526 



Notices of St. Leonard's Hospital, with an Account of an 

 Ancient Mortar found near its site. By George 

 Skelly, Alnwick. Plate XII. 



Beyond the mere fact that this Hospital was founded by- 

 Eustace de Vescy, between 1193 and 1216, there is little known 

 of its early history.* 



We gather from the Chronicles of Alnwick Abbey, that 

 Eustace de Vescy gave a portion of land to this Abbey, known 

 as Quarrelflat (i.e. the Quarry Flat) in exchange for the land on 

 which he founded the chapel of St. Leonai*d's for the soul of 

 Malcolm, King of the Scots ; and William the Lion, whose 

 illegitimate daughter Eustace had married, gave to him the 

 barony of Sprouston in Roxburghshire to found this chapel. 



It is almost certain that the Chapel and Hospital were entirely 

 supported by the De Vescies up to the time of the last lord of 

 Alnwick of that name, who died in 1297. In 1376, Henry de 

 Percy, first Earl of Northumberland, obtained from the king, 

 on payment of a certain sum, a licence to annex the Chapel to 

 Alnwick Abbey ; and in consideration of this grant, the Abbot 

 bound himself and his successors to " sustain, perforin, and 

 support the Alms, Buildings, Charities, Hospitals, and other 

 works of piety, anciently ordained and established in the same 

 Hospital." f 



In a subsequent charter, the Abbot of the aforesaid Abbey 

 agreed to pay annually the sum of five marks to the Earl's 

 Chantry at Warkworth, but in time this payment was abolished. 



In 1427, Henry de Percy, "Earl of Northumberland, and 

 honour of Cockermouth," | "caused to be celebrated in the 

 Chapel of the Hospital, three masses weekly for ever for the 

 souls of the founders, and to repair and maintain the Chapel." 

 Then again in 1450, the aforesaid Earl, with the consent of his 

 eldest son, Henry de Percy, released the Abbot and Convent of 

 all claims he had on account of St. Leonard's Hospital, excepting 

 only the spiritual services ; and for this exemption, the Abbot 

 consented to relinquish the right of presentation of a devout 



* Tate's Hist. Alnwick, vol. n., p. 41. 

 t Rot. Pat. 50 Edward 111., p. 1. m. 23. 

 1 Longstaffe's Heraldry of the Percies, 



