RELIGIOUS HOUSES 



and copes. Mattins and the other hours, as well 

 as the mass of the day, were to be sung cum 

 ciintu et tractu moderato. No one was to move 

 about the house or precincts before the early 

 mass, save the master if necessity required it. 

 There were to be three daily masses, (i) of the 

 day, (2) of Our Lady, and (3) for the faithful 

 departed. Once a week, save in Lent, there 

 was to be full service of St. Giles. The master 

 and his chaplains were to live in the same house 

 and to partake of the same food and drink. 

 After dinner, the master, chaplains, and brethren 

 were to proceed to the chapel chanting [psalmodi- 

 zantes) the Miserere. 



Every day of the year thirteen poor men 

 were to have a sufficiency of bread and a good 

 mess of meat or fish, and occasionally of eggs 

 and cheese, with a due supply of drink, in the 

 entrance {ante caminum) of the hospital, or by the 

 fire in winter. Seven poor scholars, apt to learn, 

 were to be chosen by the master from the schools 

 of Norwich to receive their board at the hospital 

 during school term, and those who had been 

 well taught in grammar were to be changed, 

 from time to time, for others, so that the number 

 should always be maintained. There were also 

 to be in the hospital thirty beds, with bedding, 

 sheets, and coverlets, or more if the funds allowed 

 it, where the infirm poor who desired it might be 

 received until they were restored to health. 

 There were to be at least three or four sisters, of 

 honest life and of fifty years of age, who were to 

 take diligent care of the sick and infirm ; but all 

 the rest of the work of the house, in the brewery 

 and other offices, was to be done by men. All 

 poor chaplains (that is, unbeneficed clergy) of the 

 diocese of Norwich, broken down by old age or 

 permanent sickness, so that they were not able to 

 celebrate nor to do other clerical work for their 

 support, were to be received into the hospital and 

 to have suitable board and lodging in an honour- 

 able part of the house, so far as funds permitted. 

 The hospital was to have a box for God's poor 

 {archa Domini), from which alms were to be 

 given daily to wayfaring poor. From the 

 Annunciation to the Assumption there was to be 

 a free distribution of sufficient bread to stave off 

 hunger to all comers at the sound of the greater 

 bell. The hospital was to be not only God's 

 house, but the house of the bishop of Norwich ; 

 and as often as the diocesan passed by he was to 

 descend and to give his blessing to the infirm 

 lying and lodging in the hospital, and on such a 

 day the thirteen poor men were to be wholly fed 

 in the hospital. There were to be four lay 

 brothers to minister both to the residents and 

 out patients of the hospital according to the 

 master's directions. All within the house, breth- 

 ren, sisters, priests, and clerks, were to be 

 subject to the direction and orders of the master. 

 Every Sunday the master was to hold a chapter, 

 and oftener if necessary, for the correction of 

 offences and the punishment of delinquents. As 



to fasts and food and refection, the Austin rule 

 was to be followed. In chapel the master and 

 chaplains were to wear surplices and round black 

 copes ; they were each to dress in good cloth of 

 some non-prohibited colour. The brethren were 

 to wear white gowns with grey cowls ; the 

 sisters, white mantles and black veils. The 

 master, chaplains, brothers, and sisters were never 

 to eat or drink in the town save in the houses 

 of religious. The sisters were to have meals and 

 to sleep by themselves, nor was anyone to enter 

 their apartments save for necessity, leave being 

 first obtained from the master. On the death or 

 resignation of Hamo de Caletorp, the first master, 

 and whenever there was a vacancy, the house 

 was to be under the care of the bishop and one 

 of the chaplains, but all the fruits during 

 vacancies were to be retained for the use of the 

 hospital. On a vacancy, the prior of Norwich 

 and the archdeacons of Norwich and Norfolk, 

 after an interval of three weeks, were to hold an 

 inquisition as to the fitness and suitability of the 

 chaplains of the house and of some outsider, 

 according to their conscience, and to present 

 such a one as master to be immediately admitted 

 by the bishop or by his official in his absence 

 from the kingdom. Immediately on admission 

 the master was to swear to keep the goods of the 

 hospital in a proper state, and to observe the 

 ordinances of the house. If the archdeacons 

 did not appear on the appointed day nor during 

 two days afterwards, the prior was to associate 

 with himself the official of Norwich consistory 

 and the dean of Norwich and proceed to the 

 election. 



Provision was also made for any of the three 

 offices being vacant by death, &c. ; but if after 

 five weeks no appointment had been made, the 

 bishop was to collate. The master must be a 

 priest, and was to swear to reside, and to hold no 

 other benefice. He was to have no mounted 

 attendant, unless it was one of the chaplains or 

 brethren or clerks of the house. There were to 

 be no esquires or idle youths in the house. The 

 master was to be content with two or three 

 saddle-horses. The common seal was to be kept 

 under two keys, one held by the master and the 

 other by a senior brother. An indulgence of 

 forty days was granted in perpetuity to all aiding 

 the hospital during the feast of St. Giles. 



The endowments granted by this elaborate 

 charter included the land of Hales, and the 

 churches of Calthorpe, Costessy, Cringleford, 

 Hardley, St. Mary of South Walsham, and 

 Seething, The last clause confers the right of 

 burial in the hospital.' 



' Norw. City Mun. Press G, shelf 6, parcel i. For 

 a MS. copy of this charter I am much indebted to 

 my friend Mr. Tingey, F.S.A., hon. archivist of the 

 city. The wealth of documents pertaining to this 

 hospital is very great, including account rolls beginning 

 in 1306. The mere enumeration of them extends 

 from pp. 68 to 72 in the privately printed catalogue 



443 



