I'm not sure if this is the correct forum to mention my observations, but I'm picking it anyway.Since I have been studying more about my Welsh ancestors and trying to learn some Welsh language, I have notice "Welsh-like" words more often lately.In some cases, I find street names in the Long Beach that must definitely have some Welsh origins.For example, just in my neighborhood are street names like Radnor and Snowden. Of course there is McNab, but that might be Irish or Scottish.Long Beach is a fairly older city, not a new one by any means. I wonder who decided to name those streets????I always wonder who decides the names of streets and when they decide, how they decide.

its like davis davies , john davies i think thats the right spelling wrote a book called, black sunday a fall down funny account of the decline of the welsh coal mining industry never mind jack jones and the how green was my valley crowd its the real thing

That is what it is - and other names came from that - "Price," "Pryce" and "Brice," "Bryce" from "ap Rhys" (or ab Rhys, same thing) (son of Rhys); "Upjohn" from "ap John" (son of John); "Prichard" from "ap Richard"; etc.

I believe it means "son of". Its a largely archaic naming convention but nevertheless charming. I may be corrected on that though. I am a South-Walian...worse, a South East Walian. The Welsh language has sadly all but disappeared from Gwent ( eradicated at least in part by the infamous "Welsh Not") although efforts are being made to revive it by adult learners and via the educational system. I attended a "grammar" school in Pontypool when I was a kid where they taught French, German and Latin but NO Welsh. At the time as I believe I have mentioned elsewhere on this site, I didn't care. It was only later that I came to realise that I had lost something as a result of my education/miseducation.

I have a question that maybe Ceri can answer...Can you explain the former naming convention in Wales, like "Evan ap Owen-Bach" or "Hugh ap Owen"?

Heres another link on Carel Ap Rhys Price...the Gringo Revolutionary. http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/news/feature-news/tm_objectid=16452218&method=full&siteid=50082&headline=the-gringo-revolutionary-name_page.html

Another guy who is interesting is Carel Ap Rhys Price, a distant relative of Owain Glyndwr who led an army in the Mexican Revolutionary War 1910-1920. Carel was a hell of a boy. Once again we are endebted to John Humphries for a well researched (if difficult to get hold of) volume:- http://www.gwales.com/goto/review/en/9781903529188/

For John Rees see my review of John Humphreys amazing book "The Man From The Alamo" http://www.americymru.com/bookreviews/alamo2.html Just another of Wales many unsung heroes. His life was pure drama from end to end. Too fantastic for fiction.

Theres a book called "To Dream of Freedom" which discusses the antics of the FWA and the MAC in the 60's. The MAC were a fairly serious outfit who bombed reservoirs and threatened the 1969 Investiture Ceremony in Caernarfon. The Free Wales Army on the other hand were 50% political theatre ( although they did some serious stuff too ). You should be able to find the above mentioned book on Amazon or Ebay somewhere. I had a mate back home who was involved (on the fringes) with the FWA. He had some hilarious tales to tell.

I'm interested in that and I want to find more of these individual, wild guys through history that went out and did incredible things, like John Rhys - fought at the Alamo as a young guy, came back to Wales and was at the front of the guys shooting at the Chartist uprising, back to the US to swindle people with his Alamo Texas land grant and then ended up in the California gold rush? What a life!

Cheers Ceri.Heard of him , schoolboy textbook stories, betrayed and killed by John Lambe etc but would like to know more about his life and stuff.Gaz

Owain Lawgoch is fascinating. Dont know whether you've come across him before but he deserves to be a lot better known http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Owain_Lawgoch . A Welsh mercenary who fought against the English in The Hundred Years War. Heres one refernce ( a long and tedious academic article ) from The Cymmrodorion for 1898:- http://books.google.com/books?id=0PwcAAAAMAAJ&pg=RA3-PA6&dq... Theres also this one which looks promising although there is no preview in the Google library http://books.google.com/books?id=AWmAAAAAIAAJ&q=owain+lawgoch&a...

Time management is a massive issue in our lives I know, and this internet is a double edged sword.I'm vastly interested in Welsh mercenaries throughout the ages. I suppose I consider myself to be one in English pay. So far I have learnt loads from this site very quickly. Anyone know of any good books on this? Apparently the Welsh were as highly prced as the Swiss at one point in the carnages of inter state fighting in medieval Italy.I would also like to find out much more about the life and times of Cayo Evans, horse breeder, trainer, soldier, mercenary, jack the lad, scholar and patriot.Anyone out there share these interests and swap knowledge?
updated by @gareth-williams: 12/04/15 03:57:45PM