A HISTORY OF SURREY 



Amicius, who was Archdeacon of Surrey 

 from about 1189 to 1215, was then custos 

 or warden of the hospital. The canons at 

 once erected a temporary building for the 

 reception of the poor at a little distance from 

 the priory, and within its chapel they held 

 their own services whilst the priory was 

 being rebuilt. 



Meanwhile Peter des Roches, Bishop of 

 Winchester, disliking the situation, added to 

 the endowment of the hospital, and built a 

 new house, which, though still in Southwark, 

 was on a site where the water was purer and 

 the air more healthy.* This new hospital, 

 which was also dedicated to St. Thomas the 

 Martyr, was completed by 12 1 5. 



In 12 1 5 an indenture was made between 

 Martin, prior of the church of St. Mary, 

 Southwark, and the canons of that place, and 

 Amicius, Archdeacon of Surrey, warden of 

 the hospital of St. Thomas, Southwark, and 

 the brethren thereof, whereby the former 

 granted that the brethren and sisters of the 

 old hospital of St. Thomas might transfer 

 themselves into the new hospital of the like 

 dedication (which had been founded as the 

 property of the church of Winchester, and 

 was free from all subjection to the church of 

 St. Mary), together with all their goods, 

 rents and lands, saving the lands which the 

 prior and canons had always retained to 

 their own use, to wit the whole land of 

 Melewell or Milkwell in Camberwell and 

 Lambeth, with the place of the old hospital 

 and the whole of the garden in Trinity Lane, 

 which Ralph Carbonel sold to the old hospi- 

 tal quit of all demand on the part of the 

 warden and brethren against the said canons. 

 In exchange for the land of Melewell, the 

 canons gave the brethren 131. rents in South- 

 wark. The canons also granted that the 

 market for corn and other goods, which used 

 to be at the doors of the old hospital, should be 

 transferred to the doors of the new hospital. 

 They also provided that the old hospital (in 

 ruins from the fire), on the withdrawal of the 

 brethren and sisters, be shut up for ever, on 

 condition that the canons might build what- 

 ever they liked on the plot, except a hospital, 

 and they bound themselves that never here- 

 after should another hospital be built by them 



' Ubi aqua est uberior et an est sanior. Annales 

 Monastici (Rolls Series), iii. 457. The date given 

 for this translation of the hospital in these Annals 

 is 1228, which is clearly wrong, as Amicius is men- 

 tioned as Archdeacon of Surrey, a post he did not 

 hold after 1215. There is also a mistake in the 

 prenous date of the fire, which is given as 120- 

 instead of 121 5. 



in the public street of Southwark. All writ- 

 ings that had been obtained from the pope or 

 king pendente lite were to be surrendered, so 

 that every occasion of litigation might be 

 taken away.° 



There is a large paper chartulary of this 

 hospital, consisting of 321 folios, at the 

 British Museum, which was drawn up about 

 the year 1525.^ It is not quite complete, 

 and lacks unfortunately the first leaf. It be- 

 gins at the top of the page, which is lettered 

 fundacione with the end of an episcopal char- 

 ter of confirmation of the grant of the tithe 

 of hay in all his lordships made by Reginald 

 de Brettyngherst to the brothers and sisters of 

 the hospital. The first charter recited in 

 full is a brief confirmation by Bishop Peter 

 des Roches. This is followed by a grant of 

 a cemetery and burial rights to the hospital 

 by the prior and convent of St. Mary, South- 

 wark, under certain restrictions. 



The hospital agreed not to have more than 

 two bells weighing 1 00 lb. in their bell 

 tower (campanario), and to pay 6s. 8d. yearly 

 to the priory and i2d. yearly at Easter to the 

 vicar of St. Mary Magdalen. Burial was to 

 be granted not only to all such as died within 

 their own precincts, but also to all others 

 who might desire it, and who were not 

 parishioners of either St. Mary Magdalen's 

 or St. Margaret's. This concession by the 

 priory was obtained by the interference of 

 Peter des Roches, who was Bishop of 

 Winchester from 1205 to 1238.* 



A later instrument however given in the 

 chartulary shows that the rector of St. Mar- 

 garet's, as well as the vicar of St. Mary 

 Magdalen's, secured i2d. a year by this 

 agreement as to the cemetery, and the subsidy 

 of the priory was reduced from 6s. Sd. to 2j.° 



In 1238 the warden and brethren granted 

 to Luke, Archdeacon of Surrey, a hall in the 

 chapel, stable and other appurtenances within 

 the hospital precincts, for life, for his own 

 occupation. He covenanted for himself and 

 successors that they should not by virtue of 

 this grant claim any authority, jurisdiction, 

 property or succession in the same to the 

 damage of the warden and brethren. The 

 archdeacon in 1249, under the title of Luke 

 de Rupibus, papal sub-deacon, released to the 

 hospital all his dwelling rights." 



' Pat. 33 Edw. I. pt. i, m. 2. At that date 

 there was an inspection and confirmation of a 

 chirograph of 1215. 



3 Stowe MS. 942. 



♦ Ibid. f. 2. 



• Ibid. f. 4. 



» Ibid. fl. 4, 4b. 



120 



