THE HOSPITAL OF ST. JOHN
IS situated on the opposite, or west side of the
road, to the priory of St. Gregory last-mentioned,
with which it was founded by archbishop Lanfranc,
at the same time in the year 1084, and is, in like
manner, exempt from the liberties of the city, being
esteemed to lie in the hundred of Westgate, and in the
jurisdiction of the county of Kent at large.
Eadmer, in his account of the foundation of this
hospital, (fn. 1) informs us, that without the north gate of
this city, archbishop Lanfranc built a fair and large
house of stone, and added to it several habitations,
with a spacious court, contrived in the best manner,
for the benefit of those who should dwell in it; this
building he divided into two parts, and designed one
part for infirm men, the other part for infirm women;
and he provided them with food and raiment, at his
own charge. He appointed officers, who should see
that they wanted nothing, and that the men and women should not come to one another; on the other
side of the road he built a church in honour of St.
Gregory, in which he appointed certain canons (being
the priory last described) who should administer to
the infirm people of this hospital, whatsoever was necessary for the good of their souls, and take care also
of their burial; and for these, he provided so much
land, tithes, and rents, as seemed sufficient for their
maintenance.
Much has already been said of this hospital, in the
description of that at Harbledown, in the History of
Kent, (fn. 2) which was the other twin hospital, as it may
be called, to this, for their parity, as well in time
as manner both of their erection and original endowment. (fn. 3)
Archbishop Richard, Becket's immediate successor
in a charter of his to these two hospitals, relating first
their erection by his predecessor Lanfranc, shews, that
he endowed them with seven score pounds per annum,
to issue and arise out of his manors of Reculver and
Bocton; that is, to either hospital, after an equal division,
70l. per annum. (fn. 4) This was the original endowment of both these hospitals, with which, however, the archbishop finding them scarce well able to
subsist, added 20l. per annum more to their former
in name, payable out of Reculver parsonage, which
1620. per annum continued afterwards paid to them,
and unaltered until archbishop Kilwardbye's time.
For so it appears by an exemplification made of certain charters of these hospitals, under the seal of Thomas Chicheley, doctor of the decrees, archdeacon of
Canterbury, and prothonotary to the pope. But
archbishop Kilwardbye disliking this method of payment, withdrew their stipend, and in lieu of it assigned over and appropriated to them his parsonage
of Reculver, with the chapels annexed; but on account of some inconveniences arising from the infirm
condition of the people of the hospitals, which rendered them both unable and unfit to attend and intermeddle in a tithery, especially one so remore, his
next successor, archbishop John Peckham, altered and
revoked what archbishop Kilwardbye had done, and
restored the hospitals to their former estate. (fn. 5)
Afterwards archbishop Stratford obtained licence
of king Edward III. of whom the above-mentioned
parsonage was held in capite, by his charter to appropriate it to the archbishop's table, charged nevertheless with the old payment or stipend to these hospitals,
which archbishop Islip afterwards, with consent of
the prior and chapter of Christ church, confirmed to
them; ever since which time they have peaceably
enjoyed it. (fn. 6)
The same archbishop in the above-mentioned
reign, when he erected and endowed the vicarage of
Northgate, expressly reserved and excepted from the
vicar of it, the tithes of St. John's hospital of
Northgate. (fn. 7)
In the 38th year of that reign, anno 1384, the revenues of the chantry of Lukedale, denominated the
chantry in Well, called Lukedale, consisting of thirtytwo acres of land, and several annual rents in money,
cocks, and hens, with the appurtenances at Wyke,
near Canterbury, (which chantry was forsaken on account of the smallness of its income) were alienated
and transferred by Thomas de Garwynton the patron,
with the licence of the king and the lord of the fee,
being within the lordship of Longport, to this hospital of Northgate, that they might pray for the souls
of Reginald de Cornhill, formerly founder of it, and
others. (fn. 8)
In the above-mentioned reign of king Edward III.
this hospital was great part of it destroyed by a fire,
as appears by some letters of the hospital, under their
seal, still extant, framed after the manner of a brief,
and directed to all prelates in general; in which they
in a pitiable manner deplore their miserable estate,
occasioned, as they say, by a late lamentable fire happening in their house, which had wasted their hospital
and adjacent edifices, in which were more than one
hundred poor people sustained, with desire of their
charitable relief, letting them know, by way of persuasion, what indulgencies had been granted to their
benefactors by several archbishops and bishops of
former times. (fn. 9)
In the 26th year of king Henry VIII. the revenues
of this hospital were valued at 93l. 15s. in the whole,
and 91l. 16s. 8½d. per annum clear; of which sum
80l. was a stipend paid by the archbshop. (fn. 10)
Mr. Somner says, (fn. 11) he could instance in some particulars, in which this hospital suffered by the king's
commissioners in that reign; and he continues, that
he suspects much the fleecing of it, as well as other
such like places, by the sacrilegious pilferers of such
like revenues, in those wretched times, who were set
upon the spoil of the very spital itself.
At a visitation of this hospital by archdeacon Harpsfield, in 1557, it was presented, that the ornaments
of the chapel had been taken away by the mayor. —Memorandum, delivered again one chalice with the
paten of silver, four table cloths, four surplices, two
towels, three bells in the steeple. Memorandum, they say
they are of no parish, but are a parish of themselves.
On the 24th of October, 1674, there was an account of the two hospitals given to the archbishop,
by which the state of them at that time may be known.
By it we learn, that the hospital of St. John the Baptist contained a prior, a reader, eighteen in-brothers,
twenty in-sisters, and the like number of out brothers
and out-sisters; the revenues of it being in the whole
195l. 8s. 9d. (fn. 12)
Mr. Somner tells us, that in his time, about the
middle of the last century, this hospital had a fair
chapel to it, decently kept, in which divine service
was used, the facraments administered, and God's
word preached to them of the house; the chaplain's
stipend was the same as his predecessors of old, eight
pounds per annum. The chapel had some domestic
benefactors; (fn. 13) among others, one William Garndre, a
priest, who was buried in it in 1511, and by his will
gave 40s. to the mending of the steeple, and 4l. for
a new bell. John Roper, gent. living in this hospital
in 1527, by his will, took order with his executors
for the making as large a window at our Lady's altar
of the said hospital, as there then was at the high altar
of it, to be glazed with such imagery as he should
shew to his executors, to be done within two years
after his decease. (fn. 14)
The window above-mentioned, over the high altar
in the choir, was a sine one, having, in as many panes,
a figure of one of the twelve apostles portrayed with
the several articles of the creed, which they are said to
have made.
This chapel, (fn. 15) which is dedicated to St. Gregory,
has suffered much since the above time; the bells of
it have been sold, the steeple and north isle have been
taken down, (fn. 16) as have many of the houses, and smaller
and less convenient ones have been erected in their
room; and a pentized wall, called by the poor people
their cloysters, has been likewise taken down, greatly
to the hindrance of their former comfort.
There have been some few modern benefactors to
this hospital, viz. Mrs. Elizabeth Lovejoy, widow,
by her will in 1694, gave out of her personal estate
the sum of ten pounds per annum, to be paid to this
hospital, to be divided among the poor of it, in like
manner as her gift to Cogan's hospital, as mentioned
before.
Ralph Snowe, gent. of Lambeth, by his will dated
in 1707, left to this hospital 200l. of which 160l.
were laid out by archbishop Tenison in 1714, in the
purchase of fourteen acres of march land, in the parish of Wickhambreaux, which now let for eight
pounds per annum, which estate was vested in trustees; the Rev. Dr. Hey, of Wickham, is now the only
surviving trustee. This hospital receives yearly the
sixth part of the interest of 163l. 16s. 3d. Old South
Sea Annuities, being the money from Mrs. Masters's
legacy, who died in 1716, which sum is vested, in
trust, in the mayor and commonalty of Canterbury,
for the benefit of the leveral hospitals of this city; of
which a further account may be seen before, among
the charitable benefactions to this city. (fn. 17)
Matthew Brown by his will proved in 1721, gave
to this hospital an annuity of ten shillings, to be
paid yearly in the 20th of March, out of two
houses in the Borough of Staplegate, with power of
distress, &c.
Archbishop Secker in 1769, left by will to this
hospital 500l. in the three per cent. Bank Annuities,
in reversion, after the death of Mrs. Talbot and her
daughter; both of whom being deceased, this hospital is now become entitled to it.
Thomas Hanson, esq. of Crosby-square, London,
who died in 1770, left by will, 500l. to this hospital,
which being vested in the three per cent. Bank Annuities, produces the sum of 17l. 10s. yearly dividend,
which is paid half yearly to this hospital.
Besides which, this hospital is entitled to a contingent interest in the benefaction of Leonard Cotton,
gent. who by his will in 1605, gave the reversion of
divers tenements in Canterbury to it, after the several
entails made of them, as therein mentioned, had ceased;
and he ordered further, that in case the lands and tenements which he had settled on the poor of that part
of Maynard's spital, since called Cotton's hospital.
founded by him, should be applied or disposed of by
the mayor and commonalty, or such other persons as
should be possessed of the trust of them to any other
use or purpose, than what he had given them for, to
the said poor, or that they should in any fort abuse
his gift, that then his bequest should be void, and that
such persons and their heirs, which should be possessed
of the premises to such uses, should thenceforth be
possessed thereof, to the use of the brethren and sisters
of St. John's hospital, without Northgate, and their
succeffors for ever, for their relief and comfort. At
which time this hospital consisted of a master, and a
reader, of eighteen in-brothers, one of whom was
prior; twenty in-sisters, and the like number of outbrothers and out-sisters.
The statutes by which the two hospitals of Harbledown and St. John's are at this day governed, were
framed by archbishop Parker, who made some additions to them on August 20, 1565, and he again reviewed them on May 24, 1574. (fn. 18) There have been
some additional decrees made since, by the archbishops Whitgift, Abbot, Laud and Sancroft, who took
the well governing of these hospitals under their care; (fn. 19)
and under these statutes and decrees they are both at
this time governed.
The present establishment of this hospital consists
of a prior, reader, eighteen in-brothers and in-sisters,
and twenty two out-brothers and sisters, who have
only a pension of 1l. 4s. per annum each, paid quarterly; of whom twenty resident in or near Lambeth,
are nominated by the archbishop, and the other two
are recommended by the master, who is the same as of
St. Nicholas hospital, in Harbledown.
The revenues of this hospital, in the whole, amount
to 299l. 17s. 7½d. per annum, (fn. 20) which afford, after the
disbursements are discharged out of them, above 6l. 10s.
to each resident member.