A HISTORY OF NORFOLK 



In the parish of St. Benedict was an alms- 

 house given very anciently by Hugh Garesohn 

 or Garzon.' 



Danyel's almshouses in St. Stephen's parish, 

 were founded in 141 8 by John Danyel, mer- 

 chant, and by Walter his brother.* 



God's House, St. Giles, was a hospital or 

 almshouse for the poor, founded by John le 

 Grant in Lower Newport, in the reign of 

 Edward I. It was rebuilt by Bishop Lyhart in 

 1472. The nomination of the inmates rested 

 with the bishop. The house was confiscated at 

 the dissolution.' 



God's House, St. Margaret, was founded for 

 the benefit of the poor, by Robert de Aswardby, 

 in 1292. It stood on the west side of the 

 churchyard of St. Margaret Westwick.* 



95. THE HOSPITAL OF RACHENESS 



At Racheness in the parish of South Acre, there 

 was a leper hospital, with church or chapel dedi- 

 cated to St. Bartholomew, of early foundation. 

 It was subordinate to the priory of Castle Acre. 

 By an undated deed, temp. Henry II, Herbert de 

 South Acre gave the land on which stood the 

 church of St. Bartholomew, with three roods 

 about it, and two acres at Burston, to Castle Acre 

 Priory, for the use of the lepers there remaining, 

 together with half the foldcourse and common 

 of pasture, where his stock and that of his 

 brother Alan fed.^ 



96. THE HOSPITAL OF WEST 

 SOMERTON 



Ralph de Glanville, chief justice of England, 

 who founded the priory of Butley in Suffolk, also 

 founded a leper hospital at West Somerton, dedi- 

 cated to St. Leonard. The hospital was placed 

 under the government of the priory.^ 



At Pleas as to the founding of the leper-house 

 •of West Somerton in 1 291, the jury found 

 that the prior of Butley had the custody of the 

 .hospital and nothing more ; ' this finding was 

 repeated nine years later.* 



A commission was issued by Edward I, in 

 1299, to inquire and judge concerning the people 

 who forcibly entered the leper-house of West 

 Somerton, and carried away corn and goods, 

 together with the hospital muniments.' 



In the following year a grant was made to the 

 prior of Butley, keeper of the West Somerton 

 leper hospital, in consideration of a fine of 1 00 

 marks paid by him into the exchequer, that he 



' Blomefield, Hist. ofSorf. iv, 250. 

 ' Ibid. 164. ' Ibid. 245. * Ibid. 259. 



' H.irl. MS. 2 1 10, fols. 22, 87 ; Blomefield, H'tst. 

 ofNorf. vi, 76. 



^ Blomefield, Hist, ofliorf. xi, 1 89. 

 ' Plac. Pasch. 19 Edw. I, m. 9. 

 * Ibid. 28 Edvi'. I, m. 43. 

 ' Cat. of Pat. 27 Edw. I, m. 37 d. 



and his successor may hold that hospital hence- 

 forth quit of any account, on condition that the 

 king and his heirs shall cause the said hospital 

 (like the other hospitals of the king's advowson) 

 to be visited by the chancellor for the time being, 

 or other person deputed thereto, and shall correct 

 any defects found on visitation. This came 

 about through an action recently brought against 

 the ruler in the king's court for him to render 

 an account touching the issues of that hospital, 

 since he had acknowledged in court that the 

 advowson of the hospital belonged to the king.^" 



An inquisition held by the escheator for Nor- 

 folk, 20 Richard II, brought out the details of 

 this foundation. It there appeared in evidence 

 that Ralph Glanville, the founder, granted the 

 hospital to the prior and convent of Butley on 

 the condition that they should maintain in it 

 thirteen lepers with all necessaries, and a chaplain 

 to celebrate there daily with a clerk, for the 

 souls of Ralph and his parents ; that the prior, for 

 twenty years past, had ceased the maintenance of 

 nine of the lepers ; that the chaplain and clerk 

 with the prior and convent, withdrew for the 

 past twelve years from the four remaining lepers 

 seven gallons of ale a week worth a penny each, 

 and that the hospital was worth ten marks yearly. 



Consequently the hospital was taken into the 

 king's hands, and there remained (November, 

 1399). The prior and convent, however, pro- 

 duced evidence that the hospital was worth ^60 

 yearly when first founded, but that the present 

 income of only 10 marks would not suffice to 

 maintain the charges, and that the hospital itself 

 was desolate. Whereupon the crown regranted 

 the hospital to the priory on the condition of two 

 of the priory canons being maintained to cele- 

 brate for the king and the founder, and acquitted 

 them of the issues of the hospital for the twenty 

 years, and of the price of the gallons of ale for 

 the twelve years.^^ 



97-102. THE SIX HOSPITALS OF 

 THETFORD 



God's House, or Domus Dei 



God's House, or Domus Dei, was a house of 

 early foundation, Blomefield believed that it 

 dated back to the days when William Rufus 

 removed the episcopal see from Thetford to 

 Norwich, ^^ but Martin could find no sufficient 

 proof of this." It was situated on the Suffolk 

 side of the borough ; the river washed its walls 

 on the north, and the east side fronted the 

 street. 



It was at any rate well established before the 

 reign of Edward II, as it was found, in 13 19, 



'° Ibid. 28 Edw. I, m. 3. 



" Ibid. I Hen. IV, pt. iii, m. 10 ; Memoranda 

 R.L.T.R. Hil. I Hen. IV, m. 12. 



" Blomefield, Hist, of Norf ii, 79. 

 " Martin, Hist, of TketforJ, 92. 



45c 



