‘Unambiguous proof’: medieval archbishop revealed as lost English saint

Ruins of Rievaulx Abbey, which was founded by Thurstan. Photograph: Gary Calton/The Observer

Thurstan was one of medieval England’s most influential figures – archbishop of York, founder of monasteries and defender against invading Scots.

Now English Heritage has uncovered evidence that Thurstan, who was archbishop from 1114 to 1140, is one of England’s lost saints, in a long-overlooked entry in a 15th-century manuscript.