There was a tribe called the Dumnonii, who inhabited most of south west Britain including Cornwall. Cornish started to evolve as a separate language around 2000 BC. The Celtic languages are split into two groups: Brythonic - Cornish, Welsh and Breton form this group with common roots; and Goidelic- Irish, Manx and Scots Gaelic form this second group.

Before the Roman invasion of Britain (55 BC) the Celtic language spoken by the inhabitants was Brythonic (British). The Romans were followed by the Anglo-Saxon invaders, who slowly drove the Celts to the remoter corners of the British Isles. In the Romano-British period, Britain was annexed by Rome and to the south west, the Dumnonii Iron Age Celts occupied a large area of scattered forts. The land of the Cornovii evolves in Dumnonia as Cornish with many Latin names in the succession of Dumnonian kings.

In the fifth century, the Celts from Cornwall invaded Armorica (Brittany). During the English invasion (500s-600s) the period of Arthur and Doniert and other Celtic Kings salute the age of the saints where the Romano-British period had move to Ireland and some to Cumbria. The battle of Deorham Down near Bristol results in the separation of the West Welsh and Cornish from the advance of the tribal Saxons from eastern England converting to Roman Christianity with a semistructure of dioceses and parishes and land-divided coasts. From the west, Saxon Exeter was reached when the Celts separated and Exeter was held by the disliking of the Cornish Dumnonian kingdom as a conversion of Wessex. The Celts of Somerset, Dorset, Devon and Cornwall became separated from the Celts of Wales after the Battle of Deorham in about 577.

In the 6th century St Petroc, the patron saint of Cornwall, established a monastery at Padstow until the 10th century it moved to Bodmin. In the 12th century it was changed to an Augustinian priory. The priory church of St. Mary and St. Petrock the largest parish church in Cornwall. The name Pedrog is probably a variant of modern Patrick. St. Pedrog (468-564), Abbot of Lanwethinoc who was a younger son of King Glywys Cernyw of Glywysing. Upon his father's death, the people of Glywysing called for Pedrog to take on the crown of one the country's sub-divisions like his brothers. Petroc, however wished to pursue a religious life and left, with several followers, to study in Ireland. Some years later, Petroc and his band returned to Britain, landing on the shores of the River Camel in Cerniw (Cornwall).

In 815 Ecgbert directed his efforts towards the subjugation of the West-Welsh of Cornwall, and after eight years' fighting compelled the whole of Dyvnaint to acknowledge his supremacy. Assisted by the Danes the Cornish revolted but were again defeated, probably in 836, at the battle of Hengestesdun, Hingston Down in Stoke-Climsland. Ninety years later AÆthelstan banished the West-Welsh from Exeter and made the Tamar the boundary of their territory. King Æthelstane in 936 conquered the Celts in Cornwall and appointed Conan the first Bishop of the Saxon Diocese.

RADNOR FOREST in Mid Wales. The old town of Caerleon (or Caerleon on Usk - i.e. on the banks of the River Usk in south Wales) has long been associated with the story of King Arthur. In the fifth century, the Celts from Cornwall invaded Armorica (Brittany). During the English invasion (500s-600s) the period of Arthur and Doniert and other Celtic Kings salute the age of the saints where the Romano-British period had move to Ireland and some to Cumbria.

 

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,