Our next acquaintance with Llanelly is in more Christian time, though we have not yet
emerged from the bounds of uncertainty and conjecture. The name Llanelly " is
understood to mean the church of Ellyw or Eliw. According to Jones' " Breconshire
" this saint was a grand-daughter of Brychan, and presumably was patron also of that
other Llanelly in the neighbourhood of Crick¬owell. Her "wake" is held on the
Sunday next before the 1st of August (O.S.) There is a probability that Eliw is only an
abbreviation of Elined, and if so she would be the Almedha of Giraldus Cambrensis. Of this
saint the Church-historian Cressy says:-" This devout virgin, rejecting the proposal
of an earthly prince, who sought her in marriage, and espousing herself to the Eternal
King, consummated her life by a triumphant martyrdom." She suffered on a hill near
Brecon in the fifth century. It is con¬sidered probable that the Church of Llanelly was
founded soon after ; but of course all trace of the original building has long since
disappeared : here again the name has proved our only permanent legacy.
It is said that about the time of which we are now speaking, a monastery was founded on
Machynis. This place in ancient times. (as indeed its name suggests) was actually an
island : it so appears on Camden's map of "Carmardenshire" (1586) and even
as late as in the Stepney Estate plan of 1761. The monastery, so it was said, was founded
by St. Piero, who established himself as the first abbot, and was followed by Samson, a
disciple of St. Illtyd. Machynis is a corruption of a term meaning "Monk's
island," and, together with some ruins built into the present house, remains to tell
of the old monastery which flourished until Henry VIII. broke up these religious houses
throughout the kingdom
Llanelly Directory 1897
Regards
Richard
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