30. THE HOSPITAL OF ST. LEONARD, NORTHAMPTON
Among the corporation records of Northampton is a valuable collection of early evidences as
to the lands pertaining to the hospital of
St. Leonard on the south side of the town. (fn. 1) The
advowson was in the hands of the burgesses from
the earliest days. The first of these charters,
dated about 1150, is a grant from Adam, the son
of Nigel, son of Mervin, to God and the hospital of St. Leonard of Northampton and the
sick men serving God there, of his shop in
Whimplus Row, in the market of Northampton.
The second is a charter of Henry II. granting
protection to the lepers of St. Leonard's,
Northampton, with permission to receive alms.
Many gifts were added to the hospital during
the reigns of Richard I. and John; among these
may be mentioned a grant of land at Pitsford,
assigned in the latter reign to 'the Blessed Mary
and the sick brethren and sisters of the house of
St. Leonard at Northampton serving God,
St. Mary, and St. Leonard there.'
In 1295 reference is made to the parish of
St. Leonard without Northampton; all the rights
of a parochial church seem to have been administered to the inhabitants of the district in the
chapel of St. Leonard from the time of its
foundation. In 1281 the vicar of Hardingstone
claimed offerings and tithes from the residents in
the liberty of St. Leonard, whereupon evidence
was given that the inhabitants from time beyond
memory had worshipped in the chapel of
St. Leonard, and had the offices of baptism and
burial performed by the chaplain. The diocesan
decided in favour of St. Leonard's, but ordered
that in future every chaplain presented by the
mayor and burgesses of Northampton should also
obtain the consent of the prior of St. Andrew's,
rector of Hardingstone, and of the vicar. (fn. 2) It is
certainly a curious if not unique arrangement to
find the chapel of a lazar house used for regular
parochial purposes. The chapel and hospital had
been founded, however, by William the Conqueror, according to tradition, and by him conferred on the town, and in this case the foundation would precede any special provision for
lepers. The sick brethren and sisters would
either have a small detached chapel of their own,
or else make use of the choir securely screened
off from the part used by the general congregation.
Among the numerous evidences in the town
muniments is a deed of about 1300, being a
grant from the master and brethren of the house
of St. Lazarus of Burton (Burton Lazars) to the
master and brethren of the hospital of St. Leonard,
Northampton, of a toft in the suburb of Northampton, opposite the hospital church, to be held
by them of the house of St. Lazarus for a yearly
rent at Michaelmas of 12d. If ever payment
should fail then the brother messenger sent to
collect the rent should be maintained in the
Northampton house until full payment had been
made.
A curious entry in the Patent Rolls, under date
of 7 November, 1387, deserves mention in connexion with this hospital: Lucy, sister of the
house of St. Leonard, Northampton, received a
royal pardon for the death of John Oxyndon,
chaplain. (fn. 3) How this death by misadventure
occurred is not stated.
Institutions to the incumbency of St. Leonard's
are recorded in the diocesan registers from the
year 1282; after 1415 there are no more episcopal institutions to the wardenship or chaplaincy
entered. In 1220 we read that Bishop Wells
granted seven days' relaxation of penance to
those who should contribute to the maintenance
of the poor lepers of St. Leonard without Northampton. (fn. 4) In the Valor of 1535 the mayor of
Northampton is termed the master, and there is
no provision for a chaplain. The clear annual
value was £11 6s. 8d., and only 26s. 8d. of this
went in alms to a certain poor woman and
leprous person. (fn. 5)
In the fifteenth century the town adopted the
unhappy expedient of leasing the hospital with
all its lands, tenements, and rents, and of making
the lessee responsible for the dues pertaining to
the mastership. John Peck, of Kingsthorpe, the
lessee in 1472, covenanted to pay the chaplains
eight marks a year, or four marks with food and
drink and three yards of cloth, to pay 5d. a week
to each male or female leper who might be there,
and once a year two gammons of bacon and a
bushel of oatmeal, and to keep the houses, buildings, and church in good repair. It was thus
obviously the interest of a lessee to keep down as
far as possible the number of the inmates.
In 1505 this system proved such a scandal
that the corporation determined to keep the
management in their own hands, insisting on
their mayors taking an oath when elected to
manage the hospital personally in conjunction
with a corporation committee. The oath (sacramentum hospital' Sci. Leonardi) runs as follows:
'Ye shall swere that ye shall well and trewly kepe
and governe the hospytale of Seynt Leonardes
the abbote in Coton besydes Northampton which
hath byn myssused and evyll governed and gevyn
awey contrary to the Fyrste grannte thereof in
tymes passed. Therefore hit is provided and
ordeyned by Robarde Shefforde meyre of the seid
Town of Northampton and the Comburgesses
and Comynatte havyn assented and conducended
of an hole mynde and aggrement by the Corporation of the seide towne that in no maner of
wise From this tyme Forwarde that the seid hospitale of Seint Leonarde shalbe gevyn graunted
or to ferme sette to eny man persone or persones
in tyme comyng But that it shalbe allweys
remayne for evermore in the meyres handes for
the tyme beyng Comburgesses and Comynatte
accordyng to their Fyrst grannte And also that
they may chose and elect of themselves ii of the
meyres Brethren to have the Rule oversight and
good governance of the forseide hospitall apperteynyng and belonging And that the seid
wardens and overseers with the seide Bailly once
in the yere within one monyth after the Fest of
oure Lorde next coumyng that they do make
their due and lawfull accountes how they have
reuled and governed the goodys of the seide place
for that yere beynge and how they byn employed
to the universall weale of the same to your
coumyng and power so helpe you God and all
seynts and by that boke.' (fn. 6)
Though the use of the parochial chapel of
St. Leonard came to an end during the reigns of
Henry VIII. and Edward VI., and the inmates
were dispersed, the corporation were sufficiently
powerful to prevent all falling into the hands of
the crown. There was an award in Chancery
in 1550 between the mayor and burgesses of
Northampton and Francis Samwell, who claimed
to have purchased St. Leonard's of the crown in
1549. The award assigned the chapel and
churchyard to the town 'to such use and intent
as they shall think meet and expedient by their
discretion' on a certain payment to Francis
Samwell.
In Elizabeth's reign the corporation having
pulled down the chapel and hospital built a small
tenement on the site, called the Spittle or Lazarhouse, which was occupied by a single poor man,
termed the lazarman, rent-free. He received a
weekly allowance of two shillings, together with
a suit of clothes and load of firewood once a
year. The lazarman appears in the town accounts
as late as 1740. (fn. 7)
Wardens of St. Leonard, (fn. 8) Northampton
John of Tuttebery, instituted 1282
Ralph of Norton, instituted 1282-3
Roger
Adam of Gyngs instituted, 1293, died 1305
William of Coton, (fn. 9) instituted 1305
Robert of Duston, instituted 1326
John le Waydour, (fn. 10) occurs 1330
Robert Hert of Sautre, instituted 1358
John of Thrapston, instituted 1368
John Griffyn of Oxundon, instituted 1397
William Rodston (fn. 11)
Richard Howet of Wymyngton, instituted
1395
Nicholas Nycoll of Northampton, instituted
1397
John Attewode, instituted 1398
John Mersh, instituted 1402
William Reynald, instituted 1405
John Littester of Tykhyll, instituted 1406
William Reynald, instituted 1407
John Sherman, instituted 1408
Thomas Gamull, instituted 1410
Richard Barkar, instituted 1415
The pointed oval seal of the hospital, though
of much interest, is a late and poorly-executed
example of about 1450. It represents St. Leonard
standing in a canopied niche, with a pastoral staff
in his left hand, and a chain fetter in his right.
Below the figure is a barbican gateway surmounted by a crown. The gateway probably
represents the town gate on the south bridge,
close to the hospital, while the crown denotes its
royal foundation. (fn. 12)
Legend in small black letters runs:
S . COE . DOMVS . SCI . LEONARDI . IVXTA .
NORTHAMPTON