39. THE HOSPITAL (fn. 1) OF LITTLE MALDON
By an inquisition (fn. 2) taken in 1402 it was found
that the hospital of St. Giles by Maldon was
founded by one of the kings of England for the
maintenance of a chaplain to celebrate divine
service daily there and of the leper burgesses of
the town, and that the master should have in aid
of the maintenance of the lepers all forfeitures of
unsound bread, ale, flesh and fish in the town.
The brethren at one time had the right of electing the master at each voidance; for a deed (fn. 3) is
preserved by which, somewhere about the middle
of the thirteenth century, the master and brethren
released this right to Rose de Fanecourt and her
heirs, so that these should present as chief lords,
notwithstanding the grant of Matthew Mauntel
or any ancestor of his. Accordingly the advowson appears afterwards as appurtenant to the
manor of Little Maldon, except when it was
seized by the crown. It would seem also from
this that one of the lords of the manor was the
real founder.
The date of the foundation is not known, but
it may very likely have been in the spring of
1164. The Pipe Roll of 10 Henry II records
an allowance of 15s. 2½d. made to the infirm of
Maldon for half a year, and in the succeeding
years the allowance is 30s. 5d. yearly. If then
the king's first grant was coincident with the
foundation, it is easily seen that he might be
considered the nominal founder, while the
advowson belonged to the lord of the manor,
who had probably granted the site.
In 1320 (fn. 4) the manor of Little Maldon and the
advowson of the hospital passed from John de
Grey, who had previously acquired them from
Thomas Filiol, to John Amory; and a few
years later the king presented to the hospital
during the minority of an Amory heir. From
this the subsequent attempts of the crown to
obtain possession of the advowson probably originated. Edward III made grants of the hospital
to Almaric Shirlond and William Hannay; and
when Sir John Bourchier, the lord of the manor,
presented his clerk John Ive to it, the latter
could not obtain execution of the presentation
because of the king's letters. Commissions
were issued on 3 December, 1381, (fn. 5) and 12 February, 1382, (fn. 6) to inquire whether the advowson
belonged to the manor, whether the manor was
held of the king in chief as of the crown or as of
the honour of Peverel, whether the hospital was
of royal foundation or always appendent to the
manor and of the patronage of the lords of the
manor, what were the circumstances of the presentation of the last five incumbents, whether all
masters or wardens were instituted by the diocesan
at the presentation of the patrons, and whether
William Hannay, the present incumbent, had
any right of occupation except by letters patent
of the late king, and whether he had been so
instituted. The question of the tenure of the
manor and the patronage of the hospital was
discussed at considerable length. (fn. 7) Finally
Bourchier failed to appear, and the patronage
remained with the crown for several years. It
was found, however, that the incumbent should
be presented, instituted and inducted, and
Hannay found his collation of no effect and obtained a presentation (fn. 8) from the king on 13 May,
1382. The same matter came up again twenty
years later.
Richard II on 27 April, 1396, promised (fn. 9) the
reversion of the hospital to the prior and convent
of Bicknacre, whenever it should be vacant by
the death of William Nortoun, warden; but
nothing came of this grant.
During the wardenship of Robert Manfeld
the inquisition mentioned above was taken in
April, 1402, before Helmyng Leget, escheator,
and it was found that for the last three years and
more he had altogether withdrawn the customary
maintenance of the chaplain and lepers, and that
in consequence of this the hospital should revert
to the king to dispose of the wardenship. The
hospital was said to be worth beyond reprises
10 marks yearly. The king accordingly on
13 April, 1402, granted (fn. 10) the hospital to Roger
Wodehele; but Manfeld immediately appealed,
and the case was tried in the King's Bench, (fn. 11) the
point at issue being whether the warden or
master should be presented, instituted and inducted by the bishop as to a benefice, or whether
the king had the right of collation. Wodehele
argued on the lines of the inquisition, saying that
the hospital had been founded by Henry II, and
cited the collation of William Hannay by
Edward III. Manfeld answered that the hospital
was founded that the warden or master should
find one chaplain to celebrate divine service in the
chapel of the hospital on three days in the week
at the choice of the warden, and that there had
been no leper burgesses for twenty years and
more. It had been found by the commission of
5 Richard II that all wardens were presented,
admitted, instituted and inducted; and Hannay
renounced his collation by advice of the king's
attorney because it could have no effect, and was
then presented. The hospital had never been
taken into the king's hands, and no collation had
ever been made except in the case of Hannay.
Judgement was given in favour of Manfeld, and
the king on 9 November ordered (fn. 12) the escheator
to restore the hospital to him if it had not been
seized for any other reason.
Edward IV on 18 February, 1481, granted
licence (fn. 13) for the patrons, Henry Bourchier, earl of
Essex, and the king's aunt Isabel, his wife, and
others, and the warden, William Aspynalght, to
grant the hospital and everything belonging to it
to the abbot and convent of Beeleigh, and for the
bishop of London to appropriate it to the abbey.
The grant was made accordingly on 17 May,
1481; and later (fn. 14) the bishop formally sanctioned
the union, arranging that it should take place on
the death or resignation of the present warden.
The abbot and convent were to undertake all
the burdens of the hospital, and by one of their
brethren to say mass at least once every week in
the chapel of the hospital, and also on every
sixth holy-day in the year; and they were to
pay pensions of 20d. to the bishop and 12d. to
the archdeacon of Essex yearly at Michaelmas,
and 12d. to the dean and chapter of St. Paul's
at each vacancy of the bishopric. The archdeacon certified on 5 July, 1484, that the appropriation had been accomplished; and from thence
till the dissolution the hospital remained in the
possession of the abbey.
In the rental (fn. 15) of the abbey, taken soon after
the dissolution, the 'Spittellands' in Maldon,
including probably the site of the hospital, are
said to be demised to William Stokes at a rent
of £6 1s. 0d. yearly.
The possessions of the hospital known as
'Jenkynmaldons,' lying in Hazeleigh, Purleigh,
Woodham Mortimer and Maldon, were held on
lease by John Throstyll, of Danbury; and the
rent reserved and the reversion of the premises were granted (fn. 16) by the king on 12 April,
1539, to Thomas Dyer and Frances his wife
in fee.
Priors, Masters or Wardens of Maldon
Thomas, occurs 1221. (fn. 17)
John, occurs 1255. (fn. 18)
Thomas, occurs 1285. (fn. 19)
Roger de Harewolde, instituted 1322. (fn. 20)
John Pavy, occurs 1346. (fn. 21)
John de Codyngton, presented 1349. (fn. 22)
Richard de Wynwyk, presented 1350. (fn. 23)
John de Wynwyk, presented 1350. (fn. 24)
William de Clee, presented 1351, (fn. 25) resigned
1351. (fn. 26)
Richard de Thoerne, presented 1351. (fn. 27)
Robert de Naylinghurst, died 1369. (fn. 28)
John de Bislyngham, presented 1369, (fn. 29) resigned 1370. (fn. 30)
Almaric de Shirlond, presented 1370, (fn. 31) died
1373. (fn. 32)
John Bosard, presented 1373. (fn. 33)
William Hannay, collated 1373, (fn. 34) exchanged 1391. (fn. 35)
William Norton, presented 1391, (fn. 35) exchanged 1396. (fn. 36)
Alexander Herle, presented 1396, (fn. 36) exchanged 1399. (fn. 37)
Robert Manfeld, presented 1399, (fn. 37) occurs
1411. (fn. 38)
Roger Wodehele, collated 1402. (fn. 39)
William Boston, collated 1419. (fn. 40)
John Depeden, presented 1422, (fn. 41) occurs
1425. (fn. 42)
John Hunt, presented 1430. (fn. 43)
William Aspynhalgh, presented 1481. (fn. 44)