Paulinus, the first Bishop of York, was the first who preached Christianity in Lindsey; yet St. Chad was the patron saint of Barton and its immediate neighbourhood, and at times I have fancied that St. Trunnian might have been one of his coadjutors; at other times I have thought he may have been some sainted person, posted here with the allied force under Anlaff, previous to the great battle of Brunannburg, which was fought in the adjoining parish in the time of Athelstan: but I never could meet with any conclusive notice, of St. Trunnian, or any particular account of him. Some years ago I was dining with a clerical friend in London, and then made known my anxiety, when he at once referred to the quotation made by DR. RIMBAULT from Appius and Virginia, as in Vol. iii., p. 187.; and my friend has since referred me to Heywoods's play of The Four P's (Collier's edition of Dodsley's Old Plays, vol. i. p. 55.), where the Palmer is introduced narrating his pilgrimage:
"At Saynt Toncumber and Saynt Tronion,
At Saynt Bothulph and Saynt Ann of Buckston;"
inferring a locality for St. Tronion as well as St. Botulph, in Lincolnshire: and subsequently my friend notes that—
"Mr. Stephens, in a letter to the printer of the St. James's Chronicle, points out the following mention of St. Tronion in Geoffrey Fenton's Tragical Discourses, 4to., 1567, fol. 114. b.:—'He (referring to some one in his narrative not named) returned in Haste to his Lodgynge, where he attended the approche of his Hower of appointment wyth no lesse Devocyon than the papystes in France perform their ydolatrous Pilgrimage to the ydol Saynt Tronyon upon the Mount Avyon besides Roan.'"
Should these minutes lead to further information, it will give me great pleasure, as I am anxious to elucidate, as far as I can, the antiquities of my native place.
Mr. Jaques lives at a place called St. Trinnians, near to Richmond in Yorkshire; but I have not the History of Richmondshire to refer to, so as to see whether any notice of our saint is there taken under this evident variation of the same appellation.
WM. S. HESLEDEN.
Barton-upon-Humber, Aug. 29. 1851.