RELIGIOUS HOUSES 



Edward III gave a charter to the abbot and 

 convent confirming their rights and privileges, 

 including the appropriation of the hospital and 

 the power of appointing and removing the 

 custos. 1 



In 1535 the office of keeper of the hospital 

 was held by one of the canons, and its in- 

 come was reckoned as a part of the revenues of 

 the monastery.* The gross yearly value was 

 j6 51. 4</. ; there was a rent charge of 51. 6d. t 

 and 131. 4</. was paid for salt and flour to make 

 pottage for the poor folk therein.* In the 

 almoner's account a special alms of 6s. &d. to the 

 sisters of St. John is noted. 4 It is probable that 

 they had their maintenance from the almoner. 

 At the dissolution of the monastery the hospital 

 was treated as a separate endowment, and con- 

 tinued. In 1546, as the result of the commission 

 to inquire into hospitals and chantries, it was 

 returned that the hospital was founded to find a 

 master or keeper for ever with a salary of 

 ^2 151. 4*/., to find six poor folks for ever to have 

 yearly 14*. $d. ; the gross income was 4 141. jJ. t 

 the expenses were lOf. 6J., and the poor therefore 

 got an additional sum of 1 4*. 4</.' The hospital 

 was their parish church. It has had a con- 

 tinuous existence to the present day as an 

 almshouse. 8 



39. THE HOSPITAL OF ST. LAW- 

 RENCE, CIRENCESTER 



According to the statement of the townsmen 

 of Cirencester in 1343, Edith Biset of Wiggold 

 founded the leper hospital of St. Lawrence on 

 land which she held of the king in chief. 7 The 

 lepers used to be maintained partly by the alms of 

 the townsfolk and partly from the lands and rents. 

 They alleged that the charters of the hospital had 

 been taken away by Adam abbot of Cirencester 

 (1307-19); that brother John of Baudington, 

 who had been appointed master by Adam de 

 Orlton, bishop of Worcester (1327-32), was 

 ousted in 1336 by the abbot and his council, and 

 a sister appointed in his stead. The lands were 

 worth 401. a year. The truth seems to be that 

 Abbot William Hereward converted the leper 

 hospital into an almshouse for women, but the 

 complaints of the townsmen were of no avail. 

 In 1343 Edward III confirmed the hospital to 

 the abbot and convent.* In 1546, at the in- 

 quisition into hospitals and chantries, a return 

 was made that the hospital of St. Lawrence was 



'Cart. R. 17 Edw. Ill, No. 13. 



' Vahr Eccles. (Rec. Com.), ii, 471. 



1 Ibid. Ibid. 469. 



* Brut, end Glouc. Arch. See. Tram, viii, 228 ; 

 Certificate of Chantries, Glouc. 21. 



' Britt. and Glotu. Arch. Soc. Tram, xvii, 53 ; Kelly, 

 Direct, of Clone, (ed. 1906). The chapel is only a 

 ruin. 



' Brill, and Glouc. Arch. Sac. Trans, xvii, 54. 



Cart. R. 7 Edw. Ill, No. 13. 



founded for two poor women, and that they had 

 for their stipend the value of the land, which 

 was worth 3 6s. yd. a year.* There was no 

 chapel in the hospital. 10 It has had a continuous 

 existence as an almshouse. 11 



40. THE HOSPITAL OF ST. THOMAS, 

 CIRENCESTER. 



The hospital of St. Thomas at Cirencester 

 was founded for four decayed weavers by Sir 

 William Nottingham, who died in 1427." 



It has had a continuous existence. 



41. THE HOSPITAL OF LONGBRIDGE 

 BY BERKELEY 11 



The hospital of the Holy Trinity of Long- 

 bridge at the north end of Berkeley was founded 

 by Maurice of Berkeley I, between 1170 and 

 i iSg. 14 The community consisted of a prior or 

 master and a number of brethren to provide for 

 the spiritual and temporal welfare of the sick 

 poor who were received into the hospital." 



At the foundation of the hospital Maurice of 

 Berkeley I guaranteed the rights of the abbot 

 and convent of St. Augustine's, Bristol, to whom 

 all the churches of the honour of Berkeley had 

 been granted. It was agreed that all tithes and 

 offerings should belong to the mother church of 

 Berkeley, but that such offerings as were made 

 by the parishioners on the feasts of St. John the 

 Baptist and of St. Mary Magdalen should be 

 assigned to the prior and brethren of the 

 hospital. 1 * 



In 1 269 Godfrey Giffard, bishop of Worcester, 

 disputed the right of presentation to the hospital 

 with Maurice of Berkeley. 17 It was then de- 

 cided that the lords of Berkeley and the bishops 

 of Worcester should present alternately, and 

 this agreement was carefully observed. 



The right of visitation was granted at the 

 foundation, not to the bishop of Worcester, but 

 to the abbot and convent of St. Augustine's, 

 Bristol. 18 It was probably in virtue of their 

 right of collation that the bishops of Worcester 

 held inquisitions on two occasions. In 1275 



' Britt. and Glouc. Arch. Sue. Irani, xvii, 56. 



' Ibid. 



11 Kelly, Direct, of Glouc. (ed. 1906). 



" Tanner, Notitia Monastica (ed. 1744), P- 1 S 2 - 



11 The hospital of St. James and St. John, which 

 was assigned by Tanner to Berkeley, was at Brackley in 

 Northamptonshire ; cf. Cal. Charter Rolls (Rolls Ser.), 

 12 Hen. III. m. 4. 



14 Dugdale, Man. vii, 761 ; Smyth, Lifts of the 

 Berkelejs (ed. Maclean), 69. 



14 Ibid. 70, 71; cf. Jeayes, Catalogue of Charters at 

 Berkeley Castle, 165. 



14 Smyth, op. cit. 69. 



" Wore. Ep'u. Reg. Giffard (Wore. Hist. Soc.), 31. 



" Smyth, op. cit. 69. 



I2 3 



