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St Elvis, Pembrokeshire

Coordinates: 51°52′19″N 5°10′52″W / 51.872°N 5.181°W / 51.872; -5.181
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

St Elvis
The Dinas Fawr headlands
beside the site of St Elvis
St Elvis is located in Pembrokeshire
St Elvis
St Elvis
Location within Pembrokeshire
OS grid referenceSM811240
Principal area
CountryWales
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townHAVERFORDWEST
Postcode districtSA62
PoliceDyfed-Powys
FireMid and West Wales
AmbulanceWelsh
List of places
UK
Wales
Pembrokeshire
51°52′19″N 5°10′52″W / 51.872°N 5.181°W / 51.872; -5.181

St Elvis (Welsh: Llaneilfyw, [ɬanəilvəu]) is a parish in Pembrokeshire, Wales, about 4 miles (6 km) east of St David's. At 200 acres (81 ha) it is one of the smallest parishes in Wales[1] but its rector was previously the superior of the vicar of the church at Solva[2] (today dependent upon nearby Whitchurch instead).[3] The parish of Whitchurch and St Elvis together form the community of Solva.

Name

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The name is a Latinized form of the Welsh saint Eilfyw, also well known by his Gaelic name Ailbe. Former forms of the name include Llanelvewe and Llanailfyw. According to Rhyddferch's 11th-century Life of Saint David, Elvis baptized Saint David[4] in AD 454 at Porth Clais in Dyfed.[5] (Note, however, that this dating seems unlikely.)[6]

St Elvis farm

History

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A 5000-year-old cromlech—including two early British tombs—lies nearby,[7] although they were damaged by a tenant farmer in the 19th century who removed two of the stones.

GENUKI notes church and chapel records dating from the 19th century, with two farms.[8] There is still a St Elvis farm[9] (Vagwr Eilw[7]) and the ruins of the earlier monastery and church, covered with blackthorn.[7] St Elvis's Well is also nearby and continued to produce 360 gallons an hour amid the 1976 drought.[7]

Religious sites

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There is a shrine to St Elvis, located at 51°52′12.7″N 5°10′43.2″W / 51.870194°N 5.178667°W / 51.870194; -5.178667.

References

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  1. ^ "GENUKI: St Elvis". Retrieved 1 May 2015.
  2. ^ Breverton, Terry (2009). "Saint Elvis". Wales: A Historical Companion. Stroud: Amberley. p. 164.
  3. ^ GENUKI. "Whitchurch (Tre-groes)".
  4. ^ Everything2. "Saint Elvis".
  5. ^ Breverton, Terry. An A-Z of Wales and the Welsh. Christopher Davies, 2000.
  6. ^ The Catholic Encyclopedia. "St Ailbe". Hosted at New Advent.
  7. ^ a b c d "Saint Elvis" in Terry Breverton's Wales: A Historical Companion, pp. 164 f. Amberley Publishing (Stroud), 2009.
  8. ^ Hicks, Gareth (11 November 2007). "St Elvis (Llaneilfyw)". Retrieved 26 May 2009.
  9. ^ St Elvis farm Solva Pembroke SA62 (Map). Google maps. Retrieved 26 May 2009.