A HISTORY OF SUFFOLK 



In 1390 Richard II granted to his servant 

 William Cotcrell, for life, the wardenship of the 

 hospital of St. John, Orford, in conjunction with 

 the hospital of Holy Trinity and St. James, 

 Dunwich. 1 



A chapel of St. John Baptist was standing 

 in 1500 on the north side of the river. 2 



60. THE HOSPITAL OF DOMUS DEI, 

 THETFORD 



God's House, or Domus Dei, was a house of 

 early foundation. Blomefield believed that it 

 dated back to the days when William Rufus 

 removed the episcopal see from Thetford to 

 Norwich, 3 but Martin could find no sufficient 

 proof of this. 4 It was situated on the Suffolk 

 side of the borough ; the river washed its walls 

 on the north, and the east side fronted the 

 street. 



It was at any rate well established before the 

 reign of Edward II, as it was found, in 1319, 

 that John de Warenne, earl of Surrey, held the 

 advowson of the God's Hospital, Thetford. 5 

 In that year a considerable store of cattle and 

 goods is described as having been acquired by 

 the prudence and frugality of William de Norton, 

 the late master, and left under the care of the 

 bishop ; his successor was enjoined not to 

 dispose by sale or donation of any of the 

 particulars of the inventory without leaving to 

 the house an equivalent. 6 



The new master does not, however, appear 

 to have followed the good example of William 

 Norton ; for he is soon found to be holding 

 other preferment, and was probably non-resident. 

 In 1326 William Harding, master of God's 

 House, Thetford, and rector of Ccrncote, 

 Salisbury diocese, acknowledged a debt of eleven 

 marks due to one Stephen de Kettleburgh. 7 

 In the same year he was also warden of the 

 hospital of St. Julian, Thetford. 



In 1335, John de Warenne obtained the 

 royal licence to transfer the hospital of God's 

 House with a'l its revenues and possessions to 

 the prior provincial of the Friars Preachers ; but 

 speedily changing his mind obtained another 

 licence for transferring it to the prior and canons 

 of the Holy Sepulchre, Thetford. 8 By this 

 arrangement it was covenanted that the priory 

 should find two chaplains to sing mass for the 

 soul of the founder of the hospital, and to find 

 sustenance and entertainment for three poor 

 men. 



1 Pat. 13 Ric. II, pt. ii, m. 19, 17. 

 'Add MS. i9ioi,fol. 106. 



3 Blomefield, Hist, of Norf. ii, 79. 



4 Martin, Hist, of Thetford, 92. 

 6 Close, 12 Edw. II, m. 9. 



6 Norw. Epis. Reg. i, 77. 



7 Close, 19 Edw. II, m. 9. 



8 Pat. 9 Edw. Ill, pt. ii, m. 26. 



In 1347 Henry, duke of Lancaster, as patron, 

 confirmed to the prior and canons the gift of 

 the lands, tenements, and rents lately belonging 

 to the hospital of God's House, but excepted 

 the actual site of the hospital, which he conferred 

 upon the Friars Preachers. Two of the canons 

 were to sing daily mass in the conventual church 

 for the souls of the founders of the hospital. 

 The priory was also to find a house yearly for 

 three poor people from 9 November to 29 April, 

 giving to each of them nightly a loaf of good 

 rye bread, and a herring or two eggs. They 

 were also to provide three beds, and hot water 

 for washing their feet. This charter received 

 royal confirmation the following year. 9 



61. THE HOSPITAL OF ST. JOHN, 

 THETFORD 



There was a leper hospital dedicated in honour 

 of St. John on the Suffolk side of the town. 

 Martin gives references to it under the reigns 

 of Edward I, II, and III. In 1387 John of 

 Gaunt, as already detailed in the account of 

 the friary, gave the old parochial church of 

 St. John to the friars, which then became the 

 chapel of the hospital. At the time of the 

 dissolution it was demolished as part of the 

 friars' property, and the site was granted to 

 Sir Richard Fulmerston. 10 



62. THE HOSPITAL OF SIBTON 



There was a hospital near the gate of Sibton 

 Abbey. Though there is but little to put on 

 record about it, it is given separate mention, as 

 it had an income independent of the abbey. 



Simon bishop of Norwich appropriated to it 

 the church of Cransford for the better support 

 of the inmates in the year 1264. " 



There are slight remains on the site. 



63. THE HOSPITAL OF ST. LEONARD, 

 SUDBURY 



Most of our leper houses were of early 

 foundation, whilst the crusades were in progress, 

 but one was founded, about a mile outside 

 Sudbury, as late as 1272, by John Colneys or 

 Colness, its first governor or warden. Colneys 

 applied to Simon of Sudbury, then bishop of 



9 Pat. 22 Edw. Ill, pt. i, m. 23. 



10 Blomefield, Hist, of Norf. ii, 71-2 ; Martin, 

 Hist, of Thetford, 97-8. There is a certain amount 

 of confusion as to two leper hospitals, one of St. John, 

 and the other of St. John Baptist ; but the house 

 had possibly a double dedication. 



11 Reg. Prior. Norw. vii, fol. 80, cited in Tanner, 

 Notitia, SufF. xxxviii, 2. 



140 



