Constantine of Cornwall (c.435 - c.443)

Constantine was a king of Dumnonia in the early fifth century. A later king of the same name also ruled Dumnonia in the mid-fifth century and picking the two lives apart has led to a great deal of uncertainty and confusion in the sources. How a king of Dumnonia gained a Cornish epithet is unclear. It may suggest that the royal family emerged from Cornwall or that Constantine was the man who brought Cornwall securely under the control of Dumnonia.

Born in c.411, Constantine succeeded his father, Conomor, in or around 435. From the few sources available, his reign appears to have been stable and uneventful. Dumnonia proved to be fiercely resistant to direct Roman rule and the Romans chose instead to manage it as a semi-independent province rather than occupy it militarily. Consequently, Dumnonia established itself as an independent kingdom with a strong and legitimate leader very soon after the Roman withdrawal. Also, being so far west, Dumnonia was not yet threatened by Saxon advances.

From the Welsh genealogies, Constantine appears to have had a brother, Dunstan, of whom very little is known and at least three sons. On his death in c.443, following Celtic tradition, his kingdom was divided between two of his sons. The eldest, Erbin, inherited the main kingdom of Dumnonia while his younger brother, Merion, ruled as a sub-king in Cornubia. The fate of the middle son, Digain, is unknown. Through Erbin, Constantine is recorded as the grandfather of Geraint, a later King of Dumnonia and an important character in Arthurian folklore.

St. Erbin of Dumnonia (c.443 - c.480)

Born around 427, Erbin was a son of Constantine of Cornwall. After his father’s death in c.443, his kingdom was divided between two of his sons, an entirely normal practice in Celtic Britain. As the eldest son, Erbin became king of Dumnonia while his younger brother, Merion, ruled the sub-kingdom of Cornwall. Welsh genealogies list a third brother, Digain, but very little is known about him and it is entirely possible that he died as a young man.

Very little is known about his reign and, from the lack of mentions in any later sources, its presumed that it was largely peaceful and uneventful. Erbin had at least one son, Geraint, an important character in Arthurian folklore and Erbin’s successor following his death in c.480. According to some legends, he was also the father of Guinevere, the wife of King Arthur. As Geraint’s father, Erbin is mentioned in Geraint and Enid, a romance in the Mabinogion, a collection of medieval Welsh manuscripts. He is also listed as a saint in Welsh genealogies and is traditionally associated with Erbistock in Denbighshire. His feast day is 13 January.