RELIGIOUS HOUSES 







subsidy that year. 19 In 1366 Margaret Covert 

 left 2s. to the poor of this hospital, but we hear 

 no more of it until 1433, when it was in the 

 hands of the duke of Norfolk. 20 Finally it appears 

 in the Valor of 1535 as worth 2OJ. 21 



34. THE HOSPITAL OF BUXTED 



William Heron, Lord Say and Sele, by his 

 will made in 1404, desired his executors to com- 

 plete the hospital which he had begun at Buxted 

 for six, or at the least four, poor men, with a 

 chantry priest to govern them, the priest receiving 

 10 marks and each poor man 5 marks yearly.*' 

 There is nothing to show that this foundation 

 was ever completed. 



35. THE HOSPITAL OF ST. JAMES 



AND ST. MARY MAGDALEN, 



CHICHESTER 



A hospital for lepers was founded outside the 

 east gate of Chichester at an early date, possibly 

 by ' the good queen Maud,' consort of Henry I. 

 Bishop Seffrid's confirmation charter shows that 

 it was endowed with IQS. rents from the arch- 

 deaconry of Lewes, tithes in Colworth in Oving 

 and a rent of 4*.; the bishop added the grant of 

 eight woollen tunics at Christmas and eight of 

 linen at Easter, so that we may conclude that 

 there were originally eight inmates. Further, as 

 the church was dedicated in honour of the Mag- 

 dalen whose sins were forgiven because she loved 

 much, fifteen days' relaxation of penance were 

 granted to those visiting and relieving the poor 

 inmates. 23 This charter was confirmed in 1 362 

 by Bishop William, who represents the hospital 

 as founded in honour of St. Mary Magdalen and 

 St. James, and grants forty days' indulgence to 

 persons visiting the house on the days of those 

 saints. 24 The hospital had already for about a 

 hundred years previous to this date been com- 

 monly known as that of St. James, probably to 

 avoid confusion with another house of St. Mary 

 Magdalen that of ' Loddesdown.' 



Henry II gave a general charter of confirma- 

 tion to ' the infirm of Chichester ' 26 and Henry 

 III in 1231 directed John de Gatesden to give 

 whatever remained over of the money assigned to 

 hinj when sheriff for the king's alms to the 

 chaplain of the house of lepers. 26 The hospital 

 Was under the control of a chaplain or master, 

 tvho received zd. a day, charged on the issues of 



19 Suss. Arch. Coll. x, 124. 



n Inq. p.m. 1 1 Hen. VI, 43. 



11 Valor Ecd. (Rec. Com.), i, 319. 



" Suss. Arch. Coll. xxii, 100. 



Add. MS. 24828, fol. 137. " Ibid. 139. 



K Pat. 17 Edw. Ill, pt. ii, m. 27. 



"Close 15 Hen. Ill, m. 15. 



the county, 27 and Bishop William's charter men- 

 tions a ' prior,' who was the senior inmate. The 

 customs of the house were confirmed by the dean 

 in I4o8. 28 Candidates were admitted by consent 

 of the chaplain and a majority of the brethren 

 and were liable to expulsion if they married or 

 were convicted of incontinence or of being 

 absent without leave of the prior. This latter 

 had to take an oath to the chaplain and brethren 

 to look well after the affairs of the house. The 

 infirm inmates were to be supported by the hale ; 

 each had a weekly allowance of money, but if 

 any spent his recklessly, relying on his brethren 

 for support, the prior might deduct part of his 

 money. If a brother were quarrelsome, or re- 

 vealed the secrets of the house to strangers, he 

 should, after warning, pay a fine to the light of 

 St. James. The sacrist had to rise an hour after 

 midnight and ring a bell to summon all to 

 prayers, consisting of memorial prayers for the 

 king, the realm and all benefactors, the Creed and 

 a hundred Lord's Prayers and Salutations (the 

 knowledge of which was an essential condition 

 of admission). 



A visitation held in 1442 showed that the 

 management of this charity had become lax and 

 corrupt ; the inmates had all secured admission 

 by payments to the master and of the eight 

 brethren six, including the prior, were married 

 and usually spent the night at home with their 

 wives, the prior himself being absent night and 

 day and totally neglecting his duties. 29 In 1535 

 the income of the hospital was ^4 145. io^., 30 

 and shortly after this date alterations appear to 

 have been made in its constitution, as in 1540 

 the master was a layman and there were sisters 

 as well as brethren in the house. 31 



In 1594 the income of the house was about 

 j6, of which, after repairs had been paid for, 

 the master, Charles Lascelles, received half, the 

 other moiety going to the inmates, who were at 

 this time 



William Egle, now proctor, and Dorothy his wife, 

 both about 50, Hugh Young impotent, age 33, 

 Richard Mottle cripple, 35, Richard Parshaw cripple, 

 1 6, Thomas Mawrynge cripple, 18, John Pellard a 

 diseased idiot, 30, Agnes Patchinge a maid without 

 legs, 30, Agnes Barnes a maid without legs, Margaret 

 Crowcher a maid about 40, a cripple, Elizabeth Vody 

 an idiot, 17, Alice Taylor a cripple, 30, and Constance 

 Cutt an impotent cripple in her loins, 15. All of 

 honest conversation. 



They only left the house for the purpose of ob- 

 taining alms, their income being obviously insuffi- 

 cient for their maintenance ; 32 accordingly the 

 queen in 1597 licensed William Egly as 'guider 



" Pat. 10 Edw. I, m. n. 



18 Add. MS. 24828, fol. 143. 



19 Chich. Epis. Reg. Praty, fol. 78. 

 80 Vahr Ecd. (Rec. Com.), ii, 305. 

 n Add. MS. 24828, fol. 148. 



** Ibid. 5706, fol. 121. 



99 



