25. THE HOSPITAL OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST AND ST. ANTHONY, CALNE
Calne hospital, which lay 'beside Eldebrooke'
(the Old Brook), (fn. 1) is first mentioned in 1202, when
Richard the Tanner quitclaimed a house to the
priest Ernald and the brethren. (fn. 2) It had grants of
protection in 1248, 1260, 1265, and 1267. (fn. 3) In
1256 the master obtained from Andrew and
Beatrice of Stretton, for 1 silver mark and a rent
of 2s. and suit of court twice a year, 20 acres
of land in 'Stoke' (perhaps Stockley in Calne). (fn. 4)
Robert de Careville, Treasurer of Salisbury, left
£2 to it in 1267. (fn. 5) It held a tenement and a virgate
of land in the fields of Uffcott (in Broad Hinton),
at first of the Bohuns, and after 1274 of the
Abbess of Lacock, who reduced the service to suit
of court twice a year and 1s. a year for scutage. (fn. 6)
Sir Robert Hungerford, in commemoration of
his first wife Geva, obtained licence in 1336 to
grant to the warden 2 messuages, 40 acres of land,
8½ acres of meadow, and 13s. rent in Calne and its
hamlets, Quemerford, Stockley, and Tasworth
(now lost), to find a chaplain to celebrate daily in
St. Mary's Church; and he gave also vestments
and a hanging. (fn. 7) In 1332 the Prior and Convent
of St. Frideswide's, Oxford, had licence to grant
to the master and brethren 2 bushels of wheat a
week out of the manor of Hudden (Berks.). (fn. 8)
William, 6th Lord Zouche of Harringworth,
died in 1468 possessed of the manor and hundred
of Calne and the advowson of the hospital. (fn. 9) In
1487 the king granted for life to Thomas Whitamore, chaplain, the free chapel or priory called
'le priourye' of Calne, void by the demise of 'R.'
Bishop of Exeter, and in the king's gift by the forfeiture of John, late Lord Zouche. (fn. 10) It may be
inferred that the mastership was already a sinecure, and that it was one of the minor appointments obtained by Richard Foxe before his
consecration as Bishop of Exeter. Zouche was
restored to his honours in 1495.
In 1535 the warden Robert Blake returned the
income of the hospital as £2 9s. a year; the allocations, amounting to 6s. 4d., comprised rents of
1s. 4d. to the Abbess of Lacock, 1s. 3d. to Lord
Zouche, 1s. 10d. to the Rector of Calne, 1s. 8d.
to the queen at Devizes Castle, and 3d. to the
king at Cherhill manor. (fn. 11) In 1543 the mansion
or hospital with its garden, an acre of arable
in Castle Field, ½ acre of arable in Waynshill,
and a parcel of land in Little Castle Field were
granted to Edward Smalwell at 8s. a year for
21 years. (fn. 12)
The chantry commissioners of 1546 found the
value of the endowments £3 11s. 6d. a year, less
rents doctori Robyson and others amounting to
5s. 1d.; the clear revenue of £3 6s. 5d. went to the
master. (fn. 13) Their successors in 1548 found that the
same master, Robert Blake, aged 26, not in priest's
orders, held the priory or free chapel, of the clear
value of £4 4s. 11d. a year, for his exhibition 'to
fynde hym to scole'. (fn. 14)
The endowments were sold next year, with the
proceeds of other confiscations, to Richard Randall of London, gentleman. They comprised the
house, site, and capital mansion of the late priory,
fraternity, or free chapel (except bells and lead);
a garden adjoining; the three fields let to Edward Smalwell; 7½ acres of arable in Stokefield
and 8 in Little Sandes; a messuage and garden and
3 acres and an acre of meadow in 'Slepynge'; 3
acres of land in Waynfield; an acre of meadow and
another acre called 'Le Hamme' in 'Abberd'; 7
acres of meadow in 'Rugges' and one in 'Kyllynges'; a garden in 'Cowsyn Street' (Curzon
Street); a ½-acre close of land and pasture called
'Laggershe' and similar closes of 1½ acre called
'Prior's Orchard' and of 6 acres called 'Groves'—
all in Calne; and a virgate of land in Uffcott. (fn. 15)
Masters, Wardens, or Priors
Ernald, occurs 1202. (fn. 16)
Ralph, occurs 1256. (fn. 17)
Richard Foxe, resigned 1487. (fn. 18)
Thomas Whitamore, appointed 1487. (fn. 19)
Robert Blake, occurs from 1535 to 1548. (fn. 20)