25. THE HOSPITAL OF ST. EDMUND, BLYTH
There was an ancient leper-house immediately
without Blyth, probably at the northern entrance
to the town; it was dedicated to the honour of
St. Edmund. Only a single reference to it has been
found. It was probably, like many of these small
lazar-houses near the gates or entrances of towns,
unendowed and entirely dependent on alms.
Henry III, when tarrying at Blyth in January
1228, granted to the proctors of this house (nuncii
leprosorum hospitalis Sancti Edmundi extra Bliam)
letters of protection sine termino, whereby the
king asked his bailiffs and faithful subjects, when
their messengers came seeking alms for the
support of the infirm, that they would admit
them kindly and hasten to extend charity to
them, so that in addition to eternal reward they
might receive their king's gratitude. (fn. 40)
26. THE HOSPITAL OF ST. JOHN THE EVANGELIST, BLYTH
A hospital dedicated to the honour of St. John
the Evangelist was founded on the south side of
Blyth in the township of Hodsock in the reign of
King John, by William Cressy, lord of Hodsock.
It was designed for a rector or warden and three
chaplains, and for the residence and relief of
leprous persons; the patronage was vested in
the lords of Hodsock. (fn. 41)
Pope Honorius III in 1226 issued a bull
promising the protection of the Holy See to the
possessions and liberties conferred on this lazarhouse by the Prior and Convent of Blyth and by
William de Cressy its pious founder. (fn. 42)
Henry III, in a letter dated at Newark
5 January 1230, took under his protection the
brethren of this leper hospital and their possessions,
bidding all his faithful subjects to defend them,
and commending them to their alms and support,
as they would have recompense from God and
from him. (fn. 43)
Edward II in 1316 licensed Hugh de Cressy
to alienate the large amount of seven messuages
and 4 bovates of land in Blyth and Hodsock
to three chaplains, who were to celebrate daily
in the chapel of St. John the Evangelist of this
hospital. (fn. 44)
Edmund de Cressy, the brother of Hugh,
executed an instrument at Hodsock at Michaelmas 1320 by which he granted to William de
Howelle and Philip de Ilkeston, chaplains, the
hospital of Hodsock, with all its lands and
appurtenances, together with goods and chattels
to the value of 20 marks. The chaplains undertook to conduct divine service in the chapel, to
find lights, to keep the buildings in proper repair,
and on their ceasing to officiate to leave behind
them goods to the value of 20 marks. They
were not to be allowed to appropriate to themselves any of the revenues; but they were to be
allowed to take any person into the hospital,
spiritual or lay, at their discretion, with the view
of improving its income, that is to receive them
as paying guests. Philip de Ilkeston was to pay
as a subsidy on his entry to office 4 marks.
The bursar was to render his account yearly
before the bailiff of Cressy, who reserved to
himself the right of appointing a third chaplain,
when the rent of a messuage near the gate of the
hospital's cemetery would admit of it. (fn. 45)
A deed on somewhat similar lines—in Norman
French—records the appointment of Robert de
Russyn as chaplain of this hospital by Sir John
Cressy, in 1374. (fn. 46)
Sir John Clifton, who died in 1403, had
obtained the Hodsock estate, with the patronage
of the hospital, by marriage with Katharine sister
and co-heiress of Sir Hugh Cressy. Katharine his
widow married for her second husband Ralph
Mackarel; on his death in 1436 he was entered as
seised of the hospital of St. John the Evangelist,
Blyth. (fn. 47)
About ten years later, namely on 21 July 1446,
an indulgence of 100 days was granted by the
Archbishop of York to all penitents contributing
'to the erection and new construction of a
certain house or hospital in Blyth, for receiving
and lodging poor strangers and pregnant women.'
Canon Raine, the historian of Blyth, considers
that this entry in the episcopal registers refers to
a re-establishment of the decayed hospital of St.
John, its leprous inmates having disappeared. (fn. 48)
The will of Sir Gervase Clifton, great-grandson of Sir John Clifton, first lord of Hodsock of
that name, dated 27 April 1491, contains the
following references to this hospital: 'To John
London and his wiff an annuytie of xxs. of my
lands in Sterop; for the house which he dwelleth
in belongeth unto the spitell of Blith of my fadir
gift. As for all such landes and tenementes as is
in Blith of my fadir purchase they belongen unto
the spitell of Blith of my said fadir gift, and hit
is my will yat the said spitell have theyme; and
require my here also yat he make a sufficient
graunte unto the preste of the said spitell of all
such landes and tenementes with th'appurtenance
as I have purchased in Blith aforesaid in augmentacion of the said preste of ye said spitell
lyvelode there.' (fn. 49)
The Valor Ecclesiasticus of 1534 shows that the
property had sadly deteriorated. Silvanus Clifton
was master, and the income of the hospital, which
he seems to have regarded as solely his, was
£8 14s. (fn. 50)
When the Survey of Colleges, Chantries,
Hospitals, &c., was taken by the commissioners
of Henry VIII in 1545-6, preparatory to their
overthrow, Robert Cressy was priest of 'the
Spittell of Blyth,' saying mass thrice a week
'by the commandement of the Lorde of Hodsock,'
as appeared by the gift thereof made to him
five years before by Sir Gervase Clifton. The
clear value was then £8 14s. There were no
church goods 'otherwise than one vestment and
one altar cloth of no valewe and a bell of small
valewe.' (fn. 51) Robert Cressy also held the vicarage
of Blyth.
This hospital, in its much reduced state,
escaped confiscation under the action of both
Henry VIII and Edward VI.
Sir Gervase Clifton, made baronet by James I
in 1611, in his will dated October 1662
described himself as patron of the house or hospital of St. John the Evangelist without Blyth,
and Robert Thirlby as 'maister or rector of the
sayd house and brethren.' (fn. 52)
As late as 1703 there is record of one Thomas
Ousely being master of this hospital. About
1810 the master's house, known as Blyth Spital,
was pulled down and replaced by a substantial
farm-house. At the same time the adjoined
houses for the poor inmates were demolished and
six small almshouses built nearer Blyth for six
poor persons, to each of whom the owner of the
Spital property pays the pittance of 10s. a
year. (fn. 53)