RELIGIOUS HOUSES 



that John de Warenne, earl of Surrey, held 

 the advowson of the God's House, Thetford." 

 In that year a considerable store of cattle and 

 goods is described as having been acquired by 

 the prudence and frugality of William de Norton, 

 the late master, and left under the care of the 

 bishop ; his successor was enjoined not to 

 dispose by sale or donation of any of the 

 particulars of the inventory without leaving to 

 the house an equivalent.^ 



The new master does not, however, appear 

 to have followed the good example of William 

 Norton ; for he is soon found to be holding 

 other preferment, and was probably non-resident. 

 In 1325 William Harding, master of God's 

 House, Thetford, and rector of Cerncote, 

 Salisbury diocese, acknowledged a debt of eleven 

 marks due to one Stephen de Kettlebergh.' 

 In the same year he was also warden of the 

 hospital of St. Julian, Thetford. 



I" 1335 John de Warenne obtained the 

 royal licence to transfer the hospital of God's 

 House with all its revenues and possessions to 

 the prior provincial of the Friars Preachers ; but 

 speedily changing his mind obtained another 

 licence for transferring it to the prior and canons 

 of the Holy Sepulchre, Thetford.* By this 

 arrangement it was covenanted that the priory 

 should find two chaplains to sing mass for the 

 soul of the founder of the hospital, and to find 

 sustenance and entertainment for three poor 

 men. 



In 1347 Henry duke of Lancaster, as patron, 

 confirmed to the prior and canons the gift of 

 the lands, tenements, and rents lately belonging 

 to the hospital of God's House, but excepted 

 the actual site of the hospital, which he conferred 

 upon the Friars Preachers. Two of the canons 

 were to sing daily mass in the conventual church 

 for the souls of the founders of the hospital. 

 The priory was also to find a house yearly for 

 three poor people from 9 November to 29 April, 

 giving to each of them nightly a loaf of good 

 rye bread, and a herring or two eggs. They 

 were also to provide three beds, and hot water 

 for washing their feet. This charter received 

 royal confirmation the following year." 



The Hospital of St. Mary and St. Julian 



The hospital of this double invocation was 

 more usually known as St. Julian's chapel or 

 St. Julian's hermitage. 



This hospital, which stood at the bridge foot 

 on the Norfolk side, was of early foundation. 

 According to Tanner, Blomefield, and Martin 

 it was presumably founded by Henry I ; but no 

 evidence as to this is forthcoming. The ad- 



' Close, 12 Edw. II, m. 9. 



' Norw. Epis. Reg. i, 77. 



' Close, 12 Edw. II, m. 9. 



' Pat. 9 Edw. Ill, pt. ii, m. 26. 



* Ibid. 22 Edw. Ill, pt. i, m. 23. 



vowson of it rested with the earls of Warenne. 

 It seems to have been of the nature of a hostelry 

 for poor travellers and pilgrims. Martin names 

 a number of the specific bequests to this hospital, 

 which comprised upwards of a hundred acres of 

 land, in addition to foldcourses and other pastu- 

 rage rights, chiefly in Thetford and Croxton.^ 



In 1325 William Harding, who was also 

 master of God's House, was master or warden 

 of this hospital. In 1326 Harding resigned, 

 and was succeeded in the following year by 

 Robert de Worcester on the presentation of 

 Edward II. The advowson was in the crown's 

 hands for that turn, owing to the minority of 

 the heir of Ralph de Cobham. 



The Hospital of St. Mary Magdalen 



John earl of Warenne and Surrey built a 

 hospital for lepers in the reign of Henry III, 

 endowed it with certain lands in Thetford, and 

 appropriated to it the church or chapel of 

 St. Mary Magdalen for the use of the master 

 and brethren. The church of St. Mary 

 Magdalen had originally been a parish church j 

 but when that parish was annexed to St. Cuth- 

 bert's, in the first half of the thirteenth century, 

 it became a chapel.' It stood some distance 

 outside the town, on the right-hand side of the 

 road to Norwich. No trace of it remains, 

 save that the land on which it stood still bears 

 the name of Maudlin Acre. 



In 1232 the crown granted the right to 

 collect alms to the master and brethren of this 

 hospital.* 



By degrees it became possessed of 260 acres 

 of land, 604 acres of pasture and heath, together 

 with four foldcourses in Thetford, Kilverstone,, 

 and Croxton. 



In 1360 Henry duke of Lancaster died, 

 seised of the advowson. When the advowson 

 in due course came to the crown it was granted 

 to the mayor and commonalty of Thetford, who 

 presented the master until its dissolution in the 

 third year of Edward VI. At that date the 

 hospital and its possessions, save the bells and 

 lead of the chapel, were granted to Sir William 

 Fermour ; but Sir William Fermour almost 

 immediately re-leased the premises to Sir Richard 

 Fulmerston. 



When the Valor Ecclesiasticus was drawn up 

 in I535> Christopher Braunche, clerk, was 

 master of the hospital, and the clear annual 

 value was returned at the mean sum of 3 35. bd. 

 There must have been some gross alienation 

 of property by certain of the masters, as it had 

 at that date lost all its possessions save some 

 rents in Thetford. 



' Martin, Hist, of Thetford, 95-7. 



' Ibid. 90-2 ; Blomefield, Hist. ofNorf. ii, 77, 78. 



« Pat. 16 Hen. Ill, m. 4. 



451 



