By Harold Brakspear, F.S.A. 575 



to account for the general building of infirmaries that occurred in 

 the thirteenth century. At Waverley the infirmary was completed 

 sufficiently to allow the chapel to be hallowed in 1201 ; ^ afc 

 Fountains the later infirmary was built by Abbot John of Kent ^ 

 (1220—47); at Meaux, Abbot John of Ottingham (1221—35) 

 began the monks' infirmary ^ ; at Louth Park, Abbot Eichard of 

 Dunham (1227 — -46) "made the monks' infirmary with a lodging 

 for the infirmarer, the kitchen, and other things necessary."* 



In later days the monks' infirmary was generally divided up 

 into smaller apartments and separate cameras, and considerable 

 remains of such division occur at AVaverley, Fountains, Kirkstall, 

 and Quarr. At Meaux, Abbot William Scarborough (1372 — 96) 

 made separate private cameras in the monks' infirmary and in- 

 stitiited one inhabitant to each.^ At Clairvaulx, the infirmary of 

 the seventeenth century was composed of small detached rooms 

 round a cloister, similar to the late arrangement at the Benedictine 

 house of "Westminster. 



At Stanley the position of the monks' infirmary, which was to the 

 east of the chapter-house and placed east and west, is clearly 

 marked by sinkings in the ground, from which the walls have 

 been grubbed. It was about 118 feet long by 54 feet wide, which 

 would indicate that it was divided into a nave with aisles. It 

 was gained from the cloister by a passage in continuation of the 

 parlour, of which fragments of the side walls were found. 

 Just eastward of the chapter-house another passage joined the 

 infirmary passage with the church for the use of the infirm at- 

 tending the services. Of this a length of its east wall was found. 



Eastward of the infirmary hall are the indications of another 

 building which may have been the chapel. This arrangement of 



' Annates cle Waverleia, 90 b. 



- Leland, Collectanea, iv. 109. 



^ Chronica de Melsa (Rolls Series, 43), i. 432. 



■* Chronicon de Parco Lude (Lincolnshire Eecord Society), 13. 



* Chronica de Melsa (Rolls Series, 43), iii. 223. Cameras privatas in 

 infirmitorio monachorum separari et iuhabitari per singulas iustituit." 



