RELIGIOUS HOUSES 



of S. Brinstane, sumtyme Bishop of Wyn- 

 chester : and I have redde that S. Brinstane 

 founded an Hospitale yn Winchester.' This 

 supposition of so exceptionally early a founda- 

 tion, though frequently copied as a fact into 

 guide books and local histories, seems to have 

 been a mere guess of Leland's suggested by 

 the sight of the image of Bishop Brinstan. 



The real history of the hospital begins with 

 the foundation, about 1275, by John Deven- 

 ishe, alderman of Winchester, of a hospital or 

 hospice for the relief of sick and lame soldiers, 

 poor pilgrims and wayfaring men, to receive 

 there gratuitous food and lodging for one 

 night or longer, according to their ability to 

 travel. He endowed it competently, and 

 furnished the rooms with bedding and other 

 necessaries, and made the mayor custodian to 

 regulate admission to its privileges. The 

 founder attached a chapel to the house, and 

 therein established a priest to celebrate for his 

 soul and for all the faithful departed. About 

 fifty years later one of the same name as the 

 founder, probably his son, made a further 

 bequest to the chaplain of the house, and 

 added to his duties. 



In January, 1332, licence was obtained 

 by John Devenysh for the gift of IOQJ. of 

 rents in Winchester and Little Somburne, to 

 the master and brethren of the hospital of 

 St. John, to find a chaplain to celebrate daily 

 in the hospital for the souls of the king's 

 progenitors, kings of England, and of the 

 faithful departed. 1 



Mark le Faire, who was mayor of Win- 

 chester in 1408 and subsequent years, was a 

 benefactor of the hospital, giving it a part of 

 the George inn, the King's Head, and his 

 own house. At this time the hospital was 

 in the full control of the corporation, for in 

 1408 an order was made by the assembly 

 that the house of St. John Baptist should be 

 rebuilt during the year and roofed with lead. 

 The cost was to be partly defrayed by volun- 

 tary contributions, for the gathering of which 

 the assembly appointed two collectors." 



It appears from the Black Book of Win- 

 chester that town assemblies were frequently 

 held here in the fifteenth and sixteenth cen- 

 turies. The Trussell MSS. state, indeed, 

 that this use of the hospital hall for municipal 

 purposes was coeval with its foundation. ' Yt 

 appeareth by the book of ordinances of this 

 cittie (earlier than the extant Black Book) 

 that in the time of Roger le Long, who suc- 

 ceeded John Devenishe in the place (as alder- 



man), that there was an ordinance made that 

 everye yeer, uppon the next Sonday after 

 Midsomer day (except upon some extraordin- 

 arie occacion hindered, and that not to bee 

 allowed of but by a generall assemblee), the 

 maior and his brethren and all the whole corpor- 

 ation with their wives shoudd meet att this 

 house at supper, whereat over and above the 

 rate sett, the maior for the tyme beeing, and 

 hee that was maior the precedent yeere, were 

 to bestowe a couple of fatt capons ; which 

 love-feast and merry meeting was appoynted 

 to revive the memory of the Devenishes. 

 This meeting is observed to this daye.' 3 

 From the same authority we learn that 

 Richard Devenish increased the endowments 

 in the reign of Henry VI. 



At an assembly held on 20 August, 1442, 

 as chronicled in the Black Book, it was re- 

 solved that the chaplain of the fraternity of 

 St. John was to receive meat and drink and 

 sufficient cloth for a gown (toga) yearly from 

 the steward of the fraternity, and four marks 

 as a stipend. 



The corporation in 1442 appointed Wil- 

 liam Wyke, clerk, as chaplain and keeper of 

 the hospital, and caused the following inden- 

 ture of the hospital's goods to be drawn up. 

 From the provisions for bedding, it would 

 appear that the house had not given up the 

 exercise of nightly hospitality for wayfarers. 



The present indenture bereth Wittness yt Petur 

 Hulle mayre of ye Cite of Wynchester and All ye 

 Commoners of ye same Cite hath delyvered to S r 

 William Wyke oure keper of oure hous of Synt 

 Johns of Wynchester al oure goodes and catelles 

 underrite, Firste viij corperas, iiij tuellis for ye 

 autres in ye churche goode, and v holde, ij litel 

 tuelles for ye lavytory olde, j paxebrede of silver 

 and over gyld a j nother paxbrede, and a hede of 

 Syn John ye Baptis of Alabastre, j Box of silver 

 w' oute over gylde, ij chales of Silver w'ynne over 

 gylde, j chales of silver ye gylde w oute, ij ymages 

 of Syn John ye Baptis of Alabastre, j ymage of oure 

 Lady of Alabastre, v chopis (copes) of sylke and a 

 litel pelow, viij proper vestements w' all ye 

 apparell, ij surplis feble, j aube w' parurys, j Crys- 

 tal stone, j Box w' dyvers reliquis, iij Missales, ij 

 Antiphones, ij portions, yj sawters, ij legendes, ij 

 Grayellis, j episteler, j marteloge, and vij other 

 diverse bokes, iij sakeryng belles, iiij cruettes, ij 

 lamps of brasse, j meltable (dining table) w ij 

 trestallis, ij belles for ye churche w' j Trunke, 

 pond' viij c , j forme, ij meteclothis conteynynge in 

 lenthe xiiij yerdesw' a towell conteynyng in lenth 

 iij yerdes and a halfe, ij Basonis and j laver, 

 j litel morter of Brasse for Spices to pounde on 

 weying xij lb., iiij bras pottes, j belle and j litel 



1 Pat. 5 Ed. III. pt. 3, m. 3. 



2 Black Book of Winchester, Add. MS. 6036, 

 3- 



n 2O I 



3 Trussell MSS. (James I.), cited in Woodward's 

 Hants, \, 248. Roger le Long was mayor in 1 275, 

 according to Milner's list. 



26 



