50. THE HOSPITAL OF ST. SAVIOUR, BURY ST. EDMUNDS
The hospital of St. Saviour, without the north
gate, was begun by Abbot Samson about the
year 1184, but it was not finished nor fully
endowed until the time of King John. It was
originally founded for a warden, twelve chaplain
priests, six clerks, twelve poor men, and twelve
poor women. (fn. 1)
Abbot Samson and the convent granted to the
hospital the place upon which the buildings
stood; £13 in silver of their village of Icklingham; two portions of their church of Melford;
portions of certain tithes; eight acres of corn
in Cockfield; and their houses at 'Telefort,'
saving to the monastery an annual service of 2s.,
and to the canons 12d. This grant was confirmed on 16 July, 1206, by John de Gray,
bishop of Norwich. (fn. 2)
The annual value of this hospital in 1291 is
set down at the round sum of £10. (fn. 3)
A charter of Abbot John, 1292, relative to this
hospital, lays down that the inmates henceforth
must be poor; that 6s. 8d. was to be allowed to
clerks and laymen, and 5s. to sisters; and that
the warden was to be a man of prudence and
discretion. The endowment was at the same
time augmented by 10 acres of land and two of
meadow near the south gate, and by 22d. rent
in the town. (fn. 4)
In the time of Edward I, there were only
seven chaplains, and it was decided to dismiss the
poor sisters and in their place to receive and
maintain old and infirm priests. (fn. 5)
In 1336 the abbey successfully resisted the
crown's custom of imposing pensioners on the
hospital funds; securing a grant that after the
death of John de Broughton the hospital should
not again be called upon to provide corrodies
out of its revenues. (fn. 6)
In 1390 William the abbot, with the consent
of Adam de la Kyndneth, guest-master, granted
to Edward Merssh of Ickworth a corrody in this
hospital for his life. In the following year Robert
Rymer was granted a corrody by the same abbot
in St. Saviour's, through the vacancy caused by
the death of Edward Merssh. (fn. 7) In the year
1392 John Reve, of Pakenham, was admitted
an inmate on the following terms: he was to
have board and lodging in the hospital for life,
and to receive annually a gown, a pair of
stockings, and a pair of shoes. It is added in a
memorandum that John Reve in consideration
of this grant was to pay to the master of the
hospital, towards the new fabric of the hospital,
the large sum of 26 marks by the hand of Robert
Ashfield. The hospital was also used from time
to time as a refuge for worn-out priests. Abbot
John of Northwold, when founding the charnel
house, laid down that its two chaplains, when
they became infirm, were to be admitted to St.
Saviour's Hospital, save if they were suffering
from any contagious disease, when they were to
be sent to the hospital of St. Peter or that of
St. Nicholas. (fn. 8)
Among the town muniments are five rolls of
accounts of this hospital for the years 1353-4,
1374-5, 1385-6, 1386-7, and 1438-9. Mention
is made in the accounts for 1386-7 (when the
receipts were £106 2s. 9½d. and the expenses
£234 3s. 6¾d.), among the ornaments of the
chapel of St. Thomas in the infirmary church,
of 12s. for a silver box placed beneath the feet
of an image, and a base (corbel stone) bought of
Simon, the abbey mason, at 5s., for the image to
stand on at the right corner of the altar. Also
three books with the services of the passion and
translation of St. Thomas, 13s. 4d. Sixpence
was paid to a messenger going to Clare to get a
doctor in theology to preach on St. Thomas's Day,
and then on to Sudbury for tiles for the pavement
of St. Thomas's Chapel. A suffragan bishop received a gift this year, as well as his chaplain
and servant; he probably attended to consecrate
the chapel or altar of St. Thomas. (fn. 9)
St. Saviour's Hospital was by far the largest
and most important institution of its kind in the
town. It suffered much at the hands of the
rioters of 1327, both in stock and goods; the loss
was valued at £21 9s. 6d., including horses,
cows, and pigs, as well as smaller articles, such
as six silver spoons worth 7s. 6d., and a maser
worth a mark. (fn. 10)
The accounts of this hospital are not entered
separately from those of the abbey in the Valor
of 1535. There are eight entries of dues payable to the hospital from certain abbey properties,
amounting to £6 2s. 3d. (fn. 11) This intermingling
of the accounts of the hospital with those of the
abbey arose from the fact that in 1528 Pope
Clement issued a bull whereby the profits of this
hospital were annexed to the abbey and specially
assigned for the exercise of hospitality at the
abbot's table. (fn. 12)
The hospital site and buildings (save the lead)
were granted on its suppression by Henry VIII
to Sir John Williams and Anthony Stringer in
February, 1542-3, but they almost immediately
received licence to alienate to Nicholas Bacon
and Henry Ashfield. (fn. 13)
Wardens of the Hospital of St. Saviour, Bury St. Edmunds
Peter de Shenedon, (fn. 14) occurs 1318
Nicholas Snytterton, (fn. 15) occurs 1374
Walter de Totyngtone, (fn. 16) occurs 1385
John Power, (fn. 17) occurs 1390
Adam de Lakyngheth, (fn. 18) 1406