98 
The Hospital of St. Peter, York. 
By GEO. BENSON. 
T HE Hospital of St. Peter owes its foundation to King 
Athelstan, who, returning from the famous battle of 
Brunnanburgh, came to York and returned thanks to God in 
the Minster for his great victory. He observed in the Minster 
some poor religious people called Culdees devoted to works of 
charity, and on enquiry found their work was greatly hindered 
owing to want of means; so the King granted to God, St. 
Peter, and the Culdees, a piece of ground on which they might 
erect a hospital, and added for the support of it one thrave of 
corn out of each plough going in the See of York. The piece 
of ground which Athelstan granted to the Culdees of the 
Minster is that on which the Theatre Royal stands. On the 
site buildings were erected, probably of timber, for the Hospital. 
The sheaves of corn were part of the King’s income from this 
district, the taxes and customary payments were made in kind 
and at York there would be the King’s granary in which to 
store them. It is stated the King received these thraves in 
recompense for his destruction of wolves in the district, and 
that he had twenty sheaves of corn out of each plough-land to 
maintain his hounds. 
At York Athelstan coined silver pennies, the reverse of some 
have a rude representation of the Minster front. 
The timber buildings for the Hospital would be destroyed in 
the great fire of 1069 which devoured the Minster Library and 
damaged the Minster. 
Thomas of Bayeux, when he became Archbishop of York, 
restored the Minster, and seems to have rebuilt the Hospital 
with stone. He induced William the Conqueror to give them 
some land on the western side of their Hospital, and also got 
the King to confirm the gift of the thraves of corn. The good 
deeds of the Culdees were recognised. When the Conqueror 
