28. THE HOSPITAL OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST, BRIDGWATER
The founder of this hospital is said (fn. 57) to have
been William Bruer or Briwere, one of the
guardians of the kingdom when King Richard
was absent on the crusade, and the builder of
the second castle at Bridgwater. Its foundation
was probably before 1213, and was for a master
or prior and some brethren who should maintain
thirteen infirm persons besides pilgrims and
religious who in their journey should pass
through the town. (fn. 58) Bishop Jocelin of Bath confirmed the foundation in 1219, (fn. 59) and confirmed
also to the hospital William Briwere's gift of
the church of Isle (Brewers). Robert de Boyton
obtained licence 9 July 1283 (fn. 60) to give to the
hospital the church of Lanteglos (Cornw.), William Testard on 13 September 1284 (fn. 61) gave the
church and some land at Wembdon and William
de Moncketon 12 June 1285 (fn. 62) the church at
Moorwinstow (Cornwall). As early as 1213 the
hospital is entered as in possession of 5 acres
at Bridgwater, and in 1214 as possessing the
church of St. Mary, Bridgwater. (fn. 63) It had also
lands at Toller Porcorum and at Bridport in
the county of Dorset. On 10 May 1286 the
master and brethren received licence to cut a
channel through one of the bends of the River
Parret to cleanse the privies of the hospital. (fn. 64)
Pope Nicholas IV in 1291 (fn. 65) granted relaxation
of enjoined penance to those visiting and making offerings in the chapel of the hospital on
the festival of St. John the Baptist or within
its octave.
Bishop Robert Burnell of Bath and Wells
(1275–92) seems to have attempted to form a
school out of a portion of this benefaction, for a
bond was given in 1298 (fn. 66) to Bishop William
of March, the immediate successor of Bishop
Burnell, by the master of the hospital, promising
to maintain six chaplains to celebrate daily in
the hospital, the six to make a complement of
thirteen besides the master, wearing the religious
habit, i.e. a secular priest's dress with a cross
on the breast: the corporate funds also were
to maintain thirteen poor scholars living within
the walls 'habiles ad informandum in grammatica,'
who should be excused the full ritual that they
might keep school daily in the town. The
rector of the schools was to send seven of his
mendicant scholars for daily pittances from the
kitchen. These new objects, however, were
not to abate the original duty of the house,
which was for the sick and the stranger. The
arrangement is stated to be in consequence of
the appropriation of Wembdon, Lanteglos and
Moorwinstow Churches.
This new venture was apparently unpopular,
for in February 1325 (fn. 67) Bishop Drokensford
appointed a commission to inquire into the
truth of the prevalent rumours charging the
hospital with wronging the wayfarers of the
hospitality due to them. The commissioners
were to examine the charters and ascertain the
facts.
On 23 March 1327 (fn. 68) the master and brethren
were pardoned for having obtained from Richard
de Wiggebere without licence lands in Chilton
Trinity and the advowson of that church.
This pardon was repeated in 1344, (fn. 69) licence
having been granted to the hospital to hold this
property, 8 July 1336. (fn. 70)
In Bishop Ralph of Shrewsbury's register (fn. 71)
there is a deed of the master and brethren of the
hospital June 1333, setting out the gift by
Richard de Wiggebere of land and the churches
and chapels of Chilton, Idstock, and Huntstile,
for the foundation of a chantry in Wembdon
Church for the founder's family, to be served
by a priest paid by the master and brethren.
They however were not to be compelled to
keep the chantry chapel in repair.
In 1337 (fn. 72) the bishop assigned a sufficient
portion for the vicar of Northover, the hospital
having had the rectory appropriated to them.
On 10 July 1336 (fn. 73) the hospital was discharged
for the future on account of its poverty from
the payment of tenths, etc., and in February (fn. 74)
1338 it received licence to acquire land in
mortmain to the value of 10 marks yearly.
On 4 November 1343 (fn. 75) the hospital had
licence to acquire land from John de Walesyngham, viz., 37 acres in Isle Brewers and a
house; and two messuages and lands of Thomas
Fole and Philip Godhale in Northover.
In July 1350 (fn. 76) Bishop Ralph of Shrewsbury
offered an indulgence to all who should contribute to the rebuilding of the hospital ' in
quo pauperes Christi debiles et infirmi undique
confluentes recipiuntur et recreantur.'
On 6 February 1380 and again on 14 July
1380 (fn. 77) a commission was issued of oyer and
terminer to hear a charge against certain people
who had attacked the master and brethren,
broken in the door of their church and held
them prisoners and refused permission to the
master and brethren to enter either the church
or the hospital. The trouble seems to have
arisen from an effort on the part of the master
and brethren to absorb the vicarage of Bridgwater as well as the rectory. The prior is called
in both commissions the master and parson,
and on 14 April 1380 (fn. 78) William Camel the
master and the brethren of the hospital obtained
a special protection touching the controversy
between Thomas Cadecote the late master and
the commonalty of Bridgwater which was not
yet settled. Cadecote had only resigned in the
previous year. (fn. 79)
On 15 February 1382 (fn. 80) Nicholas Frampton,
a chaplain in Bridgwater, was pardoned his outlawry which he had drawn upon himself by
fleeing from justice in that he had surrendered
to the Marshalsea prison, and on 28 March 1383
a much more notorious popular leader of discontent, Thomas Engilby, was also pardoned. (fn. 81)
He had broken into the Hospital and had seized
William Camel the master and compelled him
to deliver up certain bonds of the men of Bridgwater which he held and to release all his rights
and profits to Nicholas Frampton and pay 200
marks for the safety of himself and his convent.
Engilby had also been into other houses in
Bridgwater and burnt writings and court rolls,
tearing off the seals, and had beheaded Walter
Baron and had gone to the gaol at Ilchester and
taken out Hugh Lavenham and had him beheaded
and had placed his head on a spear and carried
it to Bridgwater and there fixed it with that of
Walter Baron on the bridge.
These three entries suggest a forced resignation
of Cadecote, and a contested election for the
mastership between Frampton and Camel.
In 1423 (fn. 82) royal licence was granted to Walter
Eston the president of the Augustinian Hospital
of St. John the Baptist, Bridgwater, and to
the brethren there to select a master in room
of the late John Wemedon deceased. The
hospital was declared to be of the foundation of
the Earl of March and of the Lord de la Zouche,
who was then a minor and a royal ward.
In 1463 Bishop Beckington issued orders for
the better organization of the hospital. (fn. 83)
In the Valor of 1535 (fn. 84) the possessions of the
priory are valued at £120 19s. 1d.
The hospital was surrendered by Robert
Walshe the master, 5 February 1539. (fn. 85) There
were then seven brethren in the hospital and
all received pensions, Robert Walshe £33 6s. 8d.,
and Thomas Coggyn, Richard Kymrydge, John
Colde, John Wyll and Robert Fyssher £4 each,
and John Wood and John Mors £2 each. The
names of Kymrydge, Wyll, Fyssher, Wood and
Mors occur in Cardinal Pole's pension list, 1556.
Priors of Bridgwater Hospital
Geoffrey de Mark, 1297 (fn. 86)
Henry de Stanford, appointed 1315. (fn. 87)
John de Walsham, appointed 1334 (fn. 88)
Thomas de Cadecote, 1349–79 (fn. 89)
William Camel, occurs 1380 (fn. 90)
John or William Pathul, died 1416 (fn. 91)
Thomas Pulton, appointed 1416 (fn. 92)
John Wembdon, died 1423 (fn. 93)
Roger Cory, appointed 1449, (fn. 94) resigned 1456 (fn. 95)
John Holford, appointed 1457 (fn. 96)
Thomas Spenser, 1498 (fn. 97) died 1524 (fn. 98)
Robert Walshe, elected 1525, (fn. 99) surrendered
1539
The 13th-century seal of the Priory of St.
John Baptist at Bridgwater (fn. 100) is a vesica, 25/8 in.
by 1¾ in., showing Our Lady with the Child on
the parapet of a four-arched bridge over a river.
St. John Baptist holding Agnus Dei on a roundel
stands on the left, and St. Paul with sword and
book on the right. The whole design is enclosed
in a niche with triple canopy, and what remains
of the legend runs:—s' COMUNE HOSPITALIS SANCTI
[IOHANNI]S BAPTISTE DE . . . . . ALTERA.