24. THE HOSPITAL OF AYNHO
The hospital of Aynho, built for the relief of
the poor, the sick, and infirm, and dedicated in
honour of SS. James and John, stood at the west
entrance of the village. It was founded towards
the close of the twelfth century by Roger Fitz
Richard and Alice his wife, with the consent
of their two sons, William and Robert. The
grant was ratified by William de Mandeville,
earl of Essex, as lord of the fee. (fn. 1) Robert Fitz
Roger confirmed and added to his father's grants,
and his grandson provided for the maintenance of
a chaplain at the hospital to celebrate for the
soul of his grandmother, Elizabeth, countess of
Dunbar. (fn. 2) The hospital was under the direction
of a master nominated by the lord of the manor
and instituted by the bishop. The earliest name
recorded is that of Peter of Maldon, presented in
1232 by Roger de Creissy, farmer of Aynho. (fn. 3)
On the death of John de Graham in 1282,
and the appointment of William de Hokkeholte
as master, Bishop Sutton ordered an inquisition to
be held by the official of the archdeacon of
Northampton into the condition of the hospital.
The return found that Roger Fitz-Roger was the
true patron for that turn, and that his right was
undisputed; that there was no cure of souls
annexed to the hospital; that its income included
the tithes of 4 virgates of land, with the exception of 1 acre, and the small tithes of the lordship of John de Hay, save one lamb, one fleece,
and one cheese due to the mother church of
Croughton; that the hospital was founded for
the pauperes debiles ac infirmos coming there;
and that the new master, William de Hokkeholte,
was reported to be a man of good life and honest
conversation. (fn. 4)
In 1319 Sir John Clavering, lord of Aynho,
gave to the hospital half a virgate of land, a messuage and a mill called 'Goldsbolte milne' with
the adjacent meadow and water-course, and the
custom of his tenants at the said mill. (fn. 5) The
master and brethren acquired further lands in
Aynho from the same lord in 1331 to the value
of 5 marks yearly. (fn. 6) But with time and possibly
the increase of worldly goods the institution
began to fail in the accomplishment of the aims
of its founders. Two of the masters, William
Lambton, appointed in 1455, and Henry Wright,
in 1478, became rectors of the parish church, in
itself evidence that the duties of the hospital
did not absorb all their cares. On 1 October,
1483, William, earl of Arundel, the patron,
granted the advowson and patronage of the hospital with all its property to William Waynflete,
bishop of Winchester, the founder of Magdalen
College, Oxford, and on 29 August, two years
later, the formal annexation of the hospital to
Magdalen College was executed by the bishop
with the assent of the patron, on the express
ground of the neglect of the hospital to carry out
the duties of hospitality and almsgiving. The
patron stipulated that mass should be said daily
at the Arundel altar by the president and fellows
for the members of the Arundel family. (fn. 7)
Bridges (1720) states that the hospital became
the dwelling-house of Mrs. Watkins, who held
it on lease from Magdalen College, and that it
was much altered from its first form. (fn. 8) Baker,
a century later, describes it as occupied by
Mr. Gardner and 'recently modernized.'
Masters of Aynho
Jordan, (fn. 9) c. 1215
Peter de Maldon, (fn. 10) presented 1232
Adam de Stutesbirie, presented 1235
Stephen, presented 1243
Peter de Wyndesover
John de Graham, (fn. 11) resigned 1282
William de Hokkeholte, (fn. 12) presented 1282, died
1293
Geoffrey de Crouleton, (fn. 13) presented 1293, died
1298
Thomas de Aynho, (fn. 14) presented 1298
Thomas Budel, (fn. 15) died 1324
William de Kirkeshagh, (fn. 16) presented 1324
Richard of Aynho, occurs 1376
Henry Bretenelle or Brudenel, occurs 1391
William Lambly alias Weston, (fn. 17) presented
1394, resigned 1398
William de Southo, (fn. 18) presented 1398
Simon Smith, (fn. 19) resigned 1401.
William Aichecote, (fn. 20) presented 1401, resigned
1407
William Humberston, (fn. 21) presented 1407, resigned 1409
William Oldon, (fn. 22) presented 1409, died 1419
John Rede, (fn. 23) presented 1419
Thomas Tong, resigned 1454
Robert Taylour, (fn. 24) presented 1454, died 1455
William Lambton, (fn. 25) presented 1455, died 1468
Nicholas Langton, (fn. 26) presented 1468, died 1478
Henry Wright, (fn. 27) presented 1478