43. THE HOSPITAL OF ST. NICHOLAS, LEWES

The hospital of St. Nicholas in Westout appears to have been established by William de Warenne as an infirmary for the poor under control of the priory of Lewes. The six principal officers of the monastery among them contributed 36s. to its support, and a further 15s. was charged upon the manors of Langney, Falmer, and Swanborough; (fn. 1) at the time of the dissolution the total payment to the support of the thirteen inmates was £5 10s. (fn. 2) The brethren and sisters at the time of the suppression of the priory put their charters and evidences into the hands of Ralph Cromwell, Mr. Pollerd, and Mr. Mylsent, who promised that they should have their charitable alms as of old, and gave them 15s. to go on with; (fn. 3) but nothing more was done, and the hospital appears to have become an irregularly constituted almshouse for the parish of St. Anne, vacancies being filled, at one period, by the simple entry of the first comer. (fn. 4)

Footnotes