28A. GOD'S HOUSE, PORTSMOUTH
In the time of King John, a hospital for the
relief of the poor was founded at Portsmouth
by Bishop Peter des Roches, which usually
went by the name of Domus Dei, or God's
House.
The dedication of this hospital apparently
fluctuated considerably, generally varying between St. John Baptist and St. Nicholas, the
former eventually dying out. This probably
arose from the original general dedication of
the whole building being changed at a period
of refounding or enlarging, and this in its turn
differing from the dedication of the chapel.
Or there may have been two separate foundations that were amalgamated. It is named St.
John Baptist in 1283, 1284, 1305 and 1308;
and St. Nicholas in 1235, 1298, 1314, 1349,
1361, 1356, 1376, 1393, etc. (fn. 1)
On 2 November, 1214, King John granted
a charter of confirmation to the hospital just
recently built at Portsmouth in honour of the
Holy Trinity, the Blessed Virgin, the Holy
Cross, the Blessed Michael, and All Saints, for
the maintenance of Christ's poor. The gifts
confirmed were eleven messuages from different
donors in the town of Portsmouth, land at
Westwood in Portsmouth, the gift of the burgesses; and 15 shillings in rents. (fn. 2)
In 1224 and again in 1236 there were
further grants to this house under the title of
the hospital of St. Nicholas. (fn. 3) In 1229 provision was made that the privileges of God's
House should not interfere with those of the
parish church, and the former was bound to pay
5s. quarterly as a pension to the mother church. (fn. 4)
In the reign of Henry III. and subsequently,
the head of this hospital was occasionally styled
prior, but more usually master or warden.
In June, 1284, a quitclaim was granted to
the Bishop of Winchester of the hospital of
St. John Baptist, Portsmouth, whereof the king
had recently impleaded him. (fn. 5)
The master and brethren of God's House
were accustomed to receive 15s. rent charge
from the tenants of the manor of Wymering
by the gift of the Earl of Albemarle. In 1285
John le Botillier exchanged his manor of Ringwood for that of Wymering, and no mention
was made of this charge to which he objected.
Whereupon the king, desiring that the gift
should be confirmed to God's House, granted
John le Botillier 15s. yearly at the exchequer
until he was provided with land to that yearly
value. (fn. 6)
Before this hospital 'for Christ's poor' had
been in existence for a century, the usual gross
abuse of its funds, namely the providing largely
from its small income for an absentee head,
began to operate. In January, 1305, Pope
Clement V. granted dispensation to Robert de
Hartwedon, at the request of Hugh le Despencer, whose clerk he was, to hold the rectories of Dinton and Thingdon, as well as
another benefice, conjointly with the Portsmouth hospital of Domus Dei. (fn. 7)
In 1306 the right of free warren over the
manors of Portsmouth, Fodrington and Feldershey was granted to the hospital. (fn. 8) The
advowson of this hospital was granted to the
Bishops of Winchester in 1316. (fn. 9)
In 1319 Ralph de Camoys obtained judgment against Robert, the warden of the house
of St. Nicholas, Portsmouth, with respect to
the moiety of the manor of Lafham, which
had been assigned to the hospital in 1299. (fn. 10)
A chantry was founded here in 1325, with
the assent of William de Harewedon, warden
of the house of St. Nicholas and the convent
of the same, and with the bishop's confirmation.
The founder was Joan, daughter and heir of
Alan Plokenet, and widow of Sir Henry de
Bohun. The chaplain was to be presented by
Joan and her heirs, and he was to say daily
mass for the founder, for Robert de Harewedon,
the late warden, and for William the present
one, and for their parents and friends. (fn. 11) In
1340 Thomas de Hatfield, the king's clerk,
obtained a grant for life from the Crown of the
hospital of St. John, Portsmouth. (fn. 12)
In 1342 Edmund Arundel, described as
brother of the Earl of Arundel and kinsman of
the king, petitioned the pope for reservation of
a canonry and prebend of Salisbury, notwithstanding that he already held a prebend of York
and the wardenship of Portsmouth hospital.
The petition was at once granted. (fn. 13) On a
vacancy occurring in 1348, through Arundel's
death, the Bishop of Winchester, instead of
hastening to secure the advowson for some
resident administrator, at once petitioned the
pope for a dispensation to allow his nephew
John Edingdon, who, though a B.A., was
only in his eighteenth year, to hold the wardenship of St. Nicholas, Portsmouth, in conjunction with a prebend of Lincoln and the
rectory of Burghclere. The pope complied. (fn. 14)
The pluralities that Bishop Edingdon so disgracefully secured for his young nephew are
specially illustrated in this appointment. A
protest was raised at Portsmouth on the appointment to the hospital of John Edingdon, as
it was not considered, from the wording of the
papal mandate, that the pope was aware of all
the young man's preferments. But neither
bishop nor pope were to be thwarted, and in
1350 John was confirmed in the wardenship
of St. Nicholas, although it was acknowledged
that he then held a canonry and prebend of
Lincoln, the church of Cheriton, the hospital
of St. Cross, and a canonry of Salisbury, with
expectation of a prebend. (fn. 1) The estate of the
hospital of St. Nicholas was ratified by the
Crown to Nicholas de Wykeham as master on
5 February, 1388, together with four prebends,
the church of Witney and the archdeaconry
of Wilts. (fn. 2) Bishop Wykeham, by his will, left
a set of vestments and a chalice to the hospital.
On the resignation of the mastership of St.
Nicholas by Thomas Kirkeby, in 1461, Bishop
Waynflete collated William Elyot to that
office. (fn. 3)
When the Valor Ecclesiasticus was drawn
up (1535), John Incent held the mastership.
The gross annual value was returned at £79
13s. 7½d., and the clear value, after distribution of alms, etc., at £33 19s. 5½d., the
latter sum being apparently the master's income.
Leland, who was at Portsmouth about 1539,
says: 'There is also in the west south west part
of the town a fair Hospitale sumtyme erected
by Petrus de Rupibus, Bishop of Winchester,
Whereyn were a late xij poore men and yet vj
be yn it.' This last master of the Portsmouth
hospital and of St. Cross, Winchester, is identical with John Incent, born at Berkhamstead
in 1480, who became dean of St. Paul's in
1540. He took the degree of bachelor of laws
at All Souls' College, Oxford, in 1507, and in
1513 was made commissary to Fox, Bishop of
Winchester. He is best known as the founder
of Berkhamstead Free Grammar School in
1541. (fn. 4)
This house was formally surrendered to the
Crown by John Incent on 2 June, 1540. (fn. 5) The
chapel was spared, being first used as a chapel
royal attached to Government House, and afterwards converted into a garrison chapel.
Masters and Wardens of God's House,
Portsmouth
Robert de Hartwedon or Harewedon, (fn. 6)
1305, 1319
William de Harewedon, 1325
Thomas de Hatfield, (fn. 7) 1340
Edmund Arundel, 1342, 1348
John de Edingdon, nephew of the Bishop
of Winchester, (fn. 8) 1348, 1350
Thomas de Edingdon, nephew of the
Bishop of Winchester, resigned in 1366
Nicholas de Portsmouth, (fn. 9) 1366
John de Wormenhall, 1376
Richard de Wykeham, 1376-8
Nicholas de Wykeham, (fn. 10) 1378
John Stacy, king's clerk, (fn. 11) 1386
Thomas Kirkeby, 1461
William Elyot, (fn. 12) 1461
John Incent, 1535, 1540