St Hugh, His Swan, and a Visit to Newark

Today’s blog, by Amber Wilson, continues our journey exploring historical figures associated with Newark and the wider area throughout the centuries.

If you’ve heard of St Hugh, it’s mostly likely in relation to our neighbouring city of Lincoln and its famous cathedral. In this post we learn a little more about the life of St Hugh and explore some potential ties to Newark

The Story of St Hugh
St Hugh was born around the year 1140 in Avalon, part of the Holy Roman Empire that is now in modern-day France. He came to England at the behest of Henry II who wanted him to found a Carthusian monastry at Witham in Somerset. Owing to Henry II’s support, Hugh was eventually consecrated as the Bishop of Lincoln in 1186. He died in 1200 and was buried at Lincoln Cathedral. Following his death, in 1229 he was canonised by Pope Honorius III as the patron saint of sick children, cobblers, and swans. His emblem is a white swan in reference to the swan of Stow, Lincolnshire who famously had a long friendship with St Hugh. 

St Hugh and Interfaith Relations
The 13th century was infamously not a period of positive Jewish-Christian relations in England. St Hugh, however, famously worked actively for the protection of his Jewish neighbours. One account stated that when riots broke out and violence was directed towards the Jewish population, St Hugh risked his life to protect them.  

St Hugh in Newark
The writings of Giraldus Cambrensis suggested that St Hugh visited the town and stayed in the castle on several occasions. One story records St Hugh kissing a leper in Newark after which he told his chaplain ‘these afflicted ones were the flowers of paradise’. In a second story ‘the Bishop exhibited his care for the poor and weak when he confirmed at Newark Castle a little child of 6 months old, who leaped with joy’.

Bibliography

Butler, R.U. 1910. St. Hugh of Lincoln. The Catholic Encyclopaedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. 

Pask, B. M. 2000. The Story of Newark Church and its People. 18-129 in Newark Parish Church of St. Mary Magdalene. Newark-on-Trent: District Church Council of St. Mary Magdalene 

Wagner, E.K. 2015. From Hugh to Hugh, or Saint to Saint: Enshrining Medieval Jewish-Christian Relations in the Space and Texts of Lincoln and Its Cathedral. Enarratio. 19:30-49