A HISTORY OF SUFFOLK 



tion in 1311, which was renewed in 

 1315, 1316, 1317, and again in 1323, when it 

 was stated that the house had fallen into debt. 1 



In 1330 Edward III granted protection for 

 three years to the master, brethren, sisters, and 

 envoys of the Maison Dieu of Dunwich, as they 

 were compelled by their poverty to seek alms 

 elsewhere, 2 and in 1337 protection was renewed 

 for a year. 3 



The arm of the civil law was invoked by the 

 brethren and sisters of this house in 1306, to 

 recover from the abbot of St. Osyth, Essex, a 

 certain cross which he had taken away, and to 

 which very many people used to resort from 

 divers parts, bringing with them considerable 

 offerings (non modicas largitiones). The abbot 

 was ordered to deposit the cross in Chancery, 

 and eventually on the sworn evidence of good 

 men of Dunwich that this was the actual cross 

 that had been taken from God's House of their 

 town, the abbot was compelled, in the presence 

 of the chancellor, to restore the cross into the 

 hands of Adam de Bram, master of the hospital. 4 



On 24 October, 1378, Richard II revoked 

 the letters patent of the late king granting to 

 John Wodecot the custody of the Maison Dieu 

 of Dunwich ; for it had been granted on the 

 false suggestion that it was void by the death of 

 Roger de Elyngton, king's clerk, appointed in 

 February, 1365, on the resignation of John de 

 Tamworth. Restitution was to be made to 

 Roger. 6 



In 1455 Sibyl Francis made a bequest to the 

 fabric of the church of ' le Mesyndieu ' ; Robert 

 Sharparew left 31. 4^. in 1512 to the reparation 

 of the ' Mezendew ' ; and in 1527 there was a 

 legacy towards the paving of the church. 



In Weever's time (1631) the church had 

 been pulled down. He describes the hospital as 

 decayed, like that of St. James, through evil 

 masters and other covetous persons, but still pos- 

 sessing divers tenements, lands, and rents for the 

 poor of the hospital. 6 



Gardner (1754) states that in his days the 

 income, through ' ill-disposed rules,' was reduced 

 to 11 ijs. The master drew 2 as salary, 

 and the rest was divided 



among a few Poor who live in the Masters and 

 another old decrepid House, being all that is left of 

 the Buildings, except a small portion of the South 

 Wall of the Church/ 



1 Pat. 5 Edw. II, pt. i, m. 22, &c. 

 ' Ibid. 4 Edw. Ill, pt. i, m. 9. 



3 Ibid. 1 1 Edw. Ill, pt. i, m. 5. 



4 Prynne, Antiq. Const Regni Angliae, \ 137-8. 



5 Pat. 2 Ric. II, pt. i, m. 25. 



6 Weever, funeral Monuments, 719. He adds, ' I 

 would to God these injuries and wrongs don to these 

 two poore Hospitals might be restored, and reformed 

 again to their former estate. For, surely, whosoever 

 shall doe it, shall doe a good worke before God ; I 

 pray God bring it to passe, Amen.' 



" Gardner, Hist, of Dunwich, 66. 



MASTERS OF THE HOSPITAL OF THE HOLY 

 TRINITY, DUNWICH 



Robert Falconis, 8 died 1290 



Robert de Sefeld, 9 appointed 1290, removed 



Adam de Bram, 10 appointed 1306 

 John de Langeton, 11 appointed 1319 

 John de Tamworth, 12 resigned 1365 

 Roger de Elyngton, 13 appointed 1365 

 John Elyngton, 14 resigned 1386 

 John Hereford, 15 appointed 1386 

 William Coterell, 16 appointed 1389 

 Adam de Elyngton, 17 appointed 1390 

 John Lucas, 18 appointed 1390 

 John Hopton, 19 appointed 1466 



The common seal of this house is a large 

 oval, bearing in the centre the three lions of 

 Henry III surmounted by a triple cross, on the 

 lowest limb of which are two feurs-de-lis. 

 Legend : 



SIGILLUM. FRATRUM. DOMUS. DEI. DE. 

 DONEWICO. 20 



53. THE HOSPITAL OF EYE 



There was a leper hospital outside the town 

 of Eye which was probably of early foundation, 

 but no record has been found concerning it 

 earlier than the reign of Edward III. 



Protection was granted in 1329 to Adam 

 Fraunceis, master, and the brethren of the leper 

 hospital of St. Mary Magdalen without the 

 town of Eye, and for their messengers collecting 

 alms about the realm, as they had nothing of 

 their own whereon to live, 21 and in 1337 similar 

 protection was granted for two years. 22 



Tanner says that it continued till the Dissolu- 

 tion, and was under the government of the bailiff 

 and burgesses of the town. 23 



54. THE LEPER HOUSE OF 

 GORLESTON 



Not much is known of the lazar-house of 

 Gorleston. It was probably one of those leper 

 houses of early establishment of which records 

 are so few, as they were supported almost entirely 



Pat. 1 8 Edw. I, m. 42. Ibid. 



lu Ibid. 34 Edw. I, m. 21. 



11 Ibid. 12 Edw. II, pt. ii, m. 6. 



" Ibid. 2 Ric. II, pt. i, m. 25. " Ibid. 



14 Ibid. 10 Ric. II, pt. i, m. 1 1. l5 Ibid. 



16 Ibid. 13 Ric. II, pt. ii, m. 19, 17. 



17 Ibid. pt. iii, m. 4. 



18 Ibid. 14 Ric. II, pt. i, m. 40. 



19 Ibid. 6 Edw. IV, pt. ii, m. 19. 



* Gardner, Hist, of Dunwich, pi. opp. p. 43. 

 " Pat. 3 Edw. Ill, pt. i, m. 37. 

 " Ibid. II Edw. Ill, pt. ii, m. 22. 

 83 Tanner, Notitia, Suff. xx, 2. 



138 



