222 PROCEEDINGS COTTESWOLD CLUB 1909 
doorway is a fresco representing our Saviour with the hand raised in 
the act of blessing. It is drawn in red line upon a yellowish ground. 
It may interest you to hear two extracts from the minutes of meetings 
of the Charity Trustees held on 7th October, 1861. ‘‘ The Clerk 
read a letter he had received from Lord Ellenborough expressing a 
wish to purchase some old-faced stones which were on the outside of 
St. Mary Magdalene’s Chapel at Wotton. Ordered that the Surveyor 
be directed to sell such of the stones as are not required for the 
restoration of the Chancel to his lordship at a fair price.” The other 
extract is dated 4th October, 1861, and appears among the payments. 
** Oliver Estcourt for pulling down the old Church at Wotton, build- 
ing up the west end and gable of the Chancel, fixing old doorways 
and monuments, re-tiling roof, filling up vaults, levelling soil, 
etc., £50 10s.” Fortunately for all who reverence these ancient 
ecclesiastical buildings, Mr Henry Medland took a photograph of the 
Church whilst it was still intact (Plate XXIII.) The Hospital stood 
opposite, and, like that of St. Margaret, which stood near St. 
Margaret’s Church, was a leper hospital. The Rev. Canon Bartleet 
contributed a most interesting paper on these two leper hospitals to 
the Transactions of the Bristol and Gloucestershire Archzological 
Society." He attributes the disease to the filthy habits of the people, 
their gluttony, and to the unwholesomeness of their food, and does 
not think it was due to direct contagion, even if it could be communi- ~ 
cated in that way, which he thinks unlikely. The disease appears to™ 
have become common in England from the roth to the 16th century, 
and Canon Bartleet tells us that there was a leper house established 
in Edinburgh so late as 1591. Many of the leper hospitals were 
unendowed, and the unfortunate victims to this dreadful malady 
wandered about soliciting alms. They were separated from society 
by a particular religious office. Chaucer, who was born in 1340 and 
died in 1400 tells us that their costume was a mantle and beaver hat, 
with cup and clapper—the former for alms, the latter a wooden 
instrument with two or three flappers, which they shook—probably 
with a two-fold object-—to solicit charity and to warn people of their 
approach. Time will not permit me to say more, but I should like 
to quote to you the interesting ‘‘ Inventory of Goods” which appears 
on the back of the will of John Fenner, alias Spring, dated June 13th, 
A.D. 1606. The ‘*Goods” came to him as Prior of the Hospital 
and ‘‘are to remain to it for ever” :—‘‘Item 1 cornwayne and 1 
dungwayne with one pair of iron-bound wheels; 1 plough with shear 
and coulter; 1 sow, 1 cock, 3 hens; 3 brass pots, 2 great pots, and 
2 little pots; 3 brass pans and 1 brass kettle; 1 brass posnet; 1 
pewter candle stick ; 1 chalice.” 
t Trans. Bristol and Gloucestershire Arch. Soc., vol. xx, pt. 2 (1896-97), pp. 127- 
137- 
