63. THE HOSPITALS OF SITTINGBOURNE
It was found by an inquisition (fn. 15a) taken in 1288
that one Samuel, a clerk, by the grant of King
John built a little chapel and hospital at
'Schamele' in the parish of Sittingbourne for
the lodging of poor people, and after his death
they fell to the ground. Afterwards another
chapel in honour of St. Thomas the Martyr was
built by the alms of the passers by and other
men of the hundred of Milton, and Henry III
granted (fn. 16) it to a chaplain named Silvester, who
lived there for sixteen years. On his death the
vicar of Sittingbourne seized the chapel and
carried off the marble altar, and one of its bells
was carried off into the county of Essex and the
other to the church of Sittingbourne.
In 1225 the master of the hospital of St. Cross,
' Sweynestre,' had a grant of a fair yearly on the
vigil and the day of the Invention of the Cross
at his chapel during the king's minority. (fn. 17)
In 1232 the lepers of the hospital of St. Leonard
of ' Sweynestre ' by Sittingbourne had a grant of
protection. (fn. 18)
The chantry certificates mention a free chapel
in Sittingbourne called Thomas Becket's chapel, (fn. 19)
which was dissolved in 34 Henry VIII.
Footnotes
| 15 |
a Inq. p.m. 16 Edw. I, No. 59. |
| 16 |
Pat. 39 Hen. III, m. 14. |
| 17 |
Close, 9 Hen. III, m. 14. |
| 18 |
Pat. 16 Hen. III, m. 2. |
| 19 |
Chant. Cert. 29, No. 106. |