HOSPITALS
13. THE HOSPITAL OF ST. HELEN, ABINGDON
From an early date there was an important
gild or fraternity at Abingdon (of which some
account has already been given) dedicated to the
Holy Cross, and associated with the church of
St. Helen. In the reign of Henry V a hospital
or almshouse was established in connexion with
this gild, and dedicated to the honour of St. Helen,
and mainly founded through the munificence of
Geoffrey Barbour and Sir John de St. Helen. (fn. 1)
In 1442 this gild was incorporated by royal
charter, and empowered to possess lands of the
annual value of £40, to the intent they might
maintain and repair the two bridges and the
highway between Abingdon and Culham, and
also provide for the relief of thirteen poor persons
of both sexes (seven men and six women), and for
the support of two chaplains. In 1446 the
members of the fraternity rebuilt the almshouse,
providing it with thirteen separate chambers.
No one was to be admitted to the almshouse save
by consent of the gild in their place of meeting
over the north porch of the church of St. Helen.
The money allowance for each inmate at that
time was but a penny a week, but in 1456 the
amount was raised to 4s. a quarter. They
attended daily service in St. Helen's church.
The gild was incorporated afresh by Richard III
in 1483, when 'the continual maintenance of
thirteen impotent weak men and women' was
again put forward as one of their chief objects.
Leland, writing in the time of Henry VIII,
says—'There is now an Hospital of 6 men
and 6 women at S. Helenes, mainteind by a
Fraternite ther.' (fn. 1a)
The gild, with all its good works, including
the hospital, was suppressed and stripped of its
endowments in 1548, under the plea of superstition, by the council of Edward VI. But Sir John
Mason, a native of the town and chancellor of
Oxford, had sufficient influence at court to bring
about the restoration of much of the gild property, wherewith he refounded the gild hospital,
in May, 1553, on lines very similar to the old
foundation, under the name of Christ's Hospital.
Each inmate was to receive 8d. a week, with an
extra shilling on Easter Day, and 5s. yearly for
livery. (fn. 2)
14. THE HOSPITAL OF ST. JOHN, ABINGDON
The hospital of St. John, Abingdon, stood
without the gate of the great Benedictine abbey,
over against the church of St. Nicholas. It was
founded by one of the earlier abbots, for the
maintenance of six poor persons. The master or
prior who governed the house was appointed by
the abbot, and it is probable that the inmates
were at first directly sustained by the abbey.
The house was well established at the time or
the taxation roll of 1291, when mention is made
of 3s. annual rents at Oxford, and a pension of
20s. from the church of Chilton, Berkshire, as
pertaining to the hospital.
Licence was granted to the master and brethren
of the hospital of St. John, Abingdon, on 29 May,
1318, to acquire in mortmain lands, tenements,
and rents, to the value of 100s. a year. (fn. 3) On
15 March, 1320, six messuages in Abingdon,
together with arable land, meadow, and wood, of
the value of 17s. 4½d. a year, held of the abbey
of Abingdon, were acquired in mortmain by the
hospital, in part satisfaction of the licence of
1318. (fn. 4)
The ratification of the estate of Simon Callyng, as master or prior of the hospital of St. John,
Abingdon, was enrolled on 10 June, 1387. (fn. 5)
There is a cast of the seal of this hospital at
the British Museum, (fn. 6) showing St. John Baptist
with nimbus, holding the Agnus Dei, between
two trees. Legend:—
S': DOM': SCI : IOHIS: ABxDŌIE.
15. THE HOSPITAL OF ST. MARY MAGDALEN, ABINGDON
There was a third hospital at Abingdon of
early foundation, dedicated in honour of St. Mary
Magdalen; very little can be gleaned respecting
its history.
A year's protection was granted by Edward III
in 1336 for the keeper and brethren of the
hospital of St. Mary Magdalen on the bridge
over the Ock without Abingdon. (fn. 7)
This is probably the foundation referred to in
a manuscript account of the possessions of the
Benedictines in Abingdon, shortly after the suppression of the abbey:—
There is also another poore house, called the Olde
Almeshouse, standinge upon the ryver of Thames,
wherein been xx poore creatures, relieved at this
present onelie by the charitable allowance of the good
devout christian people of the towne of Abingtone. (fn. 8)