17. THE HOSPITAL OF ST. MARY MAGDALENE, LUTON
This hospital is said to have been founded
by Saint Thomas of Canterbury, on the
authority of a charter issued by the brethren
and sisters in October 1465. (fn. 39) Another
charter dated 1377 (fn. 40) refers to the same house;
there is no other mention of it earlier or later.
It was evidently a hospital for the sick,
served, like many other such foundations, by
brethren and sisters who followed some form
of the rule of St. Augustine. The charter
of 1465 is a quaint and most pretentious
document, (fn. 41) offering indulgences on quite a
scale to all who should contribute to the support of the hospital; on the
authority of five popes, eight Archbishops of
Canterbury, and some also of York and
many successive Bishops of London, Chester,
Chichester, Valence, Hereford, Worcester,
Ely, Norwich and Lincoln. It is witnessed
by Lord Wenlock, Sir Thomas Hoo and the
vicar of Luton. The hospital does not
appear in the Valor Ecclesiasticus; it was
probably richer in spiritual privileges than in
temporal possessions.
18. THE HOSPITAL OF ST. JOHN BAPTIST, LUTON
This hospital, which was for the accommodation of lepers, is only known through a
single mention of it in the Patent Rolls. In
1285 Nicholas le Heyward was put in
exigent for burning the house of Richard atte
Wynche; and for binding the lepers of the
hospital of St. John Baptist, Luton. (fn. 42)
19. THE HOSPITAL OF FARLEY NEAR LUTON
The hospital at Farley near Luton was
founded early in the reign of Henry II. on
lands granted by him in 1156 to the brethren
of 'Santingfeld' near Wissant (fn. 1) ; a master is
first mentioned in 1198–9. (fn. 2) The endowment consisted of lands in Ludgershall (fn. 3) near
Brill, Bucks, and in Farley near Luton, worth
respectively £3 and £2 a year. It was a hospital for the poor, and appears to have been
dedicated to St. John Baptist like those at
Bedford, Hockliffe, Toddington, etc. Its
masters are several times mentioned in legal
documents, but nothing is known of the
history of the house and its inmates generally.
It is possible that the story of the theft of
some relics of St. Luke from the 'hermitage
of Farley' in 1431, and how the three
thieves were pursued by the men of Dunstable as far as Barnet and the relics recovered,
may refer to the chapel of the hospital, (fn. 4)
though there may have been an actual hermitage in the neighbourhood.
As this hospital was a cell of the hospital at
'Santingfeld,' it was reckoned in the fifteenth
century amongst the alien priories, and
granted in February 1448 to King's College,
Cambridge. (fn. 5)
In 1291 the master of Farley had a mill,
woods and rents valued at £5 12s. altogether. (fn. 6)
A monument in Luton church which was
long thought to be that of Lord Wenlock is
now proved to be the tomb of William de
Wenlock, master of Farley 1377 to 1392. (fn. 7)
Masters of Farley (fn. 8)
Mauger, (fn. 9) occurs 1198
William, (fn. 10) " 1239
John de la Rokele, (fn. 11) occurs 1296
John of Felmersham, (fn. 12) " 1347
William Lachebury, (fn. 13) " 1347
William of Wenlock, (fn. 14) occurs 1377, died
1392