THE SCILLY ISLANDS Romanised Damnonian princes. It has been proved that the isles were utilised as a place of banishment. Athelstan, making a triumphant progress through Cornwall, was not content till he had visited Scilly, which he is said to have sighted from the high land hear St. Buryan. The date must have been about 936. In 993 Olaf of Norway concluded a long marauding expedition by calling at Scilly. Here some of his troops became mutinous, and Olaf was wounded. He was carried to Tresco Abbey, which had been founded by Athelstan, and was there nursed, converted and baptised. Of the Celtic saints, both Samson and Teilo seem to have been at Scilly — of course long before OlaPs visit. Samson has left his name to one of the isles, while Teilo is associated with St. Helen's. We can believe this the more readily as there are traces of Teilo at St. Buryan. His name was Latinised into Elidius, and the same name that
Cornwall was corrupted, in one instance,
to Endellion, in Scilly has been corrupted to St. Helen's. Probably he laid the foundation of the church whose ruins are supposed to be the most ancient in the islands ; but Tresco, though more modern, became in Saxon days the ecclesiastical centre. Henry I. granted Tresco, with " all the churches of Sullye," to Tavistock, to which abbey it belonged till the Dissolution. There is reason to think Tresco had belonged to Tavistock even earlier. Various governors, commissioners and lords of the manor had to do with the islands at different times ; ^ 273
