Today is the feast of St Hugh, bishop of Lincoln in the 12 th century. I mention him today as he is the patron of sick children and sick people generally and unusually of swans.
It is said that he had a pet swan which followed him everywhere. It came from Stow in Lindsey and used to protect him. There is a church near Abbeville in northern France which has an altar piece which depicts Hugh with the Swan. The church in Stow is, I am told, rather grand and is known as Stow Minster.
Hugh was,of course French and came from savoy and he was of noble birth. He became a member of the Grande Chartreuse as a Carthusian when it was in it's ascendancy. When he came to England he was made responsible for the establishment of a charter house. Henry11 set up a charter house as a penance for the killing of Thomas a Becket and Hugh organised it. He was later elected bishop of Lincoln and was responsible for the early building.
He was unusually noted for the protection of the Jews of the city who had been mercilessly persecuted by Richard 1. Even unto this day there is a building called the Jews House on Steep Hill leading up to the cathedral. It was a restaurant when last I was there. I had a fillet steak so tough that it could have been part of Shylock's shoe.
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