WHITBT. 309 



Penda, the pagan king of Mercia, who began his 

 reign in 635, was particularly inveterate against 

 the Northumbrians, and made frequent inroads in- 

 to their part of the country; being hurried on by 

 Ethelhere, king of the East Angles, particularly af- 

 ter the death of Oswald ; who was slain on the 6 

 of August, 645 



Oswe, or Oswy, brother and successor of Oswald, 

 finding himself unable to stand against Penda, 

 strove to pacify him by presents, but without effect, 

 and the last refuge to which he had recourse was 

 prayer; and he vowed, if he came off conqueror, to 

 found a monastery, and to devote his only daughter, 

 then scarcely a year old, to the perpetual service of 

 God in it. 



They came to an engagement ; the Mercian ar- 

 my was routed, and Penda, Ethelbert, and most of 

 the chief nobles, were killed. This battle was 

 fought Nov. 15, 655, near the river Air, not far 

 from Seacroft, a village about three miles from 

 Leeds. 



Oswy, after having returned thanks to God, im- 

 mediately set about the performance of his vow ; 

 granting a place, then called Streanshalh,* now 

 Whitby, to St. Hilda, which he built and endowed 

 for monks and nuns of the benedictine order. This 

 lady, St. Hilda, was niece to Edwin, the first chris- 

 tian king of the Northumbrians, and together with 



* Streanshalh signifies, according to Bede, the bay of 

 the watchtower. This place was afterwards called 

 Priestby, or the habitation of priests ; then Hwytby ; 

 next Whiteby, (probably from the colour of the houses,) 

 aad now Whitby. 



