DYNOD Ursula ferch

Abt 0305 - Abt 0383  (78 years)

• Name	DYNOD Ursula ferch
  Birth	Abt 0305	Aberystwyth, Wales
  Gender	Female
  Death	Abt 0383	Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium, Rhineland
  Notes	Ursula, later known as Saint Ursula, is said to have been born a princess in the kingdom of Dumnonia (now Devon, Cornwall, in southwest England) c.305 C.E. Her father was Dionotus and her mother Geruma; thus, the name Ursula 'verch Dynod' is medieval Welsh for 'daughter of Dynod' (Dionotus). They were Christian, Ursula devoutly so, and had vowed herself to God. After her father, 'King' Donaut, agreed to her marriage with Governor Conan Meriadoc of Armorica (Brittany), Ursula set sail to join him along with 11,000 virginal handmaidens. However, a miraculous storm brought them over the sea in a single day to a Gaulish port, where Ursula declared that before her marriage she would undertake a pan-European pilgrimage. Together, the British maidens headed for Rome where Ursula persuaded Pope Cyriacus and Sulpicius, Bishop of Ravenna to join her happy band of followers. She was later welcomed Pantulus, Bishop of Basle & Jaques, Bishop of Liège, and 'King' Ethereus arrived from Britain with Prince Conan himself. Together, they set out for Cologne which was being besieged by Huns. In a dreadful massacre, the Huns beheaded all the virgins and, with bow & arrow, their leader shot St. Ursula dead. Ursula and her virgins were buried in Cologne where a great church is dedicated to her. Conan, her husband, apparently survived. [1] Legend[2] has it that Ursula was promised in marriage to Conan, king of Armorica (Brittany today). Three years later, Ursula and a hundred (give or take 10,900) virgins set sail, but were blown off course by a violent storm, up the Rhine. They sailed as far as Basel, Switzerland, where Ursula ventured off on a side-trip to visit the Pope in Rome, all the while gaining a huge following of Hun-made widows and orphans. On the journey back, when the entourage reached the Roman Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium, Rhineland (now Cologne, Germany), Ursula and her followers were slaughtered by the Huns. The cathedral in Cologne contains thousands of bones attributed to the martyred women. In spite of these setbacks, Ursula is said to have been the mother of Conan's first son, Gadeon, after Conan met up with her and married her in Rome. Gadeon went on to become a king of Dumnonia. Sources ↑ Early British Kingdoms: St. Ursula. ↑ Wikisource contributors. Catholic Encyclopedia (1913)/St. Ursula and the Eleven Thousand Virgins. Wikisource . April 21, 2013, 18:09 UTC. Available at: https://en.wikisource.org/w/index.php?title=Catholic_Encyclopedia_(1913)/St._Ursula_and_the_Eleven_Thousand_Virgins&oldid=4400808. Accessed August 1, 2023. See also: several variations of her story: https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofEngland/Saint-Ursula-the-11000-British-Virgins/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Ursula https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=325
  Person ID	I59269	Freeman-Smith
  Last Modified	27 Jan 2026

  
  

  Father	DUMNONIA Donaut,   b. Abt 0280
  Relationship	natural
  Family ID	F347385	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	ap GEREINT Conan,   b. Abt 0305, Dumnonia, now Cornwall, England d. Abt 0367, Nantes, Loire-Atlantique, Pays de la Loire, France (Age 62 years)
  Children	1. Ap CYNAN Cadfan,   b. Abt 0340, Roma, Lazio, Italy d. Abt 0405, Dumnonia, England (Age 65 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
  Family ID	F26351	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	27 Jan 2026