21 



IV. — Charter of Queen Elizabeth to the Hospital of St. Lawrence de 

 Pontehoy, Bodmin, A.D. 1582. 



PATENT EOLL 25 ELIZABETH, PART 9. 



De concessione sibi et successoribus pro magistro, 



GUBERNATORE, FRATRIBUS ET SORORIBUS HOSPITALIS ElIZABETHE 



Eegine, Sancti Laurencii de Ponteboy in Comitatu Cor- 



NUBIE. 



ELIZABETH, &c. knowe yee that We, of our especiall grace, 

 certen knowledge, and mere mocion, consideringe howe godly 

 a thinge it is to releave the poore and such as are nedye, and 

 especyally such as the hand of God hath visited with sicknes, in 

 such sorte as without greate daunger to other of our subjectes 

 they may not conveniently procure and gett there livelyhood; 

 and beinge enformed that at a place called St. Lawrence de Pont- 

 boy, in the parish of Bodman, in our county of Cornewell, there 

 hath bene of longe tyme a greate company of lazer people estemed 

 by the name of pryor and brethren and systers, but never by us 

 or any of our progenitors so incorporate ; * and whereas dyverse 

 persons of their charitable disposition have gyven unto the said 

 leprous people dyverse landes and tenements by that name of cor- 

 poracion, which they of longe tyme by cuUour thereof enjoyed, 

 and at this present therby mainteine the nomber of six and thirty 

 leprouse people, to the great availe of all our subjectes inhabitinge 

 theraboutes within our said County of Cornewell, We, to the end 

 the said charitable acte may remaine inviolate and may not be de- 

 feated hereafter, but suche number of leprous people mainteined 

 as heretofore hath byn, of our grace especiall, certeine knowledge, 

 and mere mocion, for us, our heires and successors, doe gyve and 



* Lysons observes that they are called by that name in a deed bearing 

 date 29 Hen. YIII. Magna Brit., Cornwall, p. 36, 



