Historic%20Yorkshire

CHAPTER II.
THE STORY OF ST. JOHN OF BEVERLEY.
IDWAY between the years 600 and 700, at
Harpham, a village about twelvemiles north
ofBeverley,was born the celebratedSt.John
of Beverley, whose name is so intimately
with the origin of that town, and
embalmed in its history. This illustrious personage,
familiar to every student of Yorkshire
history, was of noble family. He received his early
education in that home and nursery of Anglo-Saxon
culture, Whitby Abbey,under the tutelar guidanceof the
benign Abbess, afterwards canonised as Saint Hilda.
Afterreceivingthe groundwork usual for the Anglo-Saxon
youth of his time, and whichincluded many accomplishments
which would, even in these days, be considered of
high-class refinement, his training was continued under
Archbishop Theodore. Oxford was the scene where the
final finish was put to an educationso well begun. Here
he took the degrees of Master of Arts and Doctor of
Divinity, and is generallyconsidered the first who ever
received the diploma of M.A. Consequent on the
death of Eata, Bishop of Hagulstadt(Hexham), he was
appointed to the vacant see,and continued to fulfil the
duties of the diocese for some little time. For his
disciples while here, he had many whose names afterwards
appearedin the history of their country; of whom
the Venerable Bede is the most notable.