Isfael or Ismael ( owl, Ysmail), often

anglicized Anglicisation is the process by which a place or person becomes influenced by English culture or British culture, or a process of cultural and/or linguistic change in which something non-English becomes English. It can also refer to the influen ...

as Ishmael, was a 6th-century

medieval Welsh Middle Welsh ( cy, Cymraeg Canol, wlm, Kymraec) is the label attached to the Welsh language of the 12th to 15th centuries, of which much more remains than for any earlier period. This form of Welsh developed directly from Old Welsh ( cy, Hen ...

bishop of Rhos and

saint In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of Q-D-Š, holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and Christian denomination, denominat ...

. He was allegedly also a Breton prince of

Armorica Armorica or Aremorica (Gaulish: ; br, Arvorig, ) is the name given in ancient times to the part of Gaul between the Seine and the Loire that includes the Brittany Peninsula, extending inland to an indeterminate point and down the Atlantic Coast ...

. Although his anglicized name invites association with the Biblical

Ishmael Ishmael ''Ismaḗl''; Classical/Qur'anic Arabic: إِسْمَٰعِيْل; Modern Standard Arabic: إِسْمَاعِيْل ''ʾIsmāʿīl''; la, Ismael was the first son of Abraham, the common patriarch of the Abrahamic religions; and is cons ...

, Isfael is actually a native

Welsh name Fixed surnames were adopted in Wales from the 15th century onwards. Until then, the Welsh had a patronymic naming system. History In 1292, 48 per cent of Welsh names were patronymics and, in some parishes, over 70 per cent. Other names were der ...

(or even epithet) meaning 'under prince'. Isfael was said to have been the son of Budig ap Cybydan, a native of

Cornouaille Cornouaille (; br, Kernev, Kerne) is a historical region on the west coast of Brittany in West France. The name is cognate with Cornwall in neighbouring Great Britain. This can be explained by the settlement of Cornouaille by migrant princ ...

and eventual

king King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...

, and the brother of the martyr Tyfei and

Bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

Euddogwy Saint Oudoceus (Latin) or Euddogwy (Welsh) (c.536–c.615 or 625) is generally known as the third Bishop of Llandaff in South Wales. In reality he was probably a 7th-century bishop at Llandeilo Fawr. Wendy Davies puts his episcopal reign be ...

(Oudoceus) of

Llandaff Llandaff (; cy, Llandaf ; from 'church' and '' Taf'') is a district, community and coterminous electoral ward in the north of Cardiff, capital of Wales. It was incorporated into the city in 1922. It is the seat of the Bishop of Llandaff, whose ...

. His mother may have been Arianwedd or Anowed, the sister of Saint

Teilo Saint Teilo ( la, Teliarus or '; br, TeliauWainewright, John. in ''The Catholic Encyclopedia'', Vol. XIV. Robert Appleton Co. (New York), 1912. Accessed 20 July 2013. or '; french: Télo or '; – 9 February ), also known by his C ...

. In

Rhygyfarch Rhygyfarch or Rhigyfarch (in contemporary late Old Welsh orthography Ricemarch, 1057–1099), eldest son of Sulien, whom he may have succeeded in 1091 as Bishop of St David's, was the author of the standard ''Life of Saint David''. The original t ...

's hagiography, Isfael was said to have been one of the three principal disciples of Dewi Sant;Sharp, Richard & al. (trans.) "Rhygyfarch's 'Life' of St David" in ''St David of Wales: Cult, Church and Nation''
p. 121
Boydell Press, 2007. Accessed 26 Mar 2013. in the

Book of Llandaff The Book of Llandaff ( la, Liber Landavensis; cy, Llyfr Llandaf, ', or '), is the chartulary of the cathedral of Llandaff, a 12th-century compilation of documents relating to the history of the diocese of Llandaff in Wales. It is written prima ...

, he is also included among the students of

Dubricius Dubricius or Dubric ( cy, Dyfrig; Norman-French: ''Devereux''; c. 465 – c. 550) was a 6th-century British ecclesiastic venerated as a saint. He was the evangelist of Ergyng ( cy, Erging) (later Archenfield, Herefordshire) and much ...

and Teilo and said to have succeeded David as the

bishop of Menevia The Bishop of Menevia is the Ordinary of the Latin Rite Roman Catholic Diocese of Menevia in the Province of Cardiff. The Diocese of Menevia covers an area of roughly consisting of Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Neath Port Talbot, Pembrokeshi ...

(

St David's St Davids or St David's ( cy, Tyddewi, , "David's house”) is a city and a community (named St Davids and the Cathedral Close) with a cathedral in Pembrokeshire, Wales, lying on the River Alun. It is the resting place of Saint David, Wa ...

). (Since he does not appear in that parish's records, it was Rees's opinion that he was at most a

suffragan bishop A suffragan bishop is a type of bishop in some Christian denominations. In the Anglican Communion, a suffragan bishop is a bishop who is subordinate to a metropolitan bishop or diocesan bishop (bishop ordinary) and so is not normally jurisdiction ...

under Teilo. Rees, W. J. (trans.) ''Liber Landavensis''
pp. 351

370 ff
Welsh MSS. Society (Llandovery), 1840. Accessed 26 Mar 2013.) His eventual see was in Rhos at present-day St Ishmaels. The

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or m ...

churches of St Ishmael's in

Pembrokeshire Pembrokeshire ( ; cy, Sir Benfro ) is a Local government in Wales#Principal areas, county in the South West Wales, south-west of Wales. It is bordered by Carmarthenshire to the east, Ceredigion to the northeast, and the rest by sea. The count ...

and

Carmarthenshire Carmarthenshire ( cy, Sir Gaerfyrddin; or informally ') is a county in the south-west of Wales. The three largest towns are Llanelli, Carmarthen and Ammanford. Carmarthen is the county town and administrative centre. The county is known as ...

and their surrounding communities are named in his honour. He was also the patron of the churches at Camrose,

Rosemarket Rosemarket is a village, parish and community in Pembrokeshire, Wales, north of Milford Haven. Name The name does not refer to flowers but to the hundred of Roose, the former Welsh cantref of Rhos. History The village was a marcher borough ...

, Uzmaston, and (probably) Haroldston St Issells. A valley or inlet in

Carmarthen Bay Carmarthen Bay ( cy, Bae Caerfyrddin) is an inlet of the South Wales coast, including notable beaches such as Pendine Sands and Cefn Sidan sands. Carmarthen Bay is partially within the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. The Joint Nature Conserva ...

was previously known as "St. Ismael's Scar".The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments and Constructions in Wales and Monmouthshire. ''An Inventory of the Ancient Monuments in Wales and Monmouthshire'', "Vol. V.County of Carmarthen."
p. 245
His Majesty's Stationery Office (London), 1917. Accessed 26 Mar 2013.

Gallery

File: St Ishmael's Church - geograph.org.uk - 876247.jpg, St Ishmael's church, Pembrokeshire File:St. Ismael's Church, Uzmaston - geograph.org.uk - 219260.jpg, St. Ismael's Church, Uzmaston. File:St Ismael's Church, Camrose - geograph.org.uk - 992620.jpg, St Ishmael's parish church, Camrose

References

{{authority control 6th-century Welsh bishops 6th-century Christian saints Medieval Welsh saints Bishops of St Davids History of Pembrokeshire People from Pembrokeshire Armorica