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CAERWYS CHURCH By CANON ELLIS DAVIES, M.A., D.Litt.. F.S.A. The parish church of Caerwys is dedicated to St. Michael, the Archangel, and that fact indicates that it is not an early foundation-at any rate not before the first half of the eighth century, when the cult of St. Michael started and became very popular in Wales. That was due to the alleged appearance or apparition of the Archangel on the continent about this time, as for example at Monte Tumba in Normandy in 710. There are altogether in the Principality nearly a hundred churches which have St. Michael as their patron saint. A great number of them still bear the name Llanfihangel." Very frequently churches are associated with wells which are called after the same saints as the churches themselves. There is, for example, Ffynnon Ddier or Ddeifyr at Bodfari (site not now certainly identified), Ffynnon Elian at Llanelian. Ffynnon Seiriol at Penmon, Ffynnon Gybi, and many others, called aft'r native saints. The St. Mary's wells-Ffynnonfair-are very numerous as for example that at Ysgeifiog, the patron saint of which church is St. Mary. Caerwys likewise has its sacred or patron saint's well, Ffynnon Mihangel or Fihangel, St. Michaels well, which is situated about half a mile to the west of the church in Maesmynan Wood. What the original connection or relation between these wells an the churches was we do not know. Very often there is a considerable distance separating the saint's well from the church, as in the case of Caerwys, Ysgeifiog and Llanelian. Possibly the founders of Christian communities chose sites neir wells for t In- convenience of administering Holy Baptism then, at a later time, for one reason or another, the building for worship was erected some distance away. But this is only guessing and as such is perilous. Although there was at Caerwys. as far as is known, no church before the St. Michael foundation it would seem that Christian believers lived in the vicinity at an early date, for there stood a mile or so to the N.W. of the church, until the beginning of the nineteenth century, a memorial stone to a Christian lady, bearing the inscription Hie Jaeit Mulier Bona Nobili (here lies the good wife for Bona the wife] of Nobilis), and belonging to the 6th century. It was removed from Plas yn Rhos to Downing by David Pennant but is now in Whit ford Church. The earliest known reference to Caerwys church is in 1284. In that year compensation amounting to sixty shillings was paid by the King to Jervaste, rector of the chapel of Caerwys (" Jervasius rector capelle de Kerwys ") (see