38. THE HOSPITAL OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST, WILTON
The first authentic facts (fn. 1) recorded about this
hospital seem to be that in 1195 Hubert Claud,
prior of the 'hospital of St. James', held lands in
Ditchampton and Bemerton, and that one Gervase quitclaimed to him, for the perpetual maintenance of a bed in the hospital, 16 acres of arable
and 1 of meadow in the fields of Ditchampton and
Ugford. (fn. 2) A chapel in the hospital, which lay in
Ditchampton, west of Wilton, is said to have been
dedicated in 1217. (fn. 3) In documents of the 14th
century sisters of the hospital are occasionally
mentioned in addition to a prior and brethren. (fn. 4)
Henry III, visiting Wilton in March 1218,
requested the Bishop of Salisbury to confirm the
church of St. Michael, Kingsbury (Wilton), to
the brethren of the hospital as their own property,
and the bishop seems to have complied. (fn. 5) The
sheriff was ordered in 1221 to distrain on 'R. dean
of Wilton' and the Prior of St. John's, at the suit
of Nicholas son of Richard. (fn. 6) In 1225 the justices
in Wiltshire were ordered to ascertain whether
6 messuages in Wilton belonged to St. Michael's
Church or to lay fees, and in the same year Walter
Wineman sued the prior before the justices in
respect of a messuage and appurtenances. (fn. 7) In
1241-2 the prior paid 6d. to the sheriff, with
6d. for the year before, for an encroachment in
Wilton. (fn. 8)
William Longespée, Earl of Salisbury, bequeathed a number of cows to this and other hospitals in 1225. (fn. 9) Henry III gave wood for its
hearth on six occasions between 1223 and 1235
referring to it in 1229 as the Domus Dei of
Wilton. (fn. 10) Robert de Careville, Treasurer of
Salisbury, left £1 to it in 1267. (fn. 11)
In 1236 the prior bought from Geoffrey of
Billeg, for £2, a virgate of land in 'Billeg' (Billhay
Farm, West Tisbury) at 1s. a year. (fn. 12) Jacob, son
of David, sued him for debt in 1244. (fn. 13) In 1267
Cecily, Geoffrey Husse's wife, left money to the
hospital. (fn. 14) In 1268 the prior recovered from
Humphrey de Bridel the arrears of a rent of one
quarter of corn and one of rye for maintenance of
the poor infirm in the hospital. (fn. 15) It was found by
inquisition in 1300 that the warden held divers
tenements, and paid 8d. rent of assize at Easter
and Michaelmas and 4s. 9¼d. landgable on St.
Andrew's day. (fn. 16)
Benefactions began to accumulate. Richard of
Chisledon had licence in 1318 to grant 8 acres of
land and 3 of meadow in the suburb of Wilton,
and 12 of land and 1 of meadow in Washern near
Wilton, to find a chaplain to celebrate daily in the
hospital church for the souls of his family. (fn. 17) In
1323 Thomas le Porter, Vicar of St. Peter, Bulbridge, had licence to grant 4 messuages in Wilton
and the suburb, to maintain a chaplain, a brother
of the hospital, to celebrate daily in Bulbridge
church for certain souls; the grant was confirmed
by Bishop Mortival in 1325. (fn. 18) In 1324 John
(son of Alan) and Agnes of Longford had licence
to convey to the hospital 2 messuages, a carucate
of land, 12½ acres of meadow, and 19s. rent in
Winterbourne Ford (in Laverstock), Little Langford, Milford (in Salisbury), Laverstock, and
Hurdcott (in Barford St. Martin), to find a chaplain to celebrate daily in Little Langford church
for the souls of the family. (fn. 19) John of Harnham
the elder had licence in 1330 to grant a messuage,
10 acres of land, and a rent of 6s. in Compton
Chamberlayne, to celebrate the obit of Robert the
Chamberlain yearly in Compton church, and to
find two wax lights to burn daily at the high
altar there at high mass. (fn. 20) Simon of Wylye had
licence in 1334 to grant 2 messuages, 60 acres of
land, 1s. 4d. rent, and pasture for 12 oxen and
180 sheep in Monkton Deverill and Wylye, to
find a chaplain to celebrate daily in Wylye church
for the souls of Simon and his ancestors; Simon
died that year without fulfilling his purpose, but
the necessary further licences were granted in
1335 and 1336. (fn. 21) Robert le Boor, who appears
to have been one of Simon's executors, is said to
have transferred to the hospital a chantry which
he had founded in 1319 at Hill Deverill church
and granted at first at Longleat priory. (fn. 22)
Richard of Chisledon had licence in 1335 for
the further gift of a messuage, a mill, and a virgate
of land at South Newton, to find a chaplain to
celebrate daily in the hospital for his family; he
died almost at once, but apparently he had assured
the endowment. (fn. 23) In the same month Thomas
West had licence to grant 2 messuages, 110 acres
of land, 10 acres of meadow, and 6d. rent in North
Burcombe, Ugford St. James, and Swallowcliffe,
with the advowson of North Burcombe church,
to find two chaplains to celebrate daily in the
churches of Swallowcliffe and St. John, Wilton;
the hospital had licence for the appropriation of
North Burcombe church, which was carried out
in 1347. (fn. 24)
It was found by inquisition in 1339 that the
prior held ¼ knight's fee in Hurdcott, worth
£1 6s. 8d. a year, of the heirs of Sir Giles de
Badlesmere; (fn. 25) and in 1362 that he held 2 acres
of pasture at Emwell, in Norton Bavant manor,
let at a rent of 1s. (fn. 26)
A royal retainer was sent to the hospital in
1325 for maintenance, food, and clothing for
life. (fn. 27) John of Tamworth, king's clerk, had a
grant of the hospital in 1344, but he surrendered
it at once; he had had an equally abortive grant
of St. Giles's Hospital. (fn. 28)
The hospital's not inconsiderable possessions
brought successive priors into conflict with the
forest laws. In 1270 it was found that the prior's
predecessor had enclosed 2 acres at Whitbourne,
in Corsley, without licence. (fn. 29) Under Edward III
the prior was obliged to pay £2 for leaving land enclosed in the same place, which was then within
the bounds of Selwood Forest. (fn. 30) In 1370 the
prior had to pay 14s. 4d. for having 12 swine not
'hambled' (amillat) in Clarendon Forest, which
rootled the king's land throughout the year. (fn. 31)
In 1388 John Waltham, Bishop of Salisbury,
announced a 40-days' indulgence in favour of the
hospital, the fabric of which was ruinous through
lapse of time. (fn. 32)
In 1392 the wardenship of the hospital was
disputed between John May and Geoffrey Gilot.
May had been presented to the office by the king
in March. (fn. 33) Gilot, despite the fact that the king
had presented John Were in June 1391, (fn. 34) and
John Graunger on Were's resignation in September of the same year, (fn. 35) was said to have held the
office for the past eight years. (fn. 36) Pending a decision
in Chancery on the dispute, the hospital was put
into the hands of Peter de Barton and John
Gauwyn, two royal clerks. (fn. 37) The outcome is
unknown, but in July 1392 both disputants undertook by a bond of £100 to abide by the decision
to be made by the Bishop of Salisbury. (fn. 38) In 1395
one Geoffrey, possibly Gilot, was prior. (fn. 39)
The prior and convent, in 1395, engaged a
priest to celebrate where and when the prior
should ordain; the detailed terms included a
priest's maintenance in meat and drink, and
£1 6s. 8d. a year for clothing, and an allowance
for expenses if he were sent out of Wilton. (fn. 40)
John Watcombe, prior in 1404, was warned
by the Dean of Salisbury to wear his habit, as
other priors had done, on pain of 'provocation'.
His successors made their profession of obedience
before the dean, in the chancel of their church, in
1405 and 1407. (fn. 41)
In 1435 Bishop Neville united to St. John's
Hospital the rectories of St. Michael Kingsbury
(or South Street), St. Nicholas West Street, St.
Mary West Street, and St. Nicholas in atrio. (fn. 42)
It became customary, in the later 15th century,
to elect the priors of St. John's as burgesses of
Wilton. Prior Thomas Baker was steward of the
borough in 1489-91, and one of the auditors in
1500; (fn. 43) and in 1467, 1520, and 1537 the prior
was elected portreeve (prepositus) of the borough. (fn. 44)
John Ogbourne, clerk, was a burgess from 1461
to his death in 1474; (fn. 45) he was prior of St. John's
when he set out for Rome and was captured and
held in prison overseas. (fn. 46)
The master or prior in 1535 returned the
annual value in rents of assize, lands, meadows,
pasture, and corrodies as £16 18s. 4d., and the
charges (rents, payments to the Bishop and the
Chapter of Salisbury and to the Archdeacon of
Wilts, and 17s. 4d. in alms to four poor inmates) as £2 4s. 5½d. (fn. 47) The chantry commissioners of 1546 found a master or warden, a
chaplain, and four poor brethren and sisters; a gross
income of £21 4s. 8d. from scattered properties,
mainly let since 1540 for terms of from 60 to 99
years; outgoings of £3 1s. 2½d. including £1 6s. 8d.
a year granted for life to Richard Palmer, the
receiver; and ornaments worth £3 8s. 8d. (fn. 48) The
commissioners of 1548 also found the clear value
as £18 3s. 5½d., stated that the master received it
for his own use and no poor persons were maintained; and held that the foundation was charitable and not superstitious. (fn. 49)
The hospital survived, but the charge brought
against the master in 1548 was repeated about
1613. The 'minister' in the time of Archbishop
Laud (1633-44) 'allowed the poor but very little'
of the revenues. (fn. 50)
In 1821 the master or prior was a clergyman,
nominated by the Dean of Salisbury, and he
selected the two poor men and two poor women
for maintenance. (fn. 51) In 1825 the hospital was
'unused and going to decay'. (fn. 52) It was rebuilt in
1851; the chapel was restored in 1868 and repaired and enlarged about 1902. The buildings,
of flint and stone with some red brick patching,
stand on the main London-Exeter road between
the parish church and the Wishford turning.
The Charity Commissioners found in 1903
that the Dean of Salisbury had been the patron
for several centuries past; that two poor men and
two poor women were still maintained; and that
the corporation's claim to nominate the men
was unfounded. The gross annual income was
£871 7s. 6d., of which the ancient endowments
in land yielded £29 1s. 6d. (fn. 53)
Masters, Priors, or Wardens
Hubert Claud', occurs 1195. (fn. 54)
Stephen, occurs 1236, 1244. (fn. 55)
Thomas, occurs 1268. (fn. 56)
Hugh, occurs 1307. (fn. 57)
John of Norridge, occurs 1314-15, 1325. (fn. 58)
John of Tamworth, appointed 1344. (fn. 59)
Roger Hudd, occurs temp. Edw. III. (fn. 60)
Henry, occurs 1370. (fn. 61)
Geoffrey Gilot, appointed c. 1384; occurs
1397 or later. (fn. 62)
John Were, appointed 1391; John Graunger,
appointed 1391-2; John May, appointed
1392. (fn. 63)
John Watcombe, occurs 1404. (fn. 64)
Richard Bereford, installed 1405. (fn. 64)
John Hyle, installed 1407. (fn. 64)
Edward Pynkebryge, occurs 1467. (fn. 65)
John Ogbourne, died 1474. (fn. 66)
Richard Fox, occurs 1477, 1478. (fn. 67)
Thomas Baker, occurs 1489, 1500. (fn. 68)
William Hawarden, occurs 1516, 1517. (fn. 69)
Richard Dudley, occurs 1535. (fn. 70)
John Roberts, occurs 1548. (fn. 71)
William Awbrey, appointed 1590, resigned
1595. (fn. 72)
Thomas Skales, appointed 1595, resigned
1599.
Garrett Williamson, appointed 1599, resigned
1600.
Giles Thornburgh, appointed 1600.
John Houghton, appointed 1600.
Giles Thornburgh, appointed c. 1635(?). (fn. 73)
Andrew Bowerman, appointed 1637, occurs
1650. (fn. 74)
John Houghton, appointed 1660, occurs
1662. (fn. 75)
Richard Kent, appointed 1677, died 1692.
Thomas Naish, appointed 1692, died 1713.
Richard Eyre, appointed 1713, died 1745.
William Hillman, appointed 1746, died 1773.
Charles Greene, appointed 1773, died 1803.
Charles Ekins, appointed 1803, died 1826.
Henry Venn Elliott, appointed 1826, resigned
1831.
Charles Buchanan Pearson, appointed 1831,
died 1881.
William Savage, appointed 1881, died 1894. (fn. 76)
The Hon. Douglas Hamilton Gordon, appointed 1894, died 1902.
Allan Becher Webb, appointed 1902, died
1907. (fn. 77)
Eldon Surtees Bankes, appointed 1908, died
1914.
H. W. Carpenter, appointed 1914, died 1936. (fn. 78)
Charles Tunnacliff Dimont, instituted 1936,
died 1953. (fn. 79)
The pointed oval seal (1 15/16; by 1 9/16; in.), now in
use, and probably of much earlier design, bears the
Agnus Dei with the legend:
SIGILLUM HOSPITALIS SANCTI IOHANNIS IVXTA
WILTON. (fn. 80)