HOSPITALS
12. THE HOSPITAL OF ALKMONTON
At Alkmonton, a township of Longford parish,
Robert de Bakepuze, of Barton Blount (then
called Barton Bakepuze) founded a hospital for
female lepers, about 1100, having the common
dedication of St. Leonard. This was the same
Robert de Bakepuze who was a benefactor of
Abingdon abbey in the time of Henry I. His
son John was also a benefactor of this hospital. (fn. 1)
The last heir male of Bakepuze died in the reign
of Richard II, when the Derbyshire estates were
purchased by Sir Walter Blount. At that time
the suffix of Barton, where that family had their
chief residence for several generations, was
changed to Barton Blount. Sir Walter,
the king's standard-bearer, was slain at the
battle of Shrewsbury, and his second wife
and relict, Dame Sancha de Ayala, a Spanish
lady, refounded this hospital (which seems to
have languished on the gradual dying-out of
leprosy) in 1406, further endowing it so as to
maintain a chaplain, who should pray for the souls
of herself, her husband, her children, and her
brothers and sisters. (fn. 2)
Walter Blount, Lord Mountjoy, great-grandson of Sir Walter Blount, by his will, dated
8 July, 1474, still further endowed and changed
the nature of this hospital. He directed his
executors to purchase lands to the value of £10
per annum, to be appropriated to the
hospital of St. Leonard, between Alkmonton and
Bentley, to pray for the souls of his ancestors as also for
his own soul, his wives and children's souls; the souls
of Humphrey duke of Buckingham, Richard Earl
Rivers, Sir John Woodvyle, knight; and for the souls
of the lords in old time of that hospital.
Moreover he ordained that the master of that
hospital for the time being should find continually seven poor men, to be chosen by him
out of such as had been or henceforth should
be old serving-men with the lord and patron of
the lordship of Barton, and of the same hospital
of St. Leonard, or else out of the old tenants
of the lordships of the said lords and patrons
for the time being, within the counties of Derby
and Stafford; and that the master, for the time
being, should pay weekly unto those seven poor
men 2s. 4d. Also that every of them at the time of
his election should be at the age of fifty and five
years at the least; and that those seven poor
men should have seven kine grazing within his
park at Barton, and seven loads of wood yearly
for their fuel, to be taken within his lordships of
Barton, Alkmonton, and Bentley, or other lordships in Appletree Hundred in the county of
Derby. Likewise that the said master should
every third year give unto each of these seven
poor men a gown and a hood of white or russet,
and of one suit; one time white and another
time russet; the gown to be marked with a tau
cross of red; and that none of those poor men
should go a-begging upon pain of removal from
the hospital. Moreover that every of them
should be obliged to say daily Our Lady's
Psalter twice within the chapel of the same
hospital. He likewise appointed that there
should be a mansion, with a square court, built
next to the same chapel, without any back door,
and that the roof of that chapel should be raised,
the walls enhanced, the windows made with
strong iron-work, with a quire and perclose, and
two altars without the quire. Furthermore that
the master should wear neither red nor green, but
upon his gown of other colour, a tau cross of
blue upon his left side; and have no other
benefice except the parsonage of Barton. He
likewise willed that a chapel of St. Nicholas
should be built at Alkmonton; that the master
of the hospital should say Mass there yearly on
the feast of St. Nicholas, and at other times by
his discretion. (fn. 3)
The prior of Gresley, as collector of the
clerical subsidy in 1418, reported that the keeper
of the hospital of Alkmonton refused to pay his
quota, (fn. 4) but beyond this incidental notice of its
existence the hospital appears to have enjoyed
the happiness of having no history.
The Chantry Roll at the end of Henry VIII's
reign has the following entry:—
The free chapel of Alkemonton spyttell being
covered withe leade founded by William Blounte late
Lorde Mountejoye for a prieste to saye masse and to
praye for his soule his auncestors soules and all Crystyan soules whereof there is shewed no foundacyon but
a gyfte of the same late lorde Mountejoye dated xij die
Februarii anno xiiij duo Rege nunc for the next
avoydance thereof granted to John Blunte gent and
Walter his sone to presente a prieste there—6li clere
as apperithe by a lease thereof made to John Bentelye
for xxi yeres dated xv die Novembii Anno xxxvij
domino Regis nunc which 6li imployed to the lyvynge
of John Parc chaplyn there. It is distaunte from the
parishe church j myle, and hathe a mancyon howse
charged with vjli—stock liijs. vjd. (fn. 5)
The hospital of St. Leonard, with its seven
poor pensioners, as well as the adjoining parochial
chapel of St. Nicholas, were swept away in the
reign of Edward VI. A messuage called 'a
Spittle house' with many adjacent closes and
meadows were sold to John Bellowe and Edward
Streetbury for £121 3s. 8d. (fn. 6)