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[MARSHALL.FTW]

SOURCE NOTES:
Ashe, Geoffrey, Kings and Queens of Early Britain, Chicago: Academy Chicago
Publishers, 1990. Morristown Library 941.01092ASHE.

Baldwin, Stuart, King Cole, posting to GEN-MEDIEVAL, Apr 28 1997,
sbald@@auburn.campus.mci.net.

Moncreiffe, Sir Ian of that Ilk, Royal Highness: Ancestors of the Royal Child.
London: Hamish Hamilton, 1982. NYPL ARF 83-3293.
RESEARCH NOTES:
ancient British King Caelius Votepacus in North when Romans left Britain
c410 [Ref: Moncreiffe p10]

In story by Geoffrey of Monmonth: King Asclepiodotus reigned in peace for some
years, then was overthrown by Coel, Duke of Colchester, who assumed the crown.
Constantius comes to Britain and agrees to a treaty confirming Coel as a
tributary soverign. Helena is Coel's beautiful daughter, whom he has groomed
for government. He dies soon after signing the treaty and Constantius marries
her, becoming King of Britain. Old King Cole is said to have been buried in
the monastic graveyard at Glastonbury. [Ref: Ashe 1990 p58]

Wherever Geoffrey found him, he respresents somebody's attempt to explain the
name 'Colchester.' It means in reality 'the Roman station on the Colne.'
'Clun' in Shropshire is a variant of the same river-name, which was originally
'Colun.' That is as far as etymology goes. Certainly the name is British,
not Anglo-Saxon. But to admit Old King Cole we would have to suppose that the
river was called after a person, or else that a person was called after the
river, and there is no reason to suppse either. Coel, therefore, is
phantasmal, and it is not likely that the Helena whom Constantius married was
his daughter. [Ref: Ashe 1990 p58]

There is a legendary King Cole, Coel Hen, who, if he existed at all (and there
is considerable doubt about that), would have lived in the fifth century.
Genealogical manuscripts of the eleventh century and later make this Coel Hen
the great-great-grandfather of several individuals who lived during the late
sixth century. The earliest manuscript genealogy of Coel Hen, in Harleian
MS.3859 (an eleventh century manuscript containing material which was probably
written in the mid-tenth century) gives Coel ("Coil Hen" or "Coyl Hen") sons
named Ceneu, Garbaniaun, and Gurgust, and gives the first few generatios of
his ancestry as "... Coyl Hen (map) Guotepauc map Tecmant map Teuhant map
Tulpiol map Vrban map Grat map ..." etc, where "amp" is the old Welsh word for
"son" (later shortened to "ap"). The "map" in parenthesis is not in the
manuscript, but it is generally felt, from omparison with later manuscripts
which have the same genealogy, that the word was accidently left out.) There
is no good reason to believe that any of these names are those of historical
individuals. [Ref: Stuart Baldwin 4/28/97]
SOURCE NOTES:
date: living 410 [Ref: Moncreiffe p10]