Bledric ap Custennin
Encyclopedia
Bledric ap Custennin was a 6th and 7th century ruler of Dumnonia
(now the English
West Country
).
literature variously as "King", "Duke" or "Prince" of Devonshire
and/or Cornwall
. He was described as Duke of Cornwall by c.603, and an ally of northern Welsh kings.
The fullest account of Bledric's life comes from Geoffrey of Monmouth
's pseudohistorical Historia Regum Britanniae
where is numbered amongst the Legendary Dukes of Cornwall
. Here Bledric, Duke of Cornwall, was the commander of the allied British armies which included King Cadvan of North Wales (Cadfan ap Iago of Gwynedd
) and King Margadud of South Wales (probably Maredydd ap Rhain of Dyfed) at the Battle of Bangor-is-Coed. He joined battle with the army of Æthelfrith
of Northumbria
who had just slain 1200 monks, and succeeded in wounding Æthelfrith and defeating the Angles
but being slain himself.
Some authors have Peredur, son of Cado ap Gerren
, ruling as king in the fl. 600s, descended from a different line of Dumnonian kings from Gerren Llyngesic
. This is as given in the Dumnonian king-list derived from Jesus College, Oxford, MS 20
.
(or Custennin) who died in c.560, his brothers being Gerren rac Denau, who he may have succeeded as king, and Domuel (or Dywel). He also had a sister who married Peibio Clafrog
, king of Ergyng
in South Wales. Bledric may have had two sons, Clemen
as given in the Llyfr Baglan (Book of Baglan
) who is thought to have succeeded him, and Blethyn as given by Caradoc of Llancarfan
.
of Northumbria
and King Æthelbert of Kent at Bangor
on the River Dee
in c.613, where he is described as the Prince of Devonshire and Cornwall. It is said that 'by the valiant forgoings of his life got his partners the victory'. His sons apparently went on to 'enjoy the government of North Wales ever since Cadfan ap Iago
was chief King in Britain.' Caradoc of Llancarfan also gives Bledric's descendants elsewhere and gives Blethyn (or Bleddyn) as his son and Ednowen (or Ednowain) as his grandson.
. Triad 69, the 'Three Defilements of the Severn' give the second as 'the gift of Golydan from Einiawn son of Bedd, king of Cornwall', although given the genealogy of Caradoc of Llancarfan, this could be his supposed son Bleddyn who was recorded as father of Ednowain.
He is also given in Llyfr Baglan as a Duke of Cornwall
, son of Constantine, High King
of Britain (e.g. Custennin) and father of Clement (e.g. Clemen), Duke of Cornwall.
Dumnonia
Dumnonia is the Latinised name for the Brythonic kingdom in sub-Roman Britain between the late 4th and late 8th centuries, located in the farther parts of the south-west peninsula of Great Britain...
(now the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
West Country
West Country
The West Country is an informal term for the area of south western England roughly corresponding to the modern South West England government region. It is often defined to encompass the historic counties of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset and the City of Bristol, while the counties of...
).
Life and rule
The actual status and reality of Bledric is difficult to ascertain as he figures in much old WelshCulture of Wales
Wales has a distinctive culture including its own language, customs, holidays and music.Wales is primarily represented by the symbol of the red Welsh Dragon, but other national emblems include the leek and daffodil. The Welsh words for leeks and daffodils Wales has a distinctive culture including...
literature variously as "King", "Duke" or "Prince" of Devonshire
Duke of Devonshire
Duke of Devonshire is a title in the peerage of England held by members of the Cavendish family. This branch of the Cavendish family has been one of the richest and most influential aristocratic families in England since the 16th century, and have been rivalled in political influence perhaps only...
and/or Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
. He was described as Duke of Cornwall by c.603, and an ally of northern Welsh kings.
The fullest account of Bledric's life comes from Geoffrey of Monmouth
Geoffrey of Monmouth
Geoffrey of Monmouth was a cleric and one of the major figures in the development of British historiography and the popularity of tales of King Arthur...
's pseudohistorical Historia Regum Britanniae
Historia Regum Britanniae
The Historia Regum Britanniae is a pseudohistorical account of British history, written c. 1136 by Geoffrey of Monmouth. It chronicles the lives of the kings of the Britons in a chronological narrative spanning a time of two thousand years, beginning with the Trojans founding the British nation...
where is numbered amongst the Legendary Dukes of Cornwall
Legendary Dukes of Cornwall
"Duke of Cornwall" appears as a title in pseudo-historical authors as Nennius and Geoffrey of Monmouth. The list is extremely patchy, and not every succession was unbroken. Indeed, Geoffrey repeatedly introduces Dukes of Cornwall only to promote them to the Kingship of the Britons and thus put an...
. Here Bledric, Duke of Cornwall, was the commander of the allied British armies which included King Cadvan of North Wales (Cadfan ap Iago of Gwynedd
Gwynedd
Gwynedd is a county in north-west Wales, named after the old Kingdom of Gwynedd. Although the second biggest in terms of geographical area, it is also one of the most sparsely populated...
) and King Margadud of South Wales (probably Maredydd ap Rhain of Dyfed) at the Battle of Bangor-is-Coed. He joined battle with the army of Æthelfrith
Æthelfrith of Northumbria
Æthelfrith was King of Bernicia from c. 593 until c. 616; he was also, beginning c. 604, the first Bernician king to also rule Deira, to the south of Bernicia. Since Deira and Bernicia were the two basic components of what would later be defined as Northumbria, Æthelfrith can be considered, in...
of Northumbria
Northumbria
Northumbria was a medieval kingdom of the Angles, in what is now Northern England and South-East Scotland, becoming subsequently an earldom in a united Anglo-Saxon kingdom of England. The name reflects the approximate southern limit to the kingdom's territory, the Humber Estuary.Northumbria was...
who had just slain 1200 monks, and succeeded in wounding Æthelfrith and defeating the Angles
Angles
The Angles is a modern English term for a Germanic people who took their name from the ancestral cultural region of Angeln, a district located in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany...
but being slain himself.
Some authors have Peredur, son of Cado ap Gerren
Cador
Cador was a legendary Duke of Cornwall, known chiefly through Geoffrey of Monmouth's pseudo-historical History of the Kings of Britain and previous manuscript sources such as Vita Sanctus Carantoci circa 1100 from Cotton Vespasian xiv...
, ruling as king in the fl. 600s, descended from a different line of Dumnonian kings from Gerren Llyngesic
Geraint
Geraint is a character from Welsh folklore and Arthurian legend, a king of Dumnonia and a valiant warrior. He may have lived during or shortly prior to the reign of the historical Arthur, but some scholars doubt he ever existed...
. This is as given in the Dumnonian king-list derived from Jesus College, Oxford, MS 20
Genealogies from Jesus College MS 20
The genealogies from Jesus College MS 20 are a medieval Welsh collection of genealogies preserved in a single manuscript, Oxford, Bodleian Library, Jesus College, MS 20, folios 33r–41r...
.
Family
Bledric was one of three sons of king ConstantineConstantine III of Britain
Constantine was a minor king in 6th-century sub-Roman Britain, who was remembered in later British tradition as a legendary King of Britain. The only contemporary information about him comes from Gildas, who calls him king of Damnonia and castigates him for his various sins, including the murder...
(or Custennin) who died in c.560, his brothers being Gerren rac Denau, who he may have succeeded as king, and Domuel (or Dywel). He also had a sister who married Peibio Clafrog
Peibio Clafrog
Peibo Clafrog , was King of Ergyng in south-east Wales in the 5th or 6th century...
, king of Ergyng
Ergyng
Ergyng was a Welsh kingdom of the sub-Roman and early medieval period, between the 5th and 7th centuries. It was later referred to by the English as Archenfield.-Location:...
in South Wales. Bledric may have had two sons, Clemen
Clemen ap Bledric
Clemen ap Bledric was a 7th century King of Dumnonia .-Family, life and rule:...
as given in the Llyfr Baglan (Book of Baglan
Book of Baglan
The Book of Baglan is a collection of old Welsh manuscripts, containing much genealogical data, compiled by John Williams from several sources between 1600 and 1607. It was transcribed from the original manuscript preserved in the public library at Cardiff, and edited by Joseph Bradney with...
) who is thought to have succeeded him, and Blethyn as given by Caradoc of Llancarfan
Caradoc of Llancarfan
Caradoc of Llancarfan was a Welsh cleric and author who was associated with Llancarfan in Wales during the 12th century. He is generally accepted to be the author of a Life of Gildas and of a Life of Saint Cadog in Latin....
.
Death
Caradoc of Llancarfan is his Historie of Cambria (History of Wales) notes that Bledric was one of the British leaders killed by King ÆthelfrithÆthelfrith of Northumbria
Æthelfrith was King of Bernicia from c. 593 until c. 616; he was also, beginning c. 604, the first Bernician king to also rule Deira, to the south of Bernicia. Since Deira and Bernicia were the two basic components of what would later be defined as Northumbria, Æthelfrith can be considered, in...
of Northumbria
Northumbria
Northumbria was a medieval kingdom of the Angles, in what is now Northern England and South-East Scotland, becoming subsequently an earldom in a united Anglo-Saxon kingdom of England. The name reflects the approximate southern limit to the kingdom's territory, the Humber Estuary.Northumbria was...
and King Æthelbert of Kent at Bangor
Bangor-on-Dee
Bangor-on-Dee is a local government community, the lowest tier of local government, part of Wrexham County Borough in Wales. It is a village in the ancient district of Maelor in Wales, situated on the banks of the River Dee...
on the River Dee
River Dee, Wales
The River Dee is a long river in the United Kingdom. It travels through Wales and England and also forms part of the border between the two countries....
in c.613, where he is described as the Prince of Devonshire and Cornwall. It is said that 'by the valiant forgoings of his life got his partners the victory'. His sons apparently went on to 'enjoy the government of North Wales ever since Cadfan ap Iago
Cadfan ap Iago
Cadfan ap Iago was King of Gwynedd . Little is known of the history of Gwynedd from this period, and information about Cadfan and his reign is minimal....
was chief King in Britain.' Caradoc of Llancarfan also gives Bledric's descendants elsewhere and gives Blethyn (or Bleddyn) as his son and Ednowen (or Ednowain) as his grandson.
Literature
Bledric may also appear in one of the Welsh TriadsWelsh Triads
The Welsh Triads are a group of related texts in medieval manuscripts which preserve fragments of Welsh folklore, mythology and traditional history in groups of three. The triad is a rhetorical form whereby objects are grouped together in threes, with a heading indicating the point of likeness...
. Triad 69, the 'Three Defilements of the Severn' give the second as 'the gift of Golydan from Einiawn son of Bedd, king of Cornwall', although given the genealogy of Caradoc of Llancarfan, this could be his supposed son Bleddyn who was recorded as father of Ednowain.
He is also given in Llyfr Baglan as a Duke of Cornwall
Duke of Cornwall
The Duchy of Cornwall was the first duchy created in the peerage of England.The present Duke of Cornwall is The Prince of Wales, the eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II, the reigning British monarch .-History:...
, son of Constantine, High King
High king
A high king is a king who holds a position of seniority over a group of other kings, without the title of Emperor; compare King of Kings.Rulers who have been termed "high king" include:...
of Britain (e.g. Custennin) and father of Clement (e.g. Clemen), Duke of Cornwall.