55 AND 56. THE LEPER HOSPITALS OF ST. MARY MAGDALEN AND ST. JAMES, IPSWICH
The first known mention of the leper hospital of St. Mary Magdalen, Ipswich, occurs in
1199, when King John granted it a fair on the
feast of St. James the Apostle. (fn. 1) This grant
was confirmed and extended by Henry VI in
1430, when the fair was authorized to be held
on the land of this house, on both the day and
the morrow of St. James's festival. (fn. 2)
There was also a leper hospital of St. James
in this town, which was united to the hospital
of St. Mary Magdalen in the fourteenth century,
and held by a common master. The joint
mastership of the two hospitals was in the gift of
the bishop, and to it was usually annexed the
church of St. Helen with the chapel of St. Edmund. There are many collations to this joint
benefice in the diocesan registers.
In October, 1324, the custody of the administration of the goods of the leper hospital of
St. James, then vacant, was committed to the
custody of the (rural) dean of Carlford, according
to ancient custom, so that he might answer for
the time being for the receipts and expenditure
of the house. (fn. 3)
Masters of the Leper Hospitals of St. Mary Magdalen and St. James, Ipswich
Alexander, (fn. 4) 1336
William Olde de Debenham, (fn. 5) 1351
John May de Multon, (fn. 6) 1361
Thomas de Claxtone, (fn. 7) 1367
John de Blakenham, (fn. 8) 1369
Stephen Ingram, (fn. 9) 1385, reappointed 1390 (fn. 10)
William de Cotsmore, (fn. 11) 1399
William Tanner, (fn. 12) 1409
Robert Markys, (fn. 13) resigned 1464
Robert Lang, (fn. 14) 1464
Thomas Bullok, (fn. 15) 1468
Thomas Eyton, (fn. 16) 1472