Village name change confuses residents
Published Date:
29 April 2008
By David Lawson
LLANSANTFFRAID residents were stunned last week to learn the name of their village has been changed to correct a centuries old mistake
Powys County Council have now officially adopted a new 'proper' spelling of the village's name, removing the 't' from Llansantffraid-ym-Mechain to correct a mistake dating back to the mid 19th Century, whose translation had described Celtic Saint Brigit as a man, rather than a woman.
In 'Llansanffraid' this week, residents were unaware of the change and said they were shocked to think they could have been spelling the name incorrectly.
"I'm gobsmacked," admitted Kim Langley at the Sun Hotel, "I've lived here for 12 years and I've never heard of it before. We have the old spelling on all our business cards and forms, so I hope it doesn't cause any confusion, but after hundreds of years spelling it one way I can't see people changing overnight."
Reassurance
A Powys County Council spokesman explained: "Llansanffraid-ym-Mechain has been acknowledged as the correct spelling for the community since c1600 according to historian and expert Richard Morgan, author of A Study of Montgomeryshire Place-Names. The different spellings are attributed to the language used, as Llansantffraid is the English spelling of Llansanffraid."
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The full article contains 219 words and appears in Border Counties Advertizer newspaper.
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Last Updated:
29 April 2008 9:35 AM
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Source:
Border Counties Advertizer
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Location:
Oswestry, Shropshire
