3^ 
SELBY ABBEY AND ITS BUILDERS. 
at the side of the church, or by the river side where various craft 
are being loaded or unloaded, or even to the Railway Station 
where there is usually a certain amount of bustle and commotion, 
there is the feeling that behind you stands the Abbey, the 
principal feature of all the ancient and modern influences which 
have combined to make the town. 
No records, on which reliance can be placed, carrying back the 
history of Selby to a date previous to the Norman Conquest are 
known to be in existence, and it would appear from this that 
Selby like many other places sprang up around its Monastery. 
It is only incidentally mentioned in the “Great Survey’'—Domes¬ 
day Book—although many of the villages around are fully 
recorded. The incidental notices state that the Abbot at Selb}^ 
holds so many carucates of land, and so many ploughs, fisheries 
and meadows—this merely shows there was an Abbey in existence 
at that time. 
The ecclesiastical founder of the Abbey was a secular monk from 
the Monastery of Auxerre, in France, known as Benedict, the 
anchorite. He attracted the favourable notice of the Abbot, who 
gave him the choice of two honourable courses, either to take the 
badge of military service or to become a regular monk. Benedict 
is recorded to have said—“ There are plenty of soldiers who fight 
more to serve their passions than the right ; but in the service of 
God virtue and honour are rewarded.” He became a regular 
monk, and gained promotion in his monastery for purity of life 
and character. Benedict at length was honoured by a vision of 
St. Germain, in which the Saint commanded him to leave his 
own country and go to a land that he would show him. The 
Saint's protection was promised, and, in addition, the gift of the 
finger preserved on the altar. At first, Benedict neglected the 
offer, but on a re-appearance of the vision, who this time threatened 
punishment, he at once applied to the head of the Monastery for 
leave to depart on his mission ; but as this was refused, he secretly 
stole away and took the finger with him. Benedict made his way 
to the coast and, no doubt guided by St. Germain, had a 
prosperous voyage to the shores of England. 
Although Selby, situated on the banks of the Ouse, near the 
City of York, had been pointed out by the Saint to Benedict as 
his future abode, Benedict appears to have lost his bearings and 
wandered about a great deal in the South of England before he 
found his way North. Having arrived at Lynn, in Norfolk, he 
