RELIGIOUS HOUSES 



been situated somewhere between Darlington 

 and the Tees, but it seems unlikely that it should 

 be styled a priory. 



19. THE HOSPITAL OF SS. LAZARUS, 

 MARTHA, AND MARY, SHERBURN 



Sherburn Hospital was founded in or about 

 1 181 by Bishop Pudsey, who dedicated it to 

 Christ, the Blessed Virgin, Lazarus, Martha, 

 and Mary.^ It was built for the reception and 

 entertainment of sixty-five poor lepers, men and 

 women, with a master and three priests. Of 

 these priests two were to officiate at the altar of 

 St. Mary Magdalen, and the third to sing mass 

 in the chapel of St. Nicholas, which adjoined 

 the building occupied by the sisters on the south 

 side. 



The original endowment comprised the vill, 

 mill, and pasture of Sherburn ; Ebchester, 'the 

 place of anchorets upon the Derwent,' for feed- 

 ing animals for the use of sick brethren, and 

 I carucate of land there for their shepherds ; 

 9 oxgangs in Witton ; the vill of Garmonds- 

 way ; i carucate called Raceby ; a carucate and 

 an oxgang in Sheraton ; and the churches of 

 Kelloe, Grindon, Sockburn, Ebchester, and 

 Bishopton.^ Subsequent grants included lands 

 in South Sherburn,' a messuage in Ebchester,* 

 free warren in Sherburn, Whitwell, Garmonds- 

 way, and Ebchester,^ and other small holdings. 



Little is known of the hospital during the 

 thirteenth century. About the middle of that 

 period died Martin of St. Cross, master of Sher- 

 burn, a wealthy and important personage. In 

 his will he provided for his burial at Sherburn, 

 should his death take place there ; and in that 

 case he bequeathed some vestments to the hos- 

 pital. He also left to it some books, including 

 his Argenteui Textus (i.e. probably a copy of the 

 New Testament written in silver characters), 

 and a pittance of ioj. each to the inmates of 

 any religious house where he might die.^ Pre- 

 sumably his death occurred at Sherburn, as the 

 brethren and sisters received an annual pittance 

 on Holy Cross Day in memory of him, though 

 the amount was reduced by Bishop Kellaw to 

 5^. ^d. Bishop Kellaw (r. 1316) confirmed and 



' After the Reformation it was always called 

 ' Christ's Hospital, Sherburn,' or simply ' Sherburn 

 House.' In Reg. Palat. Dun. (Rolls Ser.), ii, 1224, 

 Pat. 10 Edw. II, pt. I, and elsewhere, it is spoken of 

 as the ' Hospital of S. Mary Magdalene of Sherburn' ; 

 the mistake may have arisen from a confusion between 

 Mary Magdalen and Mary of Bethany, or from the 

 fact that there was an altar of St. Mary Magdalen in 

 the hospital. 



' Allan, Collections relating to Sherburn. 



' Ibid. 



* Reg. Palat. Dun. ii, 1289. 



' Allan, Coll. 



' If'ills and Invent. (Surt. Soc), i, 8. 



enlarged the original constitutions of Bishop 

 Pudsey. He built a new chapel, dedicated to 

 the Blessed Virgin, on the north of the old 

 chapel, and added a fourth priest, who sang mass 

 daily, somewhat later than the usual service, for 

 those brethren who were too infirm to rise and 

 hear mattins. 



On Sundays and festivals high mass was cele- 

 brated in the principal chapel for the lepers of 

 both sexes, who entered at their respective sides 

 of the chapel in procession, preceded by their 

 prior and prioress, and after service departed 

 again within the veil of separation.' 



The lepers were liberally supplied with food, 

 clothing, and firing ; but, considering that the 

 inmates were all more or less afflicted, the dis- 

 cipline of the house was somewhat severe. In 

 case of disobedience the prior was to chastise the 

 offender with a rod ; should that prove ineffectual, 

 he was to be kept on bread and water ; and if 

 still contumacious to be expelled from the com- 

 munity.' During Advent and Lent all the 

 brethren were required to receive corporal dis- 

 cipline in the chapel three days in the week ; 

 and the sisters in like manner in the presence 

 of their prioress donee omnes vapulent? A place 

 in the hospital was nevertheless regarded as a 

 thing to be coveted ; Edward II asked the bishop 

 as a favour to admit Joan widow of John 

 Chamber, by way of showing his gratitude for 

 the good service of her late husband against the 

 Scots.i" 



In 1378 Bishop Hatfield issued a commission 

 to the priors of Durham and Finchale to visit 

 the hospital,^' but no returns of this visitation 

 exist. Apparently at this time the house was 

 falling into decay, for in September, 1429, when 

 Bishop Langley's chancellor visited it, it was in 

 such a destitute and miserable condition that the 

 bishop applied to Pope Eugene IV for help.'^ 



The pope readily granted him a faculty to 

 make new rules and ordinances, which he accord- 

 ingly issued on 22 July, 1434. He appointed 

 a priest as master, to have under him four chap- 

 lains, four clerks or singing-men, and two boy- 

 choristers. Two lepers, if so many could he found^ 

 were to be maintained apart by themselves, and 

 thirteen poor men were to be fed and clothed, to 

 mess and lodge in the same house, and to attend 

 mass daily. On the death of any brother the 

 master was to choose a successor within fifteen 

 days or forfeit a mark to the fabric of Durham 

 Cathedral. A sober woman-servant was to 

 attend on the brethren at the master's expense 

 to wash their linen and do other offices. The 

 master was made responsible for the goods and 



' Surt. Hist. Dur. i (2), 128. 



* Reg. ii, Eccles. Dun. fol. 324. 



' Surt. Hist. Dur. i (2), 128. 

 "' Close, 12 Edw. II, m. z-] d. 

 " Dur. Epis. Reg. Hatfield, fol. I40<j'. 

 '^ Allan, Coll. 



115 



