Baring-Gould’s sources: Variously commemorated on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1. Benedictine Martyrologies of Menardus, Wyon, &c. Dempster’s Scottish Menology on Sept. 6.1 Aberdeen Breviary on Oct. 31. Camerarius on Sept. 8. There is, however, great confusion between Baya and Begha. The Anglican Martyrology of Wilson on Sept. 6.] The life of S. Begha, or Bega, or Beez, has been already given on September 6th. But it seems probable that there were three of that name — one, the virgin on the Cumberland coast; another, abbess in Yorkshire; a third, a virgin at Kilbeg, in Scotland. It is impossible to unravel the confusion. The two days, September 6th and November 1st, dedicated to Begha, Virgin, seem to indicate two distinct saints. One settled where S. Bee's Head looks towards Ireland. She was daughter of an Irish prince; and according to her Life, published by Mr. Tomlinson, came across to Britain on a green grass sod, which she cut in Ireland, cast into the sea, and on which she stood to be wafted over. The second Begha received the veil from the hands of S. Aidan, in the reign of King Oswald. She ruled a community in a cell constructed by him in a certain desert island, certainly in Northumbria, and not in Cumberland, where Aidan exercised no jurisdiction.

When S. Hilda returned from Gaul [roughly modern France and Belgium],* S. Begha prayed to be freed from the burden of government, and that S. Hilda should be consecrated abbess in her stead, which accordingly took place. It is probably this Begha, living in the monastery of Hacanes, thirteen miles from Whitby, that Bede [English monk and historian (d. 735)] See SS. Maura and Baya, Not. a. Dempster and Adam King commemorate S. Baya (Begha) on Nov. 1, but this is quite a different saint, who lived under K. Donald.

mentions as having had the death of S. Hilda revealed to her in vision.1 The Aberdeen Breviary says that she died in the odour of sanctity, attested by many miracles wrought at her tomb, especially the cure of the two sons of a Frenchman from Chartres. But this was no doubt the Cumberland, and not the Yorkshire S. Begha.