Note 8 — THE BATTLE OF CUTON MOORE.

Thurstan, the twenty-eighth archbishop of York, and who was at this period Lieutenant-Governor of the North, organized the troops that fought this famous battle, and had the command as far as Thirsk, at which place he resigned, on account of sickness, his authority to Ralph, bishop of Orkney, of whom little is known. The archbishop of York used to ordain bishops with the title of Orkney; but Torffæus is of opinion that they were merely titulars, to give greater show of authority to the see of York; and he is positive that this bishop did never reside in the isles of Orkney, and that Ralph, designated bishop of Orkney, had been a presbyter of York.