A HISTORY OF HAMPSHIRE 



appointed Robert, rector of the church of St. 

 Cross, Southampton, at the instance of the 

 burgesses, to the wardenship. 1 Thereupon 

 Bishop Pontoise was charged with purpres- 

 ture against the king in seizing the advowson ; 

 and at Michaelmas, 1290, when the case was 

 heard, the bishop replied that he had never for 

 himself nor his church made any claim to the 

 advowson, and the sheriff of Hampshire was 

 ordered to seize the wardenship for the Crown. 2 

 However, on this followed an inquiry in 

 Easter term, 1291, when the jury found that 

 neither the bishop nor the king had any right 

 to the advowson, but that it had been un- 

 interruptedly exercised by the burgesses until 

 the Crown appointment of William Balweys. 3 

 Nevertheless, in 1342, the Crown again 

 claimed the advowson ; and on 6 May of that 

 year Edward III. granted to Richard le 

 Paneter the life custody of the hospital of 

 St. Mary Magdalen, Southampton. 4 



In 1347 the hospital and its possessions 

 were appropriated by the king to the priory of 

 St. Denis, Southampton, in consideration of 

 the poverty of that house, but under covenant 

 that the canons should perform all the duties 

 of the hospital. 5 This grant was confirmed 

 by Richard II. in 1390. These grants show 

 that there was from the first a definite obliga- 

 tion to maintain a chantry for a priest to 

 celebrate on certain days. 



According to the old ordinances of the 

 Gild Merchant of Southampton, the lepers of 

 La Maudeleyne received a pittance of ale 

 from the alms of the gild. 8 



In November, 1377,3 commission was issued 

 to inquire by a jury of the county touching 

 the petition of the prior of St. Denis, which 

 alleged that from time immemorial a penny 

 per tun of wine imported at Southampton, 

 whether by denizens or aliens, had been 

 accustomed to be paid to the warden of the 

 lepers of the hospital of St. Mary Magdalen ; 

 that the late king granted the hospital and all 

 its profits to the priory, and that he was then 

 hindered in receiving the said penny a tun on 

 wine, which was the greatest part of the 

 hospital's profit. 7 



At a subsequent inquisition, towards the 

 close of Richard's reign, it appeared that the 

 priory was not carrying out its obligations, 



1 Winton. Epis. Reg., Pontoise, f. 77. It is 

 here styled the chapel of St. Mary Magdalen. 

 1 Rolls of Parliament (Rec. Com.), i. 45. 



3 Abbrev. Plac. (Rec. Com.), 19 Edw. I. 225. 



4 Pat. 1 6 Edw. III. pt. I, m. 5. 



5 Ibid. 22 Edw. III. pt. i, m. I. 



Davies' Hut. of Southampton, pp. 139, 449. 

 7 Pat. i Rich. II. pt. 2, m. 



and the Crown granted the wardenship to 

 John Newport, clerk ; but in 1398 this 

 action was revoked at the suit of the priory. 8 

 Neither chantry nor hospital were however 

 being duly supported by the priory, and the 

 buildings were becoming ruinous. In 1401, 

 Henry IV. confirmed the property of the 

 hospital once again to the priory, but tacitly 

 sanctioned the abandonment of all the original 

 scheme for the help of the afflicted poor, 

 simply insisting on their praying for his weal 

 whilst living, and for his soul after death. 8 



At the dissolution of the priory of St. Denis, 

 the property of this hospital was estimated 

 at an annual income of 16 i6s. The 

 house in the fourteenth century stood in 

 1 8 acres of land called ' Le Maudelyne,' in 

 the West and East Marlands ; the Winches- 

 ter road now passes through the premises. 

 It also possessed 3 acres in Bove-barre Street, 

 four cottages in Foleflode without the bars, 

 and a few rents in the town and neigh- 

 bourhood. 10 



MASTERS OF THE HOSPITAL OF ST. MARY 

 MAGDALEN, SOUTHAMPTON 



William Balweys, in the time of 



Edward I. 11 



Robert, rector of St. Cross, I285 13 

 Richard le Paneter, 1342" 

 John Newport, in the time of Richard II. 14 



a8A. GOD'S HOUSE, PORTSMOUTH 



In the time of King John, a hospital for the 

 relief of the poor was rounded at Portsmouth 

 by Bishop Peter des Roches, which usually 

 went by the name of Domus Dei, or God's 

 House. 



The dedication of this hospital apparently 

 fluctuated considerably, generally varying be- 

 tween St. John Baptist and St. Nicholas, the 

 former eventually dying out. This probably 

 arose from the original general dedication of 

 the whole building being changed at a period 

 of refounding or enlarging, and this in its turn 

 differing from the dedication of the chapel. 

 Or there may have been two separate founda- 

 tions that were amalgamated. It is named St. 

 John Baptist in 1283, 1284, 1305 and 1308 ; 



8 Ibid. 21 Rich. II. pt. i, m. I. 



8 Ibid. 2 Hen. IV. pt. 3, m. 6. 



10 Ibid. 22 Rich. II. pt. 2, m. 37 ; Madox's 

 Formulare AngRcanum, dccxxvii. 



11 Abbrev. Plac. (Rec. Com.), 19 Edw. I. 225. 



12 Winton. Epis. Reg., Pontoise, f. 77. 



13 Pat. 16 Edw. III. pt. i, m. 5. 



14 Ibid. 21 Rich. II. pt. I, m. i. 



206 



