Bleiddud
Encyclopedia
Bleiddud was Bishop of St David's
(then known as Menevia) in Wales
from 1061 to 1071. Little is known of him. His name is sometimes given as Bedwd.
The name Bleiddud appears to be derived from the Welsh
blaidd, wolf, and tud, tribe or the territory of a tribe.
A bishop of the diocese named Joseph died in 1061, and Bleiddud was his successor. He is reported to have been consecrated by Æthelnoth, archbishop of Canterbury
, who died in 1038, suggesting that he was translated to St David's
having been a bishop elsewhere.
The chapter
of St David's, in an address to Pope Eugenius III
of the year 1145, stated that a man named Melan of Llanelwy
(Melanus Llanelvensis) was consecrated
bishop of St Asaph
by Bleiddud while he was bishop of St David's. This event has been dated to about the year 1070.
A "Bishop Begard" is addressed in a Coventry
writ
of Edward the Confessor
of 1060, concerning the king's grant of judicial rights to Bromfield
Minster
in Shropshire
, and it has been suggested that this is an error for Bleiddud.
According to the Annales Cambriae
, Bleiddud died in 1071 and was succeeded as Bishop of St David's by Sulien
. According to the account of Brut y Tywysogion
for the year 1071,
By the ninth century, and later, the right of the clergy
to marry was well established in Wales
, and an entry in the Book of St Chad
records the grant of freedom to Bleiddud, son of Sulien, this apparently being the Sulien who succeeded Bishop Bleiddud. Gerald of Wales also notes that at the time it was usual for sons to follow fathers in church benefice
s. The Book of Llandaff
, dating from around 1125, also records a "decree of the liberty of Bleiddud and his offspring".
Bishop of St David's
The Bishop of St David's is the ordinary of the Church in Wales Diocese of St David's.The succession of bishops stretches back to Saint David who in the 6th century established his seat in what is today the city of St David's in Pembrokeshire, founding St David's Cathedral. The current Bishop of St...
(then known as Menevia) in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
from 1061 to 1071. Little is known of him. His name is sometimes given as Bedwd.
The name Bleiddud appears to be derived from the Welsh
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
blaidd, wolf, and tud, tribe or the territory of a tribe.
A bishop of the diocese named Joseph died in 1061, and Bleiddud was his successor. He is reported to have been consecrated by Æthelnoth, archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
, who died in 1038, suggesting that he was translated to St David's
St David's
St Davids , is a city and community in Pembrokeshire, Wales. Lying on the River Alun on St David's Peninsula, it is Britain's smallest city in terms of both size and population, the final resting place of Saint David, the country's patron saint, and the de facto ecclesiastical capital of...
having been a bishop elsewhere.
The chapter
Chapter (religion)
Chapter designates certain corporate ecclesiastical bodies in the Roman Catholic, Anglican and Nordic Lutheran churches....
of St David's, in an address to Pope Eugenius III
Pope Eugene III
Pope Blessed Eugene III , born Bernardo da Pisa, was Pope from 1145 to 1153. He was the first Cistercian to become Pope.-Early life:...
of the year 1145, stated that a man named Melan of Llanelwy
St Asaph
St Asaph is a town and community on the River Elwy in Denbighshire, Wales. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 3,491.The town of St Asaph is surrounded by countryside and views of the Vale of Clwyd. It is situated close to a number of busy coastal towns such as Rhyl, Prestatyn, Abergele,...
(Melanus Llanelvensis) was consecrated
Consecration
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service, usually religious. The word "consecration" literally means "to associate with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different groups...
bishop of St Asaph
Bishop of St Asaph
The Bishop of St Asaph heads the Church in Wales diocese of St Asaph.The diocese covers the counties of Conwy and Flintshire, Wrexham county borough, the eastern part of Merioneth in Gwynedd and part of northern Powys. The Episcopal seat is located in the Cathedral Church of St Asaph in the town of...
by Bleiddud while he was bishop of St David's. This event has been dated to about the year 1070.
A "Bishop Begard" is addressed in a Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
writ
Writ
In common law, a writ is a formal written order issued by a body with administrative or judicial jurisdiction; in modern usage, this body is generally a court...
of Edward the Confessor
Edward the Confessor
Edward the Confessor also known as St. Edward the Confessor , son of Æthelred the Unready and Emma of Normandy, was one of the last Anglo-Saxon kings of England and is usually regarded as the last king of the House of Wessex, ruling from 1042 to 1066....
of 1060, concerning the king's grant of judicial rights to Bromfield
Bromfield, Shropshire
Bromfield is a village and civil parish in Shropshire, England.According to the 2001 census it had a population of 306.-Location:Bromfield is located near the market town of Ludlow, two miles north of the town on the A49 road....
Minster
Minster
Minster could mean:*Minster *Minster Machine CompanyMinster could also refer to:*Minster, part of Forrabury and Minster*Minster, Ohio*Minster, Swale*Minster-in-Thanet...
in Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
, and it has been suggested that this is an error for Bleiddud.
According to the Annales Cambriae
Annales Cambriae
Annales Cambriae, or The Annals of Wales, is the name given to a complex of Cambro-Latin chronicles deriving ultimately from a text compiled from diverse sources at St David's in Dyfed, Wales, not later than the 10th century...
, Bleiddud died in 1071 and was succeeded as Bishop of St David's by Sulien
Sulien
Sulien was an 11th century Bishop of St David's, for two periods . He died about 1090/1.Sulien is closely associated with the class church at Llanbadarn Fawr near Aberystwyth where it appears that he took refuge when St David's was at times exposed to Viking incursions. Llanbadarn enjoyed a...
. According to the account of Brut y Tywysogion
Brut y Tywysogion
Brut y Tywysogion is one of the most important primary sources for Welsh history. It is an annalistic chronicle that serves as a continuation of Geoffrey of Monmouth’s Historia Regum Britanniae. Brut y Tywysogion has survived as several Welsh translations of an original Latin version, which has...
for the year 1071,
By the ninth century, and later, the right of the clergy
Clergy
Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion. A clergyman, churchman or cleric is a member of the clergy, especially one who is a priest, preacher, pastor, or other religious professional....
to marry was well established in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, and an entry in the Book of St Chad
Lichfield Gospels
The Lichfield Gospels is an eighth century Insular Gospel Book housed in Lichfield Cathedral. There are 236 surviving folios, eight of which are illuminated. Another four contain framed text...
records the grant of freedom to Bleiddud, son of Sulien, this apparently being the Sulien who succeeded Bishop Bleiddud. Gerald of Wales also notes that at the time it was usual for sons to follow fathers in church benefice
Benefice
A benefice is a reward received in exchange for services rendered and as a retainer for future services. The term is now almost obsolete.-Church of England:...
s. The Book of Llandaff
Book of Llandaff
The Book of Llandaff is a 12th century compilation of documents relating to the history of the diocese of Llandaff in Wales...
, dating from around 1125, also records a "decree of the liberty of Bleiddud and his offspring".