He was of the word, he was also called Hos and Eliud.* born at a place once called "Eccluis Gunnian," or “Gunniau,” in the neighbourhood of Tenby, Pembrokeshire. It is said that he studied first under Dubricius, by whose assistance he attained to great proficiency in the knowledge of the Scriptures; his next instructor was Paulinus, under whom he pursued the same study, and in whose school he was the associate of St. David. Under the patronage of Dubricius, he opened a college at Llandaff, which was called Bangor Deilo; and his settlement at that place may serve to account for his appointment to fill the see of Llandaff upon the retirement of his patron to the Isle of Bardsey. The idea that he was made bishop of Llandaff at the time Dubricius was raised to the archbishoprick of Caerleon is irreconcilable with chronology; and the assertion that he succeeded Dubricius as archbishop, without the intervention of St. David,t is contrary to all received history, unless it be supposed that Llandaff was an archbishoprick independent of Caerleon, a position which is certainly untenable. The original diocese governed by Teilo, as ascertained by the absence of churches founded by St. David, was coextensive with the ancient Lordship of Glamorgan, containing the present rural deaneries of Groneath, Llandaff, and Newport. How long he continued to preside over this limited district is uncertain; but in the reign of Maelgwn Gwynedd, a plague, called "Flava pestis," and in Welsh "Y Fall felen," is recorded to have desolated the Principality. "Post incrementum ætatis, virtutum et sapientiæ, congruo nomine Helios a sapientibus nuncupatus est. Elios autem Græcè Latinè Sol interpretatur. Fulget enim ut Sol ejus doctrina, fidelium illustrando corda. Sed illiteratis hominibus extremum vocabuli corruptè proferentibus, adolevit quod non Helios sed Heliud appellatus est."-Life by Galfridus."Non Elios sed Eliud."-John of Teignmouth. + The assertion was made in the Regestum Landavense, at a time when the clergy of Llandaff wished to show that their diocese had never been subordinate to the primacy of Menevia. Upon this occasion, Teilo, with several others, retired to Cornwall, and afterwards to Armorica, where he was honourably received by Samson, the bishop of Dole. After he had remained seven years and as many months in Armorica, he returned, with several of his disciples, to his native country; and upon his arrival was elected to the archbishoprick of Menevia, then vacant by the death of Cynog. Like St. David, however, he retained a predilection for the seat of his original bishoprick, and, appointing Ismael to the situation of bishop of Menevia, he removed the archbishoprick to Llandaff.* In order to maintain his title to the primacy undisturbed, he appears to have kept under his immediate government the whole of the diocese held before by St. David, with the exception of the part north of the river Tivy, which was henceforth attached to the diocese of Llanbadarn.t In support of this view it may be explained that churches founded by Teilo still exist throughout the whole of the country specified, and that one of them, Llandeloi, is situated within a few miles of the cathedral of St. David's; but north of the Tivy, no church of this description is to be found. The proof, however, does not rest solely upon the analogy of existing monuments; for the records of Llandaff show that its bishops continued for several centuries to claim the whole of the country from the mouth of the Taradr, or extreme point of Monmouthshire, to the mouth of the Tivy, including, of course, Pembrokeshire and so much of Herefordshire as lay to the west of the river Wye. It does not appear that any separate district was apportioned as a diocese for Ismael, who must have been no more than an assisting suffragan, and his name is not inserted * Regestum Landavense; Life by Galfridus; and Usher pp. 83, 517, 559, 560. + The extension of the diocese of Llanbadarn confirms the supposition that its bishop at this time was Afan, the brother of Teilo. There is abundant evidence of this in the formulæ of the Councils of Llandaff, which are inserted at length in Spelman's Concilia. in the list of prelates of St. David's. In his time, therefore, the diocese of Menevia was united to that of Llandaff; and the circumstance may account for the claim afterwards made by the bishops of Llandaff, which, if maintained, would have involved the existence of the bishoprick of St. David's, which it went to deprive of its entire territory. But in effect it was little better than nominal, though attempts were not wanting to enforce it. There is reason to suppose that Oudoceus, the successor of Teilo at Llandaff, retained Monmouthshire and the adjacent part of Herefordshire under his jurisdiction; but he did not succeed to the bishoprick of St. David's,* the affairs of which were administered by Ceneu ;† and though the extent of its territories at the time of its separation, and for two centuries afterwards, is not determinable, it is clear that from the ninth century, or the establishment of the princes of Dinefwr of the line of Rhodri Mawr, it has maintained, with an occasional trusion from the bishops of Llandaff, nearly the same limits., at present. The churches founaled by Teilo, or dedicated to him, which still exist, are the following: DIOCESE OF ST. DAVID'S. Llandeilo Fawr, V.-3 chapels, Talia ris (Holy Trinity,) Capel yr Ywen, and Llandyfaen, Carmarthenshi re. Brechfa, C. Carm. Llandeilo Abercywyn, C. Carm. Trelêch a'r Bettws, V.-1 chapel, Capel Bettws, Carm. Llanddowror, R. Carm. Cilrhedin, R.-1 chapel, Capel I fan (St. John,) Carm. and Pembrokeshire. Llandeilo, C. Annexe to Maenclochog, Pemb. Llandeloi, V.-1 chapel, Llanhywel (St. Hywel,) Pemb. Llandeilo Graban, C. Radnorshire. Llandeilo'r Fân, C.-1 chapel, in ruins, Brecknockshire. * Usher, p. 1155. + Giraldus, and Records of St. David's quoted by Godwin. Llandeilo Talybont, V. Glamorganshire. Bishopston, alias Llandeilo Ferwallt, R.—1 chapel, Caswel, Glam. DIOCESE OF LLANDAFF. Llandaff Cathedral, (St. Teilo and St. Peter.)-1 chapel, Whitchurch (St. Mary,) Glamorganshire. Merthyr Dyfan, R. Glam. Merthyr Mawr, C.-St. Roque's Chapel, in ruins, Glam. Llandeilo Cressenny, V.-1 chapel, Penrhos (St. Cattwg,) Monmouthshire. Llanarth, V. Monm. Llandeilo Bertholeu, or Porth-halawg, V. Monm. The foregoing list, so far as regards the diocese of St. David's, may be compared with another which is curious for its antiquity. Between the years 1022 and 1031, in the reign of Canute, king of England; Rhydderch ab Iestin, a prince of Glamorgan, obtained the sovereignty of South Wales,* and taking advantage of the opportunity, made in endeavour to restore the ancient diocese of Teilo. He therefore granted to the church of Llandaff, all such churches in the counties of Carmarthen, Pembroke, Brecon, and Padnor, as bore the name of that saint, together with severianors, lands, and villages, according to the following schedule ;† extracted literatim from "God vin's Bishops." IN CARTREF MAUR.‡ 1 Lantelia maur cum suis luob. 3 Lanteliau garth teuir. territorijs. 2 Lanteliau nant seru. 4 Lanteliau maur brumur. 5 Lanteliau bechan in diffrin teiui. * Welsh Chronicles in the Myv. Archaology. + Its heading, according to the first edition of Godwin, is :-De omnibus subscriptis vestita fuit ecclesia Landauensis, simui et episcopus Joseph, pace quietâ et tranquillâ tempore regnantis Ritherich per totam Gualiam, et admonitione Elnod Archiepiscopi Cantuarensis simul cum literis commendatitiis Cnut regnantis Angliam. The Hundreds of Caio and Catheiniog, in Carmarthenshire, between the rivers Towy and Tivy. The names of some of the places in this docu ment are disguised by its orthography, and others have been changed by lapse of time; those that can be recognised, are as follow, according to their numbers. 1, Llandeilo Fawr; 2 & 3, one of these probably represents the church of Brechfa. 4 Llandeilo Rwnnws, an extinct chapel in the parish of Llanegwad; it is called "Llanteilan Brunus" in a charter of the Abbey of Talley. *The western part of Carmarthenshire with a large portion of Pembrokeshire. 6, Llanddowror. 7, The relative position of this church agrees with the locality of Trelêch. 9, Llandeilo Abercywyn. 11, LlwynGwaddan near Llanddewi Felffre; the name indicates that a church once stood there, which appears to have been in ruins at the time of the grant. 14, Trefgarn, now the name of a church and parish. 15 & 16, Penalun may be recognised in Penaly near Tenby. 17, Mainaur pir,-Maenor Bŷr, vulgo Manorbeer. 18, Written-“Lwyn Teilau”—in the second edition of Godwin. 22, Lanion, near Pembroke. 23, Lege Llandeilo Lwydgarth, in fin Daugleddyf a Chemmaes maenor; intended for Llandeilo, near Maenclochog, on the borders of the Hundreds of Dungleddy and Cemmaes. 24, Cilrhedin in Emlyn. †The Hundred of Rhos, Pembrokeshire. |