42 
SELBY ABBEY AND ITS BUILDERS. 
Then followed Duranns—1127—1137, who hailed from St. 
Mary’s at York. He was a man of handsome presence and of 
considerable ability, but over the rest we must draw a veil. He 
was compelled to retire by Archbishop Thurstan. 
The Abbey remained without a head for two years, as the 
rival claims of two monks could not be settled, until at last 
Thurstan sent Walter from Pontefract—1139—1143. He devoted 
himself to the affairs of the Monastery, and after ruling six years, 
was laid to rest in the Chapter House amid demonstrations of the 
greatest respect. 
Now we come to Helias Pagnel or Paynell—1143—1153- He 
was the third son of Ralph Pagnell, the first Norman Baron of 
Drax, Leeds, &c., and founder of the Priory of the Holy Trinity 
in York. He was promoted from being Prior of this Monastery 
to that of Selby, his father being a great benefactor to Selby, as 
also to York. 
There are many interesting incidents in connection with the 
lives of these great Abbots which I would have liked to mention, 
but the time allotted to me is all too short to attempt even a brief 
notice ; so that I will just give a list of them before passing on to 
the description of the Abbey Church. 
Germanus, 1153—1160, from Tynemouth. 
Gilbert, 1160—1184. 
Interval of five years. 
Roger de London, 1189—1195. 
Richard, 1195—1214, Prior of Selby, who presided over the 
Abbey when King John paid his visit in 1212, during the 
troublous days. 
Geoffrey, 1214. He was never installed. 
Alexander, 1214—1221, Prior of Selby. 
Richard, 1221, from St. Ives. 
Richard de Kellesay, 1222—1237, sub-Prior of Selby. More 
Monastic misgovernment. 
Hugh de Brayton, 1244—1284. 
Thomas de Whalley, 1255—1262. This ecclesiastic did not 
observe the Monastic Rules, or visit the sick, or even attend 
to the temporal welfare of the Monastery. 
Thomas, 1262, deposed and re-instated, 1269. 
In the interval— 
David de Cawood ruled, 1263—1269. 
Thomas Whalley, re-instated 1269—1280. 
