RELIGIOUS HOUSES 



what these consisted of is not specified.^ Surtees 

 says that the foundation was long ago re-absorbed 

 in the landed estate.* 



Masters of Pelaw Hospital 



William Litell, priest, coll. 1260^ 



Richard Fayre, priest, coll. 1274* 



Hugh de Driffield, coll. 131 1* 



Peter called ' le Ponte,' coll. 3 December, 



William Marckam, chaplain, coll. 131 7 ^^ 

 William Lambe, chaplain, occ. 4 October, 

 1450" 



25. THE HOSPITAL OF SS. MARY 

 AND CUTHBERT, GREATHAM 



Greatham Hospital was founded in 1272 by 

 Robert Stichill, bishop of Durham, who dedi- 

 cated it to the Blessed Virgin and St. Cuthbert, 

 and granted to it, by way of endowment, the 

 manor of Greatham, free of all charges, and the 

 advowson of the church. He also promised 

 forty days' indulgence to any person making a 

 charitable donation to the hospital,^ and in his 

 will left ;^200 for the improvements of the wood 

 belonging to it.^ In 13 13 Bishop Kellaw 

 granted to the house 1 7 acres of waste in 

 Weardale Forest, with pasture for sixty cows, 

 at an annual rent of 2s. ^ and it is stated in the 

 charter of refoundation of James I that Henry IV 

 bestowed upon Greatham Hospital a market and 

 two fairs. '' 



The original foundation consisted of a master, 

 five priests, two clerks, and forty poor men born 

 on one or other of the bishop's manors. The 

 master and the other priests, when officiating, 

 were ordered to wear surplices and black hoods 

 after the manner of the canons of St. Augustine; 

 the hours of service to be the same as at Sher- 

 burn Hospital.* 



The provision for the poor men at Greatham 

 was on a very liberal scale. They seem to have 

 been divided into two classes, distinguished by 

 their dress, the quality of their food, and the 

 fact that one class had, and the other had not, 

 personal attendants of their own. In 1311 

 Matthew Lardener received a grant of an 

 allowance for himself and his servant in the 

 hospital. He was to have ' the room called the 

 Frerechamber ' for his private use, and to sit at 



'Surt. Hist. Dur. ii, 187. 'Ibid, 



nbid. 188. "Ibid. 



" Ibid. ; see Hist. MSS. Com. Rej>. iv, 391. 

 ' Reg. Palat. Dun. i, 476. 

 '"Surt. Hist. Dur. ii, 188. 

 "Ibid. 187. 



' Found. Ch.irt., printed in Allan's Collections re- 

 lating to Greatham Hospital. 



'Reg. Palat. Dun. (Rolls Ser.), i, 318. 

 'Allan, Co//. 'Ibid. 



' Ordination, printed in Allan's Coll. 



the chaplains' table, while his man dined with 

 the other servants of the house. His daily por- 

 tion consisted of two loaves — one of white bread, 

 and the other of an inferior quality — a flagon of 

 the best ale, and a mess of food from the 

 kitchen. He also received fodder for his horse, 

 and every year a gown for himself de secta 

 armigerorum.^ 



The recipient of another fourteenth-century 

 grant, of which we have the particulars, received 

 daily a loaf of second-best bread, half a flagon of 

 second-best ale, a rack [raccatum] of hay, and a 

 peck of oats ; with the use of a private chamber, 

 litter for a horse, a candle and a peck of coals 

 each winter, and every year a gown de secta 

 garcontim hosphalls? 



The early history of the hospital is singularly 

 devoid of incident. An occasional dispute oc- 

 curred as to the right of presentation to the 

 mastership,* or the patronage of Greatham 

 rectory;^ and in 1378 the bishop commissioned 

 the priors of Durham and Finchale to visit the 

 hospital.^" No record, however, of this visitation 

 exists. 



The clear value of the house was given in 

 1535 as ;^97 6f. 3^.^' Being a lay foundation 

 it did not fall within either of the dissolving 

 statutes, but continued to exist. ^^ The Royal 

 Commissioners in 1594 reported that the posses- 

 sions of the hospital included the township of 

 Greatham, and the tithe corn of Greatham and 

 Claxton, together with a large quantity of stock 

 and household gear. There were then only 

 thirteen brethren, who received in all, besides 

 diet and fire in the brother-house, j^i4 4^. a 

 year. Four persons were awaiting admission 

 when a vacancy should occur, and were mean- 

 while in receipt of a small annual sum. The 

 hospital retained the following staff of servants 

 and officials : — Porter, clerk of the chapel, bailiff 

 of the liberties, cook, under-cook, butler, baker, 

 brewer, horsekeeper, laundress, four women ser- 

 vants, shepherd, neatherd, slaughterer, swine- 

 herd, sixteen labourers, steward, and two serving 

 men. Henry Dethicke, LL.B., was master ; but 

 service was said twice a day by the vicar of 

 Greatham, who received in return his diet and 

 j^2 per annum." 



King James I refounded the hospital, 20 July, 

 1 6 ID, settling the number of inmates at thirteen, 

 all to be poor men and unmarried ; and con- 

 firmed the possessions of the house. ^'* 



^ Reg. Palat. Dun. \\,-]z-]. 

 ' Allan, Coll. 



'Ibid.; see Dur. Epis. Reg. Hatfield, fols. 121-32. 

 ' Reg. Palat. Dun. i, 2 i 7. 

 "•Dur. Epis. Reg. Hatfield, fol. 140a'. 

 " In the list of hospitals in Bishop Tunstall's Epis., 

 Reg. 1530, the value is given as ^^26 13/. 4*/. 

 '" Allan, Coll. 



" Arch. Aeliana (New Ser.), vi, 41. 

 " Allan, Coll. 



121 



16 



