Popular  feeling  was  excited  against  them,
and  they  took  refuge  in  the  castle  precincts,
under  the  protection  of  the  sheriff.  On
24th  April  the  body  was  translated  to  the
monks'  cemetery,  adjoining  the  cathedral.
Miracles  began  to  take  place,  and  William's
career  as  a  saint  was  inaugurated.  There
was,  however,  a  strong  party,  even  within  the
monastery,  which  refused  to  acknowledge  his
claims.  At  first  it  seems  to  have  been  headed
by  the  prior,  Elias  (d.  1150).  As  time  went
on  resistance  died  away.  St.  William  was
successively  translated  to  the  chapter-house
(1150),  to  a  place  near  the  high  altar  (1151),
and  to  the  chapel  of  the  martyrs  (1154).
At  the  period  of  the  Dissolution  he  had  a
chapel  under  the  choir-screen.
A  considerable  portion  of  Thomas's
narrative  deals  with  the  disturbances  to
which  the  supposed  martyrdom  of  William
gave  rise.
He  dwells  at  great  length  also  upon  the
evidence  of  the  martyrdom.  This,  as  has
been  said,  is  of  the  weakest  kind.  The  one
fact  which  is  probably  to  be  relied  upon  is
that  the  boy  William's  body  was  found  in
Thorpe  Wood,  and  that  he  had  been  murdered.
