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{{Use British English|date=May 2018}}
Saint '''Mechell''' was the 6th century founder and first [[abbot]] of the ''clas'' (a type of early Welsh/Celtic [[monastery]]) of [[Llanfechell]], on [[Anglesey]] in north-west [[Wales]]. St Mechell's day is celebrated on 15 November. It is claimed that he is buried in Llanfechell.
He was said to have been a [[Breton people|Breton]] by birth. From the 14th century, he was identified with Saint [[Machudd]], a [[Welsh people|Welshman]] and supposed [[Bishop]] of [[Caerwent]] who has been similarly confused with Saint [[Malo (saint)|Malo]]. Malo and Mechell both have 15 November as their [[feast day]],<ref name = lives>Baring-Gould, S. & Fisher, John (1911), ''The Lives of the British Saints'', Vol III p.433 [https://archive.org/details/livesofbritishsa03bariuoft us.archive.org]</ref><ref>Farmer, David Hugh (1992) ''The Oxford Dictionary of Saints'', Third edition. OUP. p.316</ref>
A 17th-century manuscript, (Llanstephan MS. 125)<ref name=lives/> records a Welsh poem, "Cywydd i Fechell Sant". This describes St Mechell as the son of Echwys ab Gwyn Gohoew.<ref>[http://www.cymdeithashanesmechell.co.uk/church.htm Menter Mechell History Society. Church] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120303072427/http://www.cymdeithashanesmechell.co.uk/church.htm |date=2012-03-03 }} Accessed 30 April 2012</ref> It goes on to claim many miracles from his life including raising a giant from the dead and converting him to Christianity, turning thieves to stone, and blinding and then curing the leader. This last act produced a gift of land in gratitude, to be demarked  by the route of a released hare. The hare, under divine guidance, marked the full extent of what is now the parish of [[Llanfechell]], Anglesey, on which he then founded the monastery.<ref name=lives/>
==References==
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[[Category:6th-century deaths]]
[[Category:Medieval Breton saints]]
[[Category:Medieval Welsh saints]]
[[Category:People from Anglesey]]
[[Category:6th-century Christian saints]]
[[Category:Year of birth unknown]]
[[Category:6th-century Breton people]]
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