A HISTORY OF NORFOLK In 1255 the bishop obtained the assent of Pope Alexander IV to the foundation and statutes of this hospital, which were at that time formally matured and signed by the founder. It was stated in the papal confirmation that the several churches presented to the hospital had been purchased from laymen by the bishop for that purpose, and that they were to de- volve to the hospital on the death of their respective rectors ; it was further ordered that perpetual chaplains or vicars, with fitting stipends, were to be provided for the churches.^ During the founder's lifetime William de Dunwich, a wealthy burgher of the city, gave for his own soul and that of Katharine his late wife a meadow by Bishopsbridge adjoining the hospital, 6s. Sd. rent in Holme Street, and a great variety of other rents and tenements throughout the city. By his will, dated 1272, he ordered that his body should be buried before St. Katharine's altar in the hospital church, and made bequests to support five sick people in the hospital continually, and to find two chaplains at that altar to daily sing for him and his wife and ancestors. He also made provision for four wax tapers to be always burning at St. Katharine's altar during mass, and gave to the same a chalice and cruets of silver. So great were his benefac- tions that he was usually regarded as a co-founder with the bishop. In 1260 William de Suffield, archdeacon of Norwich, the founder's brother, gave to the hospital the church of Repps-with- Bastwick. The founder died in 1257 ; by his will the bishop left to the hospital of St. Giles, built as he states for the remission of his sins, 300 marks to be used in any way for its advantage according to the consent of the master and his executors. He commended the hospital specially to his executors, exhorting them to benefit it in any way in their power out of his goods. He also ga'e to the hospital the silver-gilt cup which had belonged to the Blessed St. Edmund, and the Bible he had bought of Master Simon Blound. The somewhat cumbersome rules for the appointment of the master were altered, with the archbishop's sanction, by Bishop Roger de Skirn- ing in 1272, so that the chaplains of the house, on a vacancy, were entitled to choose their successor. By the year 13 10 the rents of the hospital had so increased that Bishop John Salmon added four other chantry priests to the foundation, so that there were eight clerical brethren, who were ordered to wear the habits of regular Austin Canons. The patent rolls of Edward III contain various of the city records. In the same parcel with the foundation charter are the founder's will, William of Dunwich's will, and other early bequests down to ' Ca/. Paj>. Reg. i, 312. small bequests to the hospital,' and in 1 334 Bishop Ayermin obtained licence to appropriate to St. Giles's the church of Thurlton.' In 1340 Bishop Antony Bek confirmed the appropriation of the church of St. Peter, Mundham.* In 1409 Thomas Lord Dacre, lord of the manor of Horsford, licensed William Westacre, archdeacon of Norwich, and others, to settle in mortmain on the hospital the manor of Cringle- ford, on condition of finding a chaplain to live as a brother in the hospital, and to celebrate daily for the soul of John de Dorlington, late arch- deacon of Norwich, for Roger Pratt, the late master, and for William Paston of Paston.' In 1420 Henry VI, for his own soul and for that of his wife Margaret, granted licence to the hospital to hold additional lands to the value of £'iO. It was therein stated that the house then consisted of a master, eight chaplains, two clerks, seven poor scholars for choristers, eight poor bed- ridden people, thirteen poor fieople daily dining there, besides poor strangers passing by who had a night's lodging there, as many as the beds would hold, and all the poor chaplains of the dioce.e labouring under any constant infirmity, and two sisters to wait upon the poor.' In 1450 Sir John Fastolf sold the manor of Mundham and the advowson of the church of St. Ethelbert to the hospital for 200 marks. The master and brethren of St. Giles covenanted with the mayor and commonalty of the city, in 1472, to find a chaplain to serve in the chapel of St. Barbara in the Guildhall.' Bishop Goldwell visited this hospital on 9 October, 1492. Robert Godfrey, one of the brethren, appeared as proctor of Master Oliver Dynham, who claimed to be master of the hospital, but exhibited neither assignment as proxy nor the title of Oliver Dvnham to the mastership. Robert Godfrey, together with John Dowe, John Hector, George Vyrly, and William Hadenham, chaplains and brethren of the hospital, were then severally examined. The report of the visitation, as entered by the notary, was simply to the effect that the master of the hospital was absent and non-resident, contrary to the hospital statutes, and that on account of his absence the house was vexed with suits and other serious injuries.* The executors of Bishop Goldwell settled in 1520, with the residue of his estate, lands to the value of 53 marks a year in mortmain on the master and brethren of St. Giles, on condition of their finding three chaplains to celebrate for ' Pat. 5 Edw. Ill, pt. ii, m. 33 ; 8 Edw. Ill, pt. i, m. 35 ; pt. ii, m. 27 ; 9 Edw. Ill, pt. i, m. 13. ' Noitv. City Rec. 71.
- Cal. ofBodl. Chart, and R. 199.
' Pat. 1 1 Hen. IV, pt. ii, m. 24. ' Ibid. 22 Hen. VI, pt. ii, m. i. ' Liber Albus (Cit)- Rec), 53. ' Jessopp, Norw. Fisit. (Camden Soc), 1 2. 444
