42. THE HOSPITAL OF ST. JAMES BY CANTERBURY
This hospital, which is also described as being
situated at Thanington or Wincheap in the
suburbs of Canterbury, appears to have been
founded some time in the twelfth century,
probably by the prior and convent of the cathedral; for it is mentioned as being under their
rule and care in a bull of Pope Alexander III,
dated 22 June, 1164, in which he forbids them
to admit to the foundation any but the leprous
women for whom it was intended. (fn. 1) The church
of Bredgar was granted or confirmed to it by
Henry II. (fn. 2) Towards the end of the century the
prior and convent, by the will of Archbishop
Hubert, and at the petition of Master Firmin,
warden of the hospital, took it into their custody
and protection, and bound themselves to maintain there three priests, one of whom was to
celebrate daily a mass of the Virgin Mary, another
a requiem for its benefactors, and the third the
common service, and one clerk and twenty-five
leprous women. (fn. 3)
A small chartulary compiled in 1474 by
William Hadlegh, sub-prior of the cathedral
and warden of the hospital, is preserved at the
British Museum. (fn. 3a)
In 1329 the prior of Christchurch complained
of the oppression of his hospital of St. James by
the master of the hospital of St. Thomas, Eastbridge. (fn. 4) Prioress Christina and the convent of
the hospital in 1342, with the assent of the
prior, ' their warden,' granted to Alice de Hertlepe for life a chamber in the hospital with reversion to her sister Joan; (fn. 5) but Queen Philippa
asked the prior in vain for a nomination to a
corrody there, receiving the answer that it was
not in his power to grant it. (fn. 6) The prior on one
occasion certified that the prioress and sisters
were not bound to religion; (fn. 7) and on another
that they were too poor to pay a subsidy; (fn. 8) and
exemption from this was several times granted to
them by the king. (fn. 9) An inquisition was taken in
this connexion in 1343, and it was found that their
possessions, which were described in detail and included the church of Bredgar, appropriated to them
and valued at £14 yearly, were worth nothing
beyond their maintenance and charges. There were
then in the hospital a prioress and twenty-three
sisters, and they had to find two priests, to each
of whom they paid £4 yearly, and one clerk. (fn. 10)
Archbishop Langham made a visitation of the
hospital on Tuesday, 7 March, 1368. (fn. 11) The
exact foundation could not be shown, but the
prior of Christchurch was said to be the founder,
and details were given concerning the prayers
and food. There were then only ten sisters and
one brother and one secular sister, and the house
was £10 in debt to the prior of Christchurch.
Licences for further acquisitions of lands to a
considerable amount were granted to the prioress
and sisters in 1401 and 1403. (fn. 12) The manor of
Capel was held of them by the service of 5 marks,
4s. rent, and 5 marks 4s. relief on the death of
each tenant, and in 1421 they complained that
William Kerby, tenant for life, had not paid
this. A commission was appointed on 28 February to inquire into the matter; (fn. 13) and it was
found that Clemencia Newe, late prioress, had
the rent at the hands of William atte Capell,
tenant, in the time of Richard II and Susan
Wynchepe, late prioress, had the relief at the
hands of William the son and heir of Thomas
atte Capell; and that the manor came, into the
hands of Henry IV by the forfeiture of Thomas
Shelley, and Henry V in his second year granted
it for life to William Kerby, who had withdrawn
the service. (fn. 14) Order was made accordingly on
26 November that he should pay. (fn. 15)
John, prior of Christchurch, issued fresh
statutes after a visitation on 18 February,
1415. All the brethren and sisters were to
attend the oratory daily at the accustomed time,
and abstain from conversation when there; the
number of chaplains was to be maintained; no
brother, sister, or chaplain was to be admitted
without the consent of the prior; the hospital
chest was to have three different locks, of which
the prioress, cellaress, and another were each to
have one key; the prioress was only to receive
moneys with the knowledge of the brethren and
sisters, and was to render an account four times
yearly; the church of Bredgar and other possessions were not to be let at farm or sold; the
prioress was to appoint a deputy if absent for as
much as a day; the allowance of 10s. yearly to
each brother and sister for clothing and other
things was to be increased by 3s. 4d. on account
of the late increase of the possessions; no sister
or other woman was to assist in the celebration
of divine service; the prioress was not to go to
any great expense without the consent of the
brethren and sisters; and these and earlier
statutes were to be observed and read publicly
six times yearly. (fn. 16)
Archbishop Warham made a visitation (fn. 17) of
the hospital by Tunstall in 1511. The prioress
and sisters did not have bread and wood as they
ought to have, through the fault of the sub-prior
of Christchurch; and they said this before in the
last visitation of the house in the presence of the
said commissioner. Dame Agnes Yuys, prioress,
seventy-four years old, complained that Richard
Welles stayed to talk in the precincts of the
house, and his wife sold beer there; they were
quarrelsome people, and there was also a crowd
at Richard's house. Joan Chambers was eightyfour years old and had been a sister for forty
years; and Alice Bromfield, Edith Keme, and
Joan Croche were respectively eighty, thirty-six,
and fifty years old, and of eighteen, fourteen,
and three years' standing. These declared that
the prioress defamed the sisters, saying publicly
in the neighbourhood that they were incontinent,
to the great scandal of the house. The prioress
was ordered not to use abusive words to the
sisters, either publicly or privately; and they
were to be obedient to her.
In the Valor of 1535 the gross income of the
hospital was returned as £53 16s. 11¼d. and the
net income as £32 2s. 1¾d. yearly; (fn. 18) but in the
certificates of colleges and chantries these values
are given as £58 6s. 10½d. and £43 6s. 10d.
respectively. (fn. 19) On 28 February, 1551, the
hospital was surrendered (fn. 20) to the crown with all
its possessions, including the manor of Fylther
(in Egerton), the rectory and advowson of the
vicarage of Bredgar and lands in Thanington,
St. Martin's at Canterbury, Wincheap, Elham,
Shadoxhurst, Egerton, Mersham, Aldington, Brabourne, Bredgar, and Hackington.
Prioresses Of St. James's, Canterbury
Christina, occurs 1342 (fn. 21)
Susan Wynchepe (fn. 21)
Agnes Congesett, died 1396 (fn. 22)
Clemencia Newe, (fn. 21) succeeded 1396, (fn. 22) occurs
1417 (fn. 22)
Joan, occurs 1493 (fn. 23)
Agnes Yuys, occurs 1511 (fn. 21)
43. THE HOSPITAL OF ST. JOHN
THE BAPTIST, NORTHGATE,
CANTERBURY
Eadmer (fn. 1) tells us that Lanfranc, archbishop
of Canterbury (1070-89), built a decent and
ample house of stone outside the north gate of
the city of Canterbury for the benefit of poor
and infirm persons, dividing it into two parts for
men and women, made ordinances for their
clothing and living, and appointed ministers for
them; and on the other side of the way built a
church in honour of St. Gregory, in which he
placed canons to minister spiritually to them.
The same archbishop also made a hospital of
lepers at the church of St. Nicholas at the west
of the city, with wooden houses, instituted clerks
to minister to them, and assigned victuals and
rents to them. (fn. 2) The two hospitals appear always
to have been considered as twin foundations, and
much of their history is the same; although
they were distinct, and lepers were received only
at that of St. Nicholas, or Harbledown, as it was
afterwards called. (fn. 3)
The two hospitals were endowed with £140
out of the revenues of the see of Canterbury, to
which Archbishop Richard in the latter part of
the twelfth century added £20; and they received this £160 yearly until Archbishop Kilwardby granted the church of Reculver to them
instead in 1276. (fn. 4) The parishioners, however,
objected to being put under lepers, and mutual
recriminations followed, one side declaring that
the customary services and cure of souls were
neglected, and the other that the parishioners did
not pay their proper charges; until Archbishop
Peckham revoked the grant in 1290 with the
consent of the king and pope. (fn. 5) They then had
£140 yearly from the exchequer of the see and
1d. daily from the issues of the manor of Lyminge,
belonging to the see, but had considerable trouble
in getting this at vacancies, (fn. 6) until Edward III in
1335 definitely confirmed the same to them; at the
same time granting in consideration of their poverty
that they should be quit of tallages, aids, and contributions, (fn. 7) which was confirmed by later kings (fn. 8)
In 1348 the last £20 were paid by the rector
of Reculver, and the king granted licence (fn. 9) for
Archbishop Stratford to appropriate the church
to himself on condition that the whole £160
should in future be paid by the archbishop or by
the prior and convent of Christchurch at vacancies. The appropriation was carried out by
Archbishop Islip, Stratford's successor, in 1356. (fn. 10)
Archbishop Winchelsey made ordinances for
the hospitals after a visitation on 24 February,
1299. The brethren and sisters were to wear a
prescribed dress, and were not to be admitted
until after proper examination, to go out of the
hospital without leave, or to be quarrelsome;
offences were to be properly punished; and the
possessions of the hospitals were not to be alienated or pledged, nor corrodies granted. (fn. 11) Archbishop Parker made fresh statutes on 15 September,
1560, in which he ordained that there should
be in each thirty brethren and thirty sisters, none
of whom should live out without licence from
the archbishop, and then not more than ten
brethren and ten sisters at any time; and he
made further additions on 20 August, 1565, and
20 May, 1574. (fn. 12) Archbishop Whitgift in 1591
ordered that no children should be admitted. (fn. 13)
Further regulations were also added by Archbishops Abbot in 1618, (fn. 14) Sheldon in 1663, (fn. 15) and
Sancroft in 1686. (fn. 15) The latest injunctions as
to the management of the hospitals were given
by Archbishop Benson on 2 April, 1895.
Edward III granted licence in 1328 for the
brethren and sisters of the hospital of North gate
to acquire lands and rents in mortmain to the
value of 100s. yearly; (fn. 16) and they made several
acquisitions accordingly. (fn. 17) In 1348 they had
a grant of protection while collecting alms in
churches. (fn. 18)
In 1500 a felon fled to the hospital for sanctuary, and a watch was set by the city authorities lest he should escape by night. (fn. 19) In 1542
Gregory Pers, a blind brother of the hospital,
was accidentally drowned in the well there. (fn. 20)
In the Valor of 1535 the gross income of the
hospital, including the £80 received from the
archbishopric, amounted to £93 15s. and the
net income to £91 16s. 8½d. yearly; (fn. 21) but in
12 Strype, Life of Parker, iii, 32-41; Bibl. Topog.
Brit, i, 214-20.
the certificates of colleges and Chantries these
values are returned as £117 12s. 5½d. and
£105 1s. 8½d. respectively. (fn. 22)
The commissioners appointed to inquire into
charities gave a long account (fn. 23) in 1837 of the
arrangements then in force at the hospital, and
of its rental and benefactions made to it.
The seal (fn. 24) of the hospital (sixteenth or seventeenth century) is an oval measuring if in. by
1 frac38; in., and represents the baptism of Our Lord
by St. John the Baptist with a shell on a mount
with trees and foliage; on the right the Agnus
Dei; overhead the Holy Spirit as a dove, descending.
Legend incorrectly cut:—
+ SIGILLUM SANGD + JOHANNES BADISTUS
44. THE HOSPITAL OF
ST. LAURENCE, CANTERBURY
A register (fn. 1) of this hospital is preserved among
the muniments of the cathedral at Canterbury;
from which it appears that it was founded (fn. 2) by
Hugh, abbot, and the convent of St. Augustine's
in 1137 for sixteen brothers and sisters, one
chaplain, and one clerk. The founders granted
9 acres of land on the right side of the way
leading from Canterbury to Dover, and tithes
from certain lands; and Roger de Marci granted
tithes of his land of Dodyngdale. (fn. 3) The hospital
appears always to have been considered as appropriated to the abbey; (fn. 4) and in 1263 the abbot is
called warden of it. (fn. 5)
Exemption from taxation was granted to the
hospital in 1340 on the ground of its poverty. (fn. 6)
A commission was appointed in the following
year to inquire into the matter; (fn. 7) and it was
found that the hospital was founded by Hugh,
abbot of St. Augustine's, who granted to it
21 acres of land in Canterbury, 68 acres in
Chislet, and 32 acres in Sturry, beside rents
and tithes worth £18 18s. yearly; and that
other donors gave lands in Bridge, Nackington,
Canterbury, and Stodmarsh; it had one mill,
but no church appropriated to it. There were
then and should be in it five brethren and eleven
sisters, each of whom had 1¼d. daily; the chaplain received £4, and the clerk 40s. yearly, and
repairs cost 40s. yearly. (fn. 8)
The Valor of 1535 gave the gross income of
the hospital as £39 8s. 6d. and the net income
as £31 7s. 10d. yearly; (fn. 9) but in the chantry
certificates these are returned as £25 19s. and
£25 14s. 1d. respectively.10
The hospital survived the general dissolution;
but in a visitation made under Cardinal Pole in
1557 the sisters said that Christopher Hales had
a lease of their land, and after his death it passed
from one to another until it came to one Tipsal.
There should be seven sisters, a prioress, and a
priest, but there were then only Joan Francis,
prioress, Elizabeth Oliver, and Florence Young,
not yet admitted sister. (fn. 11) The hospital appears
to have been then suppressed; and on 26 May,
1557, the site was granted to Sir John Parrott
in fee. (fn. 12)
45. THE HOSPITAL OF ST. MARY OF
THE POOR PRIESTS, CANTERBURY
The abbot of St. Augustine's granted the
church of Stodmarsh to this hospital in 1243 at
the instance of Simon Langton, archdeacon of
Canterbury; (fn. 1) and the latter was believed in
Thorne's time to have founded it by the alms
of divers persons; but it appears to have been
earlier, for Alexander, master of the hospital of
the priests, is mentioned as a benefactor to the
Grey Friars in Canterbury in 1225. (fn. 2) The hospital was situated in the parish of St. Margaret,
and in 1249 an agreement (fn. 3) about their rights
was made between the rector of the parish and
the master of the hospital, who is also sometimes
called the syndic or proctor. In 1271 the church
was granted to the hospital by the abbot. (fn. 4)
Richard de Hoo, master of the hospital, failed
to render an account when called upon in 1315,
and the archbishop appointed a commission to
inquire into the affairs of the house. (fn. 5)
Grants of protection were made to the hospital in 1317 and 1327. (fn. 6) In 1330 Henry de
Cantuaria had licence (fn. 7) to grant four messuages
in Canterbury to the master and brethren to find
a chaplain to celebrate divine service daily in the
oratory of the Holy Trinity adjoining the church
of St. Dunstan without Westgate for the souls
of Henry and his parents and benefactors.
Pope Boniface IX on 23 January, 1393,
granted indulgence to penitents who at certain,
times should visit and give alms to the chapel of
the hospital. (fn. 8)
Edward III on several occasions granted to the
master and brethren exemption from payment of
a subsidy on the ground of their poverty. (fn. 9) An
inquiry was made into this on 25 April, 1343,
and it was found (fn. 10) that there were at the hospital a master and three priests as of old, and
that they owned the churches of Stodmarsh and
St. Margaret, Canterbury, worth £10 and £6
yearly respectively, and lands in Ickham, Wingham, St. Dunstan and Harbledown by Canterbury, Thanington, Westgate and Me Hamme 'and
Canterbury and the suburbs. Their whole income was £36 8s. 7d., and out of it they had
to find two priests to serve the churches, each of
whom received £4 yearly, and a chaplain celebrating daily in the chapel of Holy Trinity in
the cemetery of St. Dunstan, Canterbury, who
had £4 also. They spent half a mark on ornaments, &c., of the chapel, £6 on the repairs of
the churches and hospital (and £10 would be
really required because the buildings of the hospital were ruinous), 100s, in hospitality (for
which the house was originally founded), 5 marks
in a pension to Master Henry de Cantuaria,
£4 12s. to two corrodaries, 40s. to attorneys,
6s. to a clerk serving in the chapel and at their
table, and 6 quarters 4 bushels of wheat, worth
29s. 3d., to a servant employed to keep their lands
and collect rents, making a total of £35 Os. 7d.;
so that their claim to exemption was just.
In the Valor (fn. 11) of 1535 the gross income of
the hospital is given as £28 16s, 1d. and the
net income as £10 13s. 8½d. yearly, the deductions including £12 paid to the priests serving
the churches of St. Margaret and Stodmarsh;
but in the certificates of colleges taken later
these values are £32 3s. 11d. and £13 9s. 5d.
respectively. (fn. 12)
Archbishop Parker reported (fn. 13) of the hospital
in 1562 that—
it is of the foundation and patronage of the archdeacon of Canterbury. It was ordained for the relief
of poor and indigente prestes, and to be releved of
the revenues of the house. Ther is a master of the
said hospitals, videlicet one Mr. Bacon, a temporal
man, who is not resident nether maketh any dystribution. The hospitall house is marveylouslye in ruyn
and decaye. It is taxed to the perpetual tenth and
payeth 22s 1½d.
The hospital was surrendered to the crown
on 14 May, 1575, by Blase Winter, master,
Edmund Freake, archdeacon of Canterbury and
patron, and Matthew Parker, archbishop and
ordinary; and granted with all its lands to the
city on 5 July. (fn. 14)
Masters of the Poor Priests, Canterbury
Alexander, occurs 1225 (fn. 15)
William, occurs 1263 (fn. 16)
Richard de Hoo, occurs 1315 (fn. 16)
Henry de Cantuaria, occurs 1317 (fn. 17)
John de Dogworth, occurs 1356 (fn. 18)
John Duwyt, died 1368 (fn. 19)
Robert, occurs 1411 (fn. 20)
Henry Harvy, appointed 1490, (fn. 21) tesigned 1497 (fn. 22)
Thomas Water, appointed I497, (fn. 22) resigned
1511 (fn. 23)
Philip Taylour, appointed 1511, (fn. 23) died 1528 (fn. 24)
Nicholas Langdon, appointed 1528, (fn. 24) died
1554 (fn. 24)
Hugh Barret, appointed 1554 (fn. 25)
Robert Bacon, appointed 1560 (fn. 26)
Blase Winter, appointed 1575, (fn. 26) the last master
The seal (fn. 27) of the hospital (fourteenth century) is a pointed oval measuring 1⅜ in. by ⅞ in.,
representing Becket's martyrdom under a trefoiled arch with a pinnacled tower over it. In
base under a trefoiled arch the bust of a priest in
prayer to the left. Legend:—
P TE PASTOR AVE MICHI SIT Pc'OR EXIT' A VE
Another seal (fn. 28) (fourteenth century) is a pointed
oval measuring 1½ in. by 1 in., representing in a
four-lobed panel Becket's martyrdom, divided by
a line from the second subject overhead, the
coronation of the Virgin. In base under a
round-headed arch a priest, half-length, in prayer
to the right. Legend:—
MARTIRIS ET MgIS PRECE ME REGE DEXTERA PgIS
46. THE HOSPITAL OF ST. NICHOLAS
AND ST. KATHARINE, CANTERBURY
William Cokyn, citizen of Canterbury, founded
this hospital in the parish of St. Peter in or before
the time of Archbishop Hubert, but afterwards
caused it to be united with the hospital of
St. Thomas, Eastbridge, the union being confirmed by a bull of Innocent III dated 1203.
Edward It in 1314 confirmed to the united
hospitals the grants made to them by Cokyn. (fn. 1)
47. THE HOSPITAL OF ST. THOMAS
THE MARTYR, EASTBRIDGE,
CANTERBURY
Archbishop Stratford drew up fresh statutes (fn. 1)
for the hospital of Eastbridge on 23 September,
1342, and in these he declares it to have been
founded by Thomas Becket himself for the relief
of poor pilgrims coming to Canterbury. It had
suffered much from the neglect of masters and
come to so great a condition of debt and dilapidation as no longer to be able to maintain its
burdens, and accordingly he united to it the
parish church of Harbledown, the patronage of
which belonged to it. (fn. 2) The master of the hospital, who was to be in priest's orders and to be
appointed by the archbishop, was to make a full
inventory of the goods of the hospital within one
month of his appointment and give a copy to the
prior of Christchurch, and also to render a full
account of his administration yearly. He was
to have with him in the hospital a secular chaplain, and these were to celebrate services as prescribed. Twelve beds were to be maintained in
the hospital for the use of poor pilgrims, and an
honest woman of more than forty years of age
was to minister to them. The masters were to
take an oath to observe these articles and not to
alienate the possessions of the house.
Archbishop Peckham in 1284 appointed commissioners to audit the account of Hamo, late
warden; (fn. 3) and in 1367 the account of Thomas
de Woltone, master, was duly audited by the
prior of Christchurch. (fn. 4)
The hospital of St. Nicholas and St. Katharine
at Canterbury was united by its founder William
Cokyn to the hospital of Eastbridge about the
beginning of the thirteenth century, and he
made the united hospitals heirs of all his possessions. Edward II in 1314 confirmed this and
some grants in Blean. (fn. 5) The church of Blean
was granted to the hospital by Hamo Crevequer
and confirmed by Archbishop Langton; (fn. 6) and in
1375 Archbishop Sudbury ordained a vicarage
there. (fn. 7) The manor of Blean and Hothcourt
was granted by Thomas de Roos of Hamelak
in 1359. (fn. 8)
In 1313 it was found before the justices in
eyre at Canterbury that the master and brethren
were bound to maintain the East Bridge (from
which the hospital took its name), because they
held rents for that purpose. (fn. 9)
The master and brethren of the hospital received frequent grants of protection from the
crown, (fn. 10) and on several occasions invoked its aid
against persons who fraudulently represented
themselves to be their proctors and appropriated
alms thus collected. (fn. 11) Exemption from taxation
on the ground of poverty was sometimes granted
by Edward III. (fn. 12)
Thomas de Wolton, master, in 1356 sold
corrodies in the hospital to Richard de Medeborne and Adam le Eyr in return for grants of
rent of 4 marks and £10 in perpetuity; (fn. 13) and
in 1358 another (fn. 14) to Robert de Dentone for a
cash payment of £75. John Montagu, master,
granted a corrody to Thomas atte Court in
1396. (fn. 15)
Archbishop Islip on 25 February, 1363, at
the request of Bartholomew de Bourne transferred to the hospital a chantry which James de
Bourne, his progenitor, had founded in the parish
church of 'Livingsbourne'; and Archbishop Sudbury in 1375 amended the foundation by adding
part of the income from a messuage in Canterbury called ' le Chaunge,' which Edward III had
granted to the hospital. (fn. 16) Archbishop Islip in
1350 promised indulgence to visitors to the hospital; (fn. 17) as also did Popes Honorius III in 1220, (fn. 18)
Innocent VI in 1360, (fn. 19) Urban V in 1363, (fn. 20) and
Boniface IX in 1402. (fn. 21)
The priors of Christchurch, Canterbury, made
visitations of the hospital in 1413 (fn. 22) and 1454. (fn. 23)
In the Valor (fn. 24) of 1535 the gross value of
the possessions of the hospital was given as
£43 12s. 3¾d. yearly and the net value as
£23 18s. 9¾d.; but in the certificates, of colleges
and chantries the gross and net incomes were
returned as £43 12s. 5¼d. and £27 17s. 7¼d.
respectively. (fn. 25)
The hospital survived the Dissolution. Nicholas
Harpsfield, archdeacon of Canterbury, made a
visitation of it on 14 August, 1557, when
William Sworder was master, and reported (fn. 26) —
They are bound to receive wayfaring and hurt men
and to have viii beds for men and four for women, to
remain for a night or more, if they be not able to
depart; and the master of the hospital is charged
with the burial, and they have xx loads of wood yearly
allowed, and xxvis. for drink. There was 10l. land a
year with a mansion, which the priest always had to
serve the chapel, taken away by the king; and it is
the head church to Cosmus Blene; but they have no
ornaments but organs.
Archbishop Parker visited the hospital in 1569
and drew up fresh statutes on 20 May in consequence of what he had observed. (fn. 27) The master
was to give a true account yearly of the state of
the house, to reside either at the hospital or at
the manor of Blean and Hothcourt, and to receive
yearly £6 13s. 4d. and twelve cartloads of wood.
Every Friday he was to distribute thirty pence to
thirty poor people, but in war time he was instead
to distribute four pence daily to soldiers passing
through the city. Twelve beds were to be
maintained for poor persons, and an honest
woman of more than forty years of age was to
attend to them. Two books of accounts of the
lodgers were to be kept. A free school for boys,
not exceeding twenty, was to be kept; and two
scholars were to be maintained at Corpus Christi
College, Cambridge. (fn. 28) The archbishop returned
a certificate to the Exchequer to this effect after
another visitation in 1573. (fn. 29)
Queen Elizabeth in 1576 directed a commission to Sir James Hales and others to inquire
into the state of the hospital; and they certified
that it was ruinous, let out into tenements for
yearly rent, and without master or brethren.
She granted it to John Farneham at fee-farm by
letters patent on 20 June; (fn. 30) but Archbishop
Whitgift afterwards recovered it, made fresh
ordinances for it, (fn. 31) and obtained an Act of
Parliament in confirmation in 1586. (fn. 32)
In 1690 the yearly income of the hospital
amounted to £80 6s. 4d., besides twenty-four
loads of wood and the master's house, valued at
£6. The expenses included £28 to ten inbrothers and sisters, £13 6s. 8d. to ten outbrothers and sisters, £6 2s. to the schoolmaster,
and about £2 for books, and amounted in all to
£72 15s. 6½d, leaving about £8 yearly for
repairs and other expenses. (fn. 33)
The Charity Commissioners reported in 1837 (fn. 34)
that there were then at the hospital a master,
five in-brothers, five out-brothers, five in-sisters,
and five out-sisters; and that when a vacancy
occurred the mayor sent to the master the names
of two persons qualified according to the statutes,
and the master made his selection. The hospital
exists thus to the present day, each of the twenty
brothers and sisters receiving a pension of £25
yearly and four more non-residents receiving
£10 each.
Masters Of Eastbridge
Ralph, occurs 1219 (fn. 35)
Peter, occurs 1236, 1240 (fn. 36)
John de Suff, appointed 1242 (fn. 37)
Geoffrey, occurs 1261 (fn. 36)
Walter, occurs 1264 (fn. 36)
Hamo, resigned 1284 (fn. 38)
William de Burghiss or Burgeys, appointed
1299, (fn. 39) resigned 1321 (fn. 40)
John Kenting, appointed 1321 (fn. 40)
John de Thingden, appointed 1323 (fn. 41)
Richard de Ivyngho, occurs 133 7 (fn. 42)
Roger de Rondes, occurs 1342 (fn. 43)
Matthew de Assheton, appointed 1349 (fn. 44)
William de Braddele, appointed 1351 (fn. 45)
Thomas Niewe de Wolton, appointed 1352, (fn. 46)
occurs 1373 (fn. 47)
Robert de Bradegar, appointed 1379 (fn. 48)
John Ovyng, appointed 1380 (fn. 49)
John Ludham, appointed 1382 (fn. 50)
John Whitteclyff, appointed 1383 (fn. 51)
Walter Cranston, appointed 1383 (fn. 52)
John Mountagu, occurs 1396, (fn. 53) resigned 1399 (fn. 54)
Thomas Pellycan, appointed 1399, (fn. 54) resigned
1405 (fn. 55)
Thomas Burton, appointed 1405, (fn. 55) died 1430 (fn. 56)
Thomas Chichele, appointed 1430 (fn. 56)
John Stopyndon, appointed 1430, (fn. 57) occurs
1442 (fn. 58)
Thomas Kemp, resigned 1445 (fn. 59)
Thomas Chichele, appointed 1445, (fn. 59) died
1467 (fn. 60)
John Bourchier, appointed 1467, (fn. 60) resigned
1490 (fn. 61)
Thomas Halywell, appointed 1490, (fn. 61) resigned
1512 (fn. 62)
Robert Woodward, appointed 1512 (fn. 62)
Peter Lygham, occurs 1535 (fn. 63)
William Sworder, appointed 1538, (fn. 64) occurs
1557 (fn. 65)
William Morphet, appointed 1562 (fn. 66)
Thomas Lawse, appointed 1569, (fn. 67) died
1594
Richard Rogers, 1594-6
Isaac Colf, 1596-7
John Boise, 1597-1625
Robert Say, 1625-8
John Sackette, 1628-64
Edward Aldy, 1664-73
Samuel Parker, 1673-87
John Battely, 1688
John Paris, 1708
John Bradock, 1709-19
John Lewis, 1719-46
John Sackette, 1746
Henry Heaton, 1753-77
William Backhouse, 1777
The seal (fn. 68) of the hospital (twelfth century) is
a pointed oval measuring 3 in. by 2 in., representing St. Thomas of Canterbury with mitre
and pall, lifting up the right hand in benediction
and holding in the left a pastoral staff, with which
he is piercing the head of a knight in armour
under foot, who is lying on his back with a
sword in his left hand. Legend:—
SIGILLUM HOSPITALIS I TOME CANTUARIE DE
EASTBREGE
Another seal (fn. 69) (fifteenth century) is a pointed
oval measuring 2⅜ in. by 1½ in., representing the
Virgin seated on a throne in a canopied niche,
crowned, holding on the left knee the Child,
also crowned. In base, in a small niche,
St. Thomas with mitre and crosier, kneeling in
prayer to the right. In the field on each side a
sprig of foliage. Legend:—
S' ChE HOSPITAL' ScI THPE MART SUP ESTB'GGE
CANT. '