142 



St. "Nicholas* Hospital, Salisbury. 



farm-house and hospital : something, therefore, had happened to it 

 to cause ceremonial deiilement, after which it was impossible to bury- 

 there until a service of " reconciliation 99 had been performed in it. 

 What was this? 



Nothing that remains gives us any idea of the nature of it; and 

 conjecture is well-nigh worthless. 



3. The part demolished of the hospital was the north row of 

 inmates' rooms, up to the chapel on the east. The arcade of arches 

 was not yet built up into the north wall of the building, but re- 

 mained open, and was joined by a wall to the east end of the chapel, 

 so as to divide the chapel itself into two. The northern half of the 

 old chapel was then converted into a common hall ; the space west 

 of this was occupied by a sister's room, and a wood-house. 



Such was the hospital over which William Wilton was made 

 warden, being probably appointed thereto by the dean and chapter, 

 and not instituted, as had been usual, by the bishop. He it was 

 that was warden when Bishop Bell consecrated the chapel. There 

 is every appearance of both chambers having been consecrated before: 

 so that this must mean, I think, re-consecrated the one after the 

 desecration of the other. And the same day he re-consecrated the 

 litton after some defilement, the nature of which we cannot guess. 



With Wilton begins a new era. It is Wilton that began to record 

 the poor people's names and dates of admission in a record still 

 extant. It is he that put together what we now call the Old 

 Register, and we recognize his handwriting in many of the marginal 

 notes to that volume. 



To him succeeded, in 1524, Edward Fox, who before had been 

 steward of the hospital. Strange to say, there was one of the 

 chapter of that name, a relation of Bishop Fox of Winchester, who 

 in 1492 had become prebendary of Major Pars Altaris, and in 1533 

 was to become Archdeacon of Dorset, and Bishop of Hereford in 

 1535. 1 But this was not the master of St. Nicholas', for he by 



1 He took a forward part in the doctrinal reformation : assisting the King in 

 the composition of the first draft of the ten articles, and being tho envoy sent by 

 him to the League of Schmalkalde, 1535. 



