54. THE HOSPITAL OF MILTON BY GRAVESEND
The origin of this house is unknown, although
lands in Essex granted to the hospital of Gravesend are mentioned in the Pipe Roll as far back
as 2 Henry II. It appears to have been re-founded
by Aymer de Valence, earl of Pembroke, who
on 7 December, 1321, made a grant (fn. 1) to Roger
de Stowe, master of the chapel or chantry, and
the brethren of the site and lands of the chapel
and all lands pertaining to it in the hundreds of
Barstable and Rochford in Essex, these last
apparently forming the principal part of its
endowment. On 10 December he granted (fn. 2) to
them the advowson of the church of Milton, and
directed that there should be in the chapel a
master priest and two chaplains, and that at
each vacancy the chaplains might elect a master.
Hamo, bishop of Rochester, at his instance on
15 April, 1322, ordained that the priests should
be regular and should celebrate divine service for
the earl and his wife and the souls of Warin,
William and Denise de Monte Caniso his ancestors; and this ordinance was confirmed by the
earl on 11 May. (fn. 3) Edward II on 22 June,
1326, at the instance of Mary de Sancto Paulo,
countess of Pembroke, granted licence (fn. 4) for the
master and brethren of the chapel of St. Mary
the Virgin, Milton, to appropriate the church;
and this was apparently done accordingly, though
the date of the appropriation is given elsewhere
as 1322. (fn. 5) The masters held the parish church
with the hospital.
John Wynd, master or warden, was ordered
by the bishop in 1402 to re-assume the habit of
his order, which he had put off, and to appear to
answer for the crime of apostasy. (fn. 6)
On the death of John Markettstede, the
master, in 1416, William Clifforde, the patron,
claimed the right of presentation, and a long dispute followed. The bishop upheld the right of
election, but eventually an agreement was come
to by which the patron was allowed to present
for this turn, recognizing the right of election in
future. (fn. 7) Elizabeth Clyfford, late the wife of
Reginald Cobham, knight, brought an unsuccessful suit against the bishop for the advowson of
the church in 1438. (fn. 8)
In 1422 John Standulf, master, was cited to
appear before the bishop to answer for dilapidations; and the fruits of the church were sequestrated. (fn. 9) He exchanged shortly afterwards with
the rector of West Wickham. (fn. 10)
An inquisition (fn. 11) was taken in Essex on
18 March, 1524, by which it was found that
John Dygon, master, and the brethren regular of
the hospital, chapel or chantry of Milton by
Gravesend, were seised on 6 May, 16 Richard II,
of certain lands in Nevendon, Basildon, Fange
and South Benfleet in Essex, and that John
Dygon died on that day, and after him all the
brethren died without any other master being
elected or appointed, and so the hospital was dissolved, and divers rectors of Milton received the
issues of the lands until Michaelmas, 1522, and
Sir Henry Wyatt since then. In consequence of
this (erroneous) finding, the hospital came into the
possession of the king, who on 1 April granted
licence (fn. 12) for Sir Henry Wyatt to found a chantry
of two chaplains in the old chapel of St. Mary
in the church of Milton, which with other
buildings occupied the site of a mansion formerly
belonging to the master and three brethren of a
hospital of regular priests, and to grant to them the
said site and lands in Kent and Essex to the value
of £20 yearly, formerly belonging to the hospital.
On 1 August he granted to him the Essex
possessions with all issues from 6 May, 16
Richard II. (fn. 13)
Masters Of Milton
Roger de Stowe, occurs 1321, (fn. 14) resigned 1325 (fn. 15)
Roger de Ocle, elected. 1325, (fn. 16) died 1333 (fn. 17)
John de Esscheby, elected 1333 (fn. 17)
Warin de Wyleby, admitted 1353 (fn. 18)
John Dygon, resigned 1397 (fn. 19)
John Wynd, appointed 1397, (fn. 19) occurs 1402 (fn. 14)
John Cryps, appointed 1405 (fn. 20)
John Markettstede, died 1416 (fn. 11)
John Standulf, resigned 1422 (fn. 21)
Wjlliam Tabbard, appointed 1422 (fn. 21)
William Sprener, resigned 1437 (fn. 22)
William Midelton, appointed 1437, (fn. 22) resigned
1440 (fn. 23)
John Boner, appointed 1440 (fn. 24)
Richard Chestre, appointed 1442 (fn. 25)
William Sprener, died 1461 (fn. 26)
Thomas Candour, appointed 1461 (fn. 26)
John Marten, died 1504 (fn. 27)
Edmund Cholderton, appointed 1504, (fn. 27) resigned 1507 (fn. 28)
Thomas Hedd, appointed 1507 (fn. 28)