342 HACK NESS. 



of Scarborough. It contains a population of 143 ; 

 and has in its parish Broxa, population 61 ; Har- 

 wood dale 255 ; Silphoe 96 ; and Suffield 97 ; in all 

 632. This village was once the favourite retreat of 

 lady Hilda, the pious and illustrious abbess of Whit- 

 by. Burton, in his Monasticon, says Hackness in 

 Whitby strand was pitched upon by St. Hilda, in 

 680, a little before her death, but this house* came 

 to ruins before the conquest. The circumstance of 

 its being fixed upon by St. Hilda was the inducement 

 perhaps of Serlo, second prior of Whitby, to retire 

 thither. Serlo on finding himself annoyed by robbers 

 and pirates landing on the coast of Whitby, request- 

 ed this place of William de Perci, or Percy, his 

 brother, the founder of the abbey of Whitby, as of 

 greater security : and having obtained of him the 

 church of St. Mary,or rather St. Peter, of Hackness, 

 and some lands here, he for a time deserted Whitby, 

 and fixed with his monks here ; but some difference 

 arising between Serlo the prior and William de 

 Percy, the latter endeavoured to drive the monks 

 hence, and to repossess himself of the lands grant- 

 ed them. Upon which the prior, Serlo, applied to 

 king William llufus, to whom he was personally 

 known, as having been educated together in their 

 youth, who not only granted Serlo and the monks 

 his protection, but became also their benefactor, 

 granting them 6 carucates of land ; two at Hack- 



* The site of the monastic cell built under her di- 

 rection is supposed to have been where the old manor 

 house lately stood, which was esteemed the perfect mo- 

 del of a monastery. Near this site the late Sir Vanden 

 Ucmpdc Johnstone ; Bart., built a spacious mansion. 



