Entrance

Entrance doorway to St William's College.

Entrance with a statue of St. William and (left) the shield of arms of St William and (right) the shield of arms of the See of York (modern).

St. William.
Archbishop from 1143 to 1147 he was deposed in 1147 because of opposition to his archbishopric by Cistercian monks. The unpopular Murdac became Archbishop until he died in 1153 when William was reinstated. His reinstatement was so welcomed by the citizens of York that a great crowd followed his entrance to the City which caused the wooden Ouse Bridge to collapse. No-one was injured or killed when this happened. William died in 1154 and it is suggested that he was poisoned. A total of 36 miracles were ascribed to William and he was canonised in 1226. His remains are now in a shrine in the western crypt of the Minster after several moves. (Ref. 1)

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