Clemen ap Bledric (also known as Clement or Clemens) was a 7th century King of Dumnonia (now the English West Country).
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Family, life and rule
Described as being born in c. 580 and the son of Bledric ap Custennin, Clemen ruled following the death of his father, killed at Battle of Bangor-is-Coed (Bangor-on-Dee, Powys Fadog) by King Æthelfrith of Northumbria in c. 613,[1] until possibly c. 630.[2] He married the daughter, ferch, of Guitoli ap Urbgen, likely a great grandson of former monarch King Gerren Llyngesic, and they had one known son, Petroc Baladrddellt (“Splintered Spear”).
Some authors have Tewdwr (or Teudu) son of Peredur ruling as king in the fl. 620s, descended from a different line of Dumnonian kings from Gerren Llyngesic's son Cado ap Gerren.[3] This is as given in the
Battle of Beandun
It is thought that Clemen was king when the Britons fought the Battle of Beandun (possibly Bindon near Axmouth in Devon[6]) in 614, when the Anglo Saxon Chronicle tells us King Cynegils and his son Cwichelm of Wessex invaded Dumnonia, possibly taking advantage of the death of his father.[1]
Bindon, on the Devon side of the Dorset border suggests that the Dumnonian army was invading Wessex using the Roman road eastward from Exeter to Dorchester and was intercepted by a West Saxon garrison marching south.[7] 614 is also the year that which the peace was broken on the borders of Glevissig (Glywysing), suggesting the Dumnonians co-ordinated their efforts with the kings of South Wales,[7] such as Nynnio ap Erb who was probably ruling Gwent and Glywysing at the time.[8]
The West Saxon army was said to have slewed 2,065 of the Welsh.[7] The Britons were badly defeated and thought to have withdrawn west to the city of Caer-Uisc (Exeter). Exeter in the early 7th century was still occupied, as shown by the archaeology of surviving Roman buildings.[2]
Siege of Exeter
Clemen could also have been reigning in c. 630 when Exeter was besieged by King Penda of Mercia, until the exiled British High King Cadwallon, king of Gwynedd, arrived to defeat the Mercians. The three kings were said to have made an alliance and marched north to face the armies of Northumbria which were then occupying Gwynedd.[1]
The Flores Historiarum (attributed incorrectly to Matthew of Westminster) recalls that the Britons were still in possession of Exeter in 632, when it was bravely defended against Penda of Mercia until relieved by Cadwallon, who engaged and defeated the Mercians with great slaughter to the their troops.[9] Geoffrey of Monmouth also paints a particularly colourful account of the siege in his pseudo-historic Historia Brittonum,[10] stating Cadwallon made an alliance with the British nobility, but neither actually mention Clemen in person.
Battle of Cefn Digoll
In alliance with Gwynedd and Mercia, Clemen may have next fought in Gwynedd to relieve the Northumbrian domination at the Battle of Cefn Digoll (Long Mountain near Welshpool) in 630.[1] It is not known whether the Dumnonians were part of the British army that went on to ravage Northumbria over the following years.
Literature
According to the Welsh Bonedd y Saint (Genealogies of the Saints), Clemen was the father of St Petroc. Other authorities state that this saint was the princely son of King Glywys of Glywysing,[11] making it likely Clemen was actually the father of Petroc Baladrddellt.
He is also given in Llyfr Baglan (Book of Baglan) as a Duke of Cornwall, son of Bredrice (eg Bledric) and father of Pedroc (eg Petroc)[12].
References
- ^ a b c d Early British Kingdoms: King Clemen of Dumnonia. Retrieved on 2008-09-04.
- ^ a b Post-Roman Celtic Kingdoms: Dumnonia Retrieved on 2008-08-19.
- ^ Ashley, Mike The Mammoth Book of British Kings & Queens New York: Carroll & Graff 1998 ISBN 0-7967-0692-9 p118
- ^ Snyder, Christopher A. The Britons Blackwell 2003 ISBN 0-631-22260-6 p166
- ^ Ashley, Mike. The Mammoth Book of British Kings & Queens New York: Carroll & Graff 1998 ISBN 0-7967-0692-9 p119
- ^ Morris, J. (1995) The Age of Arthur ISBN 1 84212 477 3 p.307
- ^ a b c Morris, John. The Age of Arthur 2004 ISBN 1-824212-477-3 p308
- ^ Post-Roman Celtic Kingdoms: Gwent Retrieved on 2008-09-04.
- ^ Jenkins, Alexander. The History and Description of the City of Exeter. P. Hedgeland. 1806 p11
- ^ Giles, J. A. Six Old English Chronicles. Henry G. Bohn. 1848 p284
- ^ Williams, Robert. Enwogion Cymru. W. Rees. 1852 p394
- ^ Williams, John. Llyfr Baglan: or The Book of Baglan. Compiled Between the Years 1600 and 1607. Edited by Joseph Alfred Bradney. London: Mitchell, Hughes and Clarke, 1910. p80
| Regnal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Bledric ap Custennin |
King of Dumnonia c. 613–c. 630 |
Succeeded by Petroc Baladrddellt |
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