WHITBT. 311 



priors and abbots at Whitby ; Reinfred de Eves- 

 ham, and the last was Henry Davell, who surrender- 

 ed the convent ; and the deed waa enrolled 14: of 

 December, 1540, 31 of Henry VIII. 



The revenues, according to Speed, amounted to 

 505. 9s. Id. ; and according to Dugdale, 437. 

 2s. 6d. The difference is usually accounted for by 

 supposing that the former gives the gross rent, and 

 the latter only the nett income. 



At the dissolution, the site of Whitby abbey, the 

 manor of Whitby, and several parcels of the abbey 

 lands, were let for 21 years, to Richard Cholmley, 

 Esq., afterwards Sir Richard Cholmley. Before 

 the expiration of this lease, the premises were 

 bought of the king, by John, earl of Warwick, in 

 1550 ; and from him by Sir Edward Yorke, in 1551, 

 of whom they were purchased by Sir Richard 

 Cholmley, the lessee, July 2, J555. They have 

 remained ever since in the possession of the Cholm- 

 ley family ; together with various rights and privi- 

 leges in Whitby and Whitby strand ; which had 

 been enjoyed by the priors and abbots of Whitby. 



Camdon, in his Brittania, speaking of St. Hilda, 

 amongst other things, says, (referring to the ammo- 

 nites or snake-stones,) report ascribes them to the 

 prayers of St. Hilda, as if changed by her. It it 

 said that in the time of St. Hilda, this place and its 

 neighbourhood was over-run by serpents : these, 

 by the prayers of St. Hilda, were deprived of their 

 heads and turned into stone. This, however had 

 its origin in the ignorance and superstition of the 

 times. 



