22. THE HOSPITAL OF ST. BARTHOLOMEW, NEWBURY
It is not known at what date the hospital of
St. Bartholomew, Newbury, was founded. It
was extant in the reign of John, when it was a
recipient of the royal favour. On 7 July, 1215,
John instructed the sheriff of Berkshire to give all
facilities to the hospital of St. Bartholomew at
Newbury, and to the brethren serving God there,
to have a two days' annual fair at Newbury on
the day and on the morrow of St. Bartholomew. (fn. 29)
William Otnel, rector of Shaw, granted circa
1260 to this hospital, and its brethren and sisters,
and to the poor folk resorting there, all the holding with 16 acres of arable land in Newbury
which he had bought of Simon White, 2½ acres
bought of Simon le Cur, and 1 acre bought of
John Showe, for the health of his soul and the
souls of his ancestors. (fn. 30)
Protection, that is authority for the collecting
of alms, was granted in October, 1285, for three
years for the brethren of the hospital of St. Bartholomew, Newbury. (fn. 31)
About 1295 John le Frankelayn granted to
Henry, warden of the house of St. Bartholomew,
1½ acres of land and the third of a croft. In
1311 there was a further grant of lands in Eastfield, Newbury, by Edmund de la Bulhuse. (fn. 32)
On 27 August, 1301, Bishop Simon de Gandavo
instituted William de Byschopeston, priest, to
the custody or wardenship of the hospital, with
its brethren and sisters. (fn. 33) From that date onwards, down to 1510, the episcopal registers of
Sarum give the succession of the hospital wardens. These institutions were made on the presentation of the commonalty of the town of Newbury.
The warden or custos of this house is sometimes
termed the prior, and, judging from analogy,
the brethren and sisters followed to some extent
the Austin rule and were under vows. The
warden was of course always in priest's orders,
and the buildings included a chapel and fit
accommodation for the entertainment of the aged
and infirm to whom the hospital ministered.
The commissioners of Henry VIII, in 1546,
reported that the origin of the hospital was
unknown, but that it was founded to maintain a
priest to sing in the hospital, and two poor men
to pray there continually. The annual value
was returned as £23 1s. 8½d., from which sum
£4 was paid to the priest, and 26s. 8d. to the
two bedesmen. The large balance, save what
was required for repairs and tithes, went to 'Sir
Roger Bermer, clerke, Mr. of the same hospytall.' (fn. 34)
From this it is manifest that this hospital, like
so many others, had by this time fallen into bad
hands; the master absorbed more than threefourths of the income, the sisters had disappeared,
the brethren were reduced to two, and the poor
and infirm had lost all share of the endowment.
It appears from proceedings in the Court of
Exchequer that in 1554 the master and two
brethren of this hospital demised all their lands
and rents to one Philip Kistill and three others
for the term of sixty-one years, and that in 1576
an information was laid by the Attorney-General
against Philip for intruding upon chantry or priory
lands that were escheated to the crown by the
Chantry Act of 1548. The defendants denied
that they were priory or chantry lands, and after
the examination of divers witnesses by interrogations, it was decided that it was a hospital for
poor men and was outside the Acts. The oldest
of the six witnesses was Robert Flagget, clothworker of Newbury, aged 94.
All the witnesses deposed to having known
two priors who were masters of governors, 'Sir
Maggott' and 'Mr. Bromall'; they were always
called priors, and boarded in the house adjoining
the church or chapel of St. Bartholomew. One
Philip, a monk, hired by Mr. Bromall, also
boarded there. The prior was always a religious
person (that is under vows); he used to say mass
in the church and there was burying of the dead
in the churchyard. Flagget did not know, nor
had he ever heard, of any poor people kept or
maintained by either of these priors, of alms or
charity within or near the house; but William
Blandye, aged 72, remembered four people in the
house at one time, and afterwards two, who received 20s. a year. The witness deposed to a
curious custom that used to prevail of the wives
of the town of Newbury, on the morrow after
they were churched, visiting the chapel of
St. Bartholomew with their midwives, and there
making offerings of wax, candles, money, &c.,
and these oblations were converted to the use of
the prior for the time being, and for no other
purpose. Sir Bromall was the last prior; he left
the house and town about 1547. After his
departure the inhabitants of Newbury took upon
them the management of the house and received
the rents, Philip Kistill being one of them; the
statements of the witnesses on this point were
conflicting, but apparently the old house was
pulled down, four small tenements erected, and
four almsmen maintained therein by the town.
Blandye stated that the town presented 'one
Mr. Pyckeringe to be master of the same hospital,
before Bushopp Jewell,' and the inhabitants chose
two proctors to gather up the rents and to pay
the master and the poor people their stipend.
The steeple of the church, with two bells, was
pulled down by the inhabitants. They deposed
that the house was then governed 'by certain of
the chefest of the inhabytantes, as Mr. Kistill,
Mr. Chamberlayne, &c.' The chapel was converted into a schoolhouse in the time of
Edward VI. (fn. 35)
We are not now concerned with the future
history and development of this foundation,
particulars of which can be found in Money's
Newbury.
Wardens of St. Bartholomew's Hospital, Newbury
Henry, circa 1295 (fn. 36)
William de Byschopeston, 1301 (fn. 37)
John de Gloucester, 1313 (fn. 38)
Richard Orsett, 1333 (fn. 39)
John le Sone, 1338 (fn. 40)
Henry dic'le Vicary de Aldermaston, 1341 (fn. 41)
Michael Lawles, 1362 (fn. 42)
Stephen, resigned 1381
Henry Pake, 1381 (fn. 43)
Thomas Whyston, 1381 (fn. 44)
Henry Hales, 1383 (fn. 45)
Roger Russel, 1391 (fn. 46)
Thomas Pall, 1402 (fn. 47)
William Baker, 1438 (fn. 48)
William Hutchyns, 1441 (fn. 49)
John Bradstone, 1443 (fn. 50)
William Mahew, 1451 (fn. 51)
William Lee, 1463
Robert Bryteyn, resigned 1463 (fn. 52)
William Belyngham, 1463 (fn. 53)
William Bray, 1469 (fn. 54)
Edmund Worthyngton, 1508 (fn. 55)
Robert Strete, 1510 (fn. 56)
John Magott, 1522 (fn. 57)
Roger Bridmold alias Bromall, 1540 (fn. 58)
23. THE HOSPITAL OF ST. MARY MAGDALEN, NEWBURY
There was a leper hospital for women at
Newbury; but we have only succeeded in finding a single reference to it. On 26 July, 1232,
the hospital of St. Mary Magdalen, Newbury, for
leprous women obtained the crown protection. (fn. 59)