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39° YORK.
was so summarily suspended by Archbishop Neile
{ante, p. 374). But a large proportion of the loyal
clergy were ejected, and many subjected to great
privations.
Amongst the more eminent of the Yorkshire clergy
thus dealt with may be mentioned John Neile, a son of
the archbishop of that name. He was archdeacon of
Cleveland, canon of York, and rector of Beeford.
Like many others, he was deprived of the means of
subsistence, and earned a precarious maintenance by
teaching, until the Restoration reinstated him in his
preferments. He eventually became Dean of Ripon.
Robinson, the vicar of Leeds, was amongst those
ejected, which seems remarkable, for his sympathies
were certainly with the Puritans. But he probably
did not go far enough, and Leeds was undoubtedly a
stronghold of the more advanced men of that school.
He was replaced by Peter Saxton, who held that
benefice from 1646 to 165 1. He is worthy of
a brief mention on account of an arrangement
proposed during his incumbency — possibly at his
instance, certainly, as we may presume, with his
sanction — for the division of the great parish
of Leeds, though it never was carried into effect.
The idea was suggested by a commission which
was granted for the purpose of surveying and subdividing
the great parishes of the North of England
the original reports of which are in the Lambeth
library. The object was to break down all distinction
between the parish churches and their subsidiary
chapels, to form as many parishes as there were places
of worship, and to provide a competent maintenance