names is charted in light of the particular influences of a bilingual society.
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This is the first thorough, authoritative study of the place-names of the entire pre-1974 Flintshire, scholarly in substance, readable in presentation, with its selection of names based on the OS Landranger 1:50,000 map. The entry for each of the 800 names presents a grid reference, documentary and oral evidence with dates, derivation and meaning, and a discussion of the significance of the name in terms of history, language, landscape and industrial associations. Additionally, comparisons are drawn with similar names in other parts of Wales and the UK, and the later linguistic development of names is charted in light of the particular influences of a bilingual society.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781786831125 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | University of Wales Press |
| Publication date: | 07/01/2017 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 272 |
| File size: | 599 KB |
About the Author
Ken Lloyd Gruffydd was one of the most highly regarded figures in local history in Flintshire and in Wales. A former deputy headteacher, he was a regular contributor to learned publications, and editor of several local history journals.
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CHAPTER 1
PLACE-NAMES OF FLINTSHIRE
Over many years, Ken Lloyd Gruffydd and I, independently and collaboratively, gathered vast amounts of material pertaining to place-names in Flintshire. Many are names we have written about in the past, with varying degrees of detail, and with different readers in mind. Some are responses in radio programmes or in local papers; many result from private correspondence. Cymdeithas Enwau Lleoedd Cymru/Welsh Place-Name Society has prompted a new wave of interest throughout Wales, revealing untapped local knowledge about less familiar names such as those of farms and fields.
This volume brings together much of what we have published or said in the past in individual notes on particular names, together with the publications of other scholars. However, the vast majority of Flintshire names have not been discussed anywhere by anyone. In any case, even for place-names already dealt with elsewhere, this volume represents fresh material, building, inevitably, on newly deposited documents, recent developments in toponomy and in particular our current knowledge of the significance of certain elements.
We must also draw attention to the contribution of Ellis Davies in his Flintshire Place-Names (University of Wales Press, 1959), a volume that is particularly valuable because of his knowledge of the county and his comments on buildings and people that illuminated what might otherwise have been lost by the time we came to write. Derrick Pratt, too, wrote at length and in great detail about Maelor and shared his knowledge of local and documentary history. Flintshire has a number of lively local history societies whose transactions regularly feature articles on place-names, particularly the Flintshire Historical Society Journal, Clwyd Historian, Ystrad Alun and Buckley.
SELECTION OF NAMES
This volume deals with 753 places. There are 48 places with dual names making a total of 801 actual names. We have based the selection on the names appearing on the OS Landranger maps (revised 2000) with frequent reference to the OS Explorer maps. We also added an occasional traditional or literary name that is part of Flintshire's heritage but does not appear on the Landranger maps. On the other hand, where we discovered the name seemed to be very recent and we could not provide documentary evidence of earlier usage, we tended to omit that name. Inevitably, there will be readers who will search in vain for a particular name. We encourage them to visit Ken Lloyd Gruffydd's digital database which may well provide at least historical evidence for those additional names.
PRESENTATION
Each paragraph comprises the place-name as a headword (or headwords where there are dual names), the national grid reference (NGR), the meaning of the place-name, the elements that make up the component parts of the name (assumed to be Welsh unless otherwise indicated), the historical evidence (with dates and sources), and a discussion of the significance of the name (including phonological, historical, orthographic or topographic interpretation). The length of each paragraph varies in accordance with the amount of documentary evidence necessary and on the detail and complexity of the discussion. The style of discussion is scholarly, readable narrative. The volume is aimed at both specialist and general reader.
Standardization of the orthography of Welsh place-names is a work in progress. Standard forms are by and large based on Elwyn Davies's A Gazetteer of Welsh Place-Names (University of Wales Press, 1957, 1967). Some maps, and occasional local usage, have preserved forms that have since been standardized in accordance with guidelines of a panel of experts under the aegis of the (former) Welsh Language Board and now the Welsh Language Commissioner. The model followed here is that settlement names (villages etc.) and landscape features have been standardized in accordance with those guidelines but non-standard spellings have been respected for house and farm names.
THE EVIDENCE OF PLACE-NAMES IN FLINTSHIRE
The purpose of this section is to see what Flintshire's place-names tell us about its landscape, history and language by highlighting significant features and themes, citing a few examples of place-names that illustrate each feature. Reference to the text proper will provide the evidence. What we do not do is present a detailed survey of linguistic, historical, geological or industrial profile of Flintshire. Such a task would have been appropriate after completion of an exhaustive three-volume survey of Flintshire's place-names as originally envisaged when The Place-Names of East Flintshire was written. Since the other two detailed volumes were never attempted this selective volume will, for the foreseeable future, provide the best overview of the characteristics of Flintshire place-names.
Pre-history
River names in particular can be Celtic, Brittonic (Brythonic) or Old Welsh. This is because major rivers have always been prominent features of the landscape, marking boundaries and providing transport links. Because of their permanence names of rivers can be ancient, frequently the oldest names in a region.
Alun, Clwyd, Dee, Elwy
River settlements
Rivers have long given their names to settlements established on their banks. Occasionally, the nature of the terrain is determined by flooding and marshland associated with brooks and rivers.
Broughton, Bryn Carrog, Gronant, Hesb Alun, Nannerch, Nercwys, Llong, Roe, Stimmy
Tumuli, hill forts and lowland defences
The landscape of Flintshire has several prominent sites that over the centuries have been fortified in some way or were the locations of tumuli.
Basingwerk, Brynllystyn, Gorsedd, Gwesbyr, Hawarden, Penycloddiau, Mold, Worthenbury
Ecclesiastical and other religious associations
Ecclesiastical establishments, churches, chapels and biblical references feature commonly in place-names.
Babell, Babylon, Carmel, Dyserth, Llaneurgain, Prestatyn, Sodom, Spital, Tre-lan
Migration
The north-east coast of Wales (as with the west coast and south Wales) has seen Viking travel from Ireland and the Isle of Man. The evidence is scarce since, as far as we can tell today, there were few permanent Scandinavian settlements. Romans, Mercians, Normans and English settled in varying degrees of density, but while their archaeological traces are scarce (with the exception of castles) place-names record their presence.
Axtyn, Dee, Englefield, Hawarden, Hope, Mold, Point of Ayr, -ton/-tyn
People
Frequently, personal names occur in place-names, people who were associated with the location for a variety of reasons.
Alltami, Bretton, Brynhovah, Connah's Quay, Croes Ati, Hanmer, Mancot, Padeswood, Penley
Industry
From Roman times mineral riches have been exploited in Flintshire, including lead, limestone and coal. The later periods saw heavy industry taking advantage of transport links by road and by river. Several industrial ventures had settlements associated with them.
Cadole, Catch, Connah's Quay, Golch, Pant-y-mwyn, Pentre Ffwrndan, Pen y Ball, Moel-y-crio
Agriculture
Agricultural practice frequently gave names to habitations that sometimes became the names of settlements.
Cyffredin, Ffrith, Gwernaffield, Hottia, Spon, Talacre, Trench
Landscape
Topographic features are probably the most common elements in place-names, such as on the Dee's banks and the prominent range of hills and slopes and shallow river valleys.
Hesb Alun, Mertyn, Morfa, Rake, Rhuddlan, Rhyl, Sealand, Sychdyn
Vegetation and trees
The feature of a location at a particular period was occasionally some distinctive tree or vegetation.
Axtyn, Bannel, Berthen-gam, Coed-y-cra, Fawnog, Ffynnon y Cyff, Pant-yffuon, Trefraith
Travel
Routes, major and minor, sometimes became the names of locations and villages.
Bwlch, Croes y Stryt, Holway, Lane End, Rhewl, Stamford, Tinkersdale
Language
The majority (62%) of the place-names in this volume are Welsh. Interestingly, 15% of these names appeared in Domesday Book 1086, probably the highest proportion in Wales. Inevitably, migration of non-Welsh speakers has influenced the phonological development of many names (anglicization) but conversely English names have been subject to transformation by Welsh speakers (cymricization). Place-name elements are the essence of a language's lexicon.
Bachymbyd, Bagillt, Caergwrle, Coed-llai, Coedtalon, Estyn, Glol, Llawndy, Milwr, Moel-y-crio, Sychdyn
GLOSSARY OF ELEMENTS
The glossary of 439 elements is based on the elements occurring in the 801 names featured in the volume. The glossary serves several purposes. It can act as an index that allows the reader to search out other names with the same element. It shows the languages that have contributed to the place-names of Flintshire. It demonstrates dialectal variants that are characteristic of north-east Wales. It allows us to incorporate recent developments in our understanding of landscape terms in Wales and in England. We believe this glossary is a valuable contribution to what must ultimately be a dictionary of place-name elements for Wales.
An analysis of the language of the elements has proved interesting. Despite the English profile of industrial and post-industrial modern Flintshire, the place-name elements reveal a robust Welsh character. Of the 439 elements, 62% (272) are Welsh. Certainly, counties such as Anglesey, Merioneth, Denbigh and Gwynedd probably have a higher proportion of Welsh elements. However, Flintshire is very different. We have a high number of Old English elements in Flintshire, representing 15% (66), pointing to early English encroachment and habitation. It was this Mercian colonization that gives Flintshire one of its distinctive characteristics, surviving in its place-names. Interestingly, although Flintshire's industrial development was one of the features that later attracted migration from England, it accounted for only 17% (74) of the elements. In other words, early Mercian colonization and later industrial development are roughly comparable in terms of the number of English place-names.
Sources
The documentary historical evidence is drawn form the usual range of estate papers and maps, Ordnance Survey maps, parish registers, tithe maps and schedules, calendars of printed documents and a multitude of deposits in the archives of Flintshire, Wales and Britain. The section on sources at the end of the volume provides details. For further information on the role of the Ken Lloyd Gruffydd online database of Flintshire sources (KLGF), please refer to earlier paragraphs in the Preface and to the note at the beginning of the Sources section.
PLACE-NAMES OF FLINTSHIRE
Abbey Farm
SJ0277
'farm associated with the abbey', E abbey, E farm
The Abby 1754 PR, Plas newydd or Abbey farm 1820 K
The farm is located next to the site of the medieval Rhuddlan Abbey (described as 'remains of Friary' on the 1999 map) adjacent to the river Elwy. The name Plas Newydd ('new mansion') does not appear to have survived. On the significance of a farm dedicated to the use of a religious establishment see Prestatyn. On abbey as a place-name element see VEPN i 1–2 s.v. abbaie.
Aberkinsey
SJ0480
'enclosure of Kinsey', buarth, pers.n. Kinsey
Buarkynsy 1363 K, Buartkynsy 1364 K, Bercinsi c. 1500 KLG, Berth Kyncy 1515 K, Berthekynsey 1539 K, Perthkinsy 1560 K, Perth Kynsey 1567 K, Berthkinsey 1612 K, Perthkinsiensi 1623 PR, Berkinsey c. 1700 Paroch 157, Aberkinsey 1751 K, Aberkinsey alias Perkinsey 1823 PR
The name of a house between Rhuddlan and Meliden. The personal name Kinsey is rare in the 14th century in the area, but a Jo. Kinsey is recorded in 1669 (FPN). If Kinsey is as it seems, the name of an Englishman, its coupling with a Welsh element buarth fits in to the pattern of cymricization observed after the Mercian settlement of Flintshire (such as Bagillt and Golftyn). The fact that some documents record the name as -cinsi is further proof of cymricization, as does as the lenition (associated with possession) in Perthgensi 1623 and Perthgensy 1660, 1670 and 1684–5. The meanings of buarth are wide-ranging, including 'courtyard', 'enclosure', 'close', 'animal enclosure', and extending to 'place of assembly'. We can only conjecture the significance here. If we accept the 'animal enclosure' interpretation, Kinsey may have been responsible for the cattle on the low-lying pasture between Rhuddlan, Meliden and the sea. Perhaps he was employed by the castle, abbey or borough of Rhuddlan a mile and three-quarters to the south west, or by the priests of Prestatyn (q.v.) two and a half miles to the north east. If we assume the Englishman Kinsey was some kind of steward, it was the Welsh speakers under him who used buarth. Subsequently there is evidence of an interesting shift in the first element, from buarth to perth 'hedge' in its lenited form berth. We cannot tell whether the replacement was phonological or agricultural. Certainly perth/berth appear in a number of Flintshire names such as Perth y Bi (Mold), Berth (Coedtalon), Berthddu (Moel-y-crio) and Berthen (Licswm). A further phonological development was from berth to aber via an undocumented colloquial Y Berkinsey > Aber Kinsey, possibly seen as a correction, a restoration of what was perceived as an original aber; certainly a form without the medial -th- is what survived as did the aber prefix. In this instance the element aber can be taken as 'stream' (cf. Aberllannerch Brook), which flows past the house in the direction of the river Clwyd near Cwybr. See also ELlPRh 4 and CH 31 v (1993) 14.
Aberllannerch Brook
SJ2664
'brook of Llannerch stream', aber, p.n. Llannerch, E brook
Abar Lanarch 1685 KLG, Aberllanerch Brook c. 1750 K, Aber Llannerch 1764 PNEF, Aberllannerch Brook 1781 K, Aberllanerch 1799 PR
This was the upper part of the Alltami Brook that gave its name to Aberllannerch Farm (Aberllannerch Farm 1840 OS) with llannerch 'clearing, glade'. We can probably assume that the name of the farm itself was originally Llannerch. aber more usually means 'confluence', which is difficult to identify here, but 'stream' is common in north Wales. If the stream was originally called Aber Llannerch, the later addition of Brook is tautologous, added by non-Welsh speakers. Cf. Nant Llantriddyd (Glamorganshire) also known as Llantriddydd Brook (PN Glam 109). See also PNEF 170. On brook as a place-name element see VEPN ii 36–9 s.v. broc and LPN 6–9.
Abermor-ddu
SJ3056
'brook by the dark bare hill', aber, moel, du
Abermoelduy 1378 K, Aber Moell Duy 1481 PNEF, aber moel thu 1595 ib., Aber y Moel du 1623/4 ib., Abermorddu 1771 PR, Abermordy 1786 ib., Abermorddy 1795 ib.
The usual meaning of aber is 'confluence' but the confluence of the rivers Alun and Cegidog is over a mile away. Here, the secondary meaning of aber, 'brook, stream' is more likely, referring to one of several streams running into the river Alun, one of which actually flows from Cae Pistyll (Kae yr pistyll 1623 PNEF, Cae Pistyll 1852 TAS, 'spring field') through Erw Ddu (Yr Erow Thu 1568 PNEF, Erw Ddu 1668 ib., 'the black acre'). It would seem that this stream took its name from its proximity to an unidentified Y Moel Du although there is no record of one of the nearby bare hilltops (moel) bearing that name. In modern Welsh moel is feminine (hence Moel Dywyll), but most of the early documentary forms show -du with no lenition suggesting that moel was here treated as masculine. To complicate matters further, modern pronunciation stresses -ddu. Since aber is recorded as being both masculine and feminine it may lead to the (rather unsatisfactory) explanation that du referred to the aber and not the moel. Whichever noun was originally qualified by du the resultant Aber-moel-du led to an unstressed medial -moel-. Since alternation of -l- and -r- is common in Welsh, here perhaps reinforced by assimilation with the -r- of preceding Aber-, there arose the perception that the medial syllable was the adverb mor 'so, such', which would regularly be followed by lenition of du. Hence, Abermor-ddu was understood, rather quirkily, to mean 'such a black stream'. One recent suggestion that eliminates the need for linguistic contortions is that Y Moel Du is a nickname, 'the swarthy bald man'; certainly similar examples are found in Merionethshire. See also PNEF 208–9 and CH 31 (1993) 15.
(Continues…)
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