RELIGIOUS HOUSES that John de Warenne, earl of Surrey, held the advowson of the God's House, Thetford." In that year a considerable store of cattle and goods is described as having been acquired by the prudence and frugality of William de Norton, the late master, and left under the care of the bishop ; his successor was enjoined not to dispose by sale or donation of any of the particulars of the inventory without leaving to the house an equivalent.^ The new master does not, however, appear to have followed the good example of William Norton ; for he is soon found to be holding other preferment, and was probably non-resident. In 1325 William Harding, master of God's House, Thetford, and rector of Cerncote, Salisbury diocese, acknowledged a debt of eleven marks due to one Stephen de Kettlebergh.' In the same year he was also warden of the hospital of St. Julian, Thetford. I" 1335 John de Warenne obtained the royal licence to transfer the hospital of God's House with all its revenues and possessions to the prior provincial of the Friars Preachers ; but speedily changing his mind obtained another licence for transferring it to the prior and canons of the Holy Sepulchre, Thetford.* By this arrangement it was covenanted that the priory should find two chaplains to sing mass for the soul of the founder of the hospital, and to find sustenance and entertainment for three poor men. In 1347 Henry duke of Lancaster, as patron, confirmed to the prior and canons the gift of the lands, tenements, and rents lately belonging to the hospital of God's House, but excepted the actual site of the hospital, which he conferred upon the Friars Preachers. Two of the canons were to sing daily mass in the conventual church for the souls of the founders of the hospital. The priory was also to find a house yearly for three poor people from 9 November to 29 April, giving to each of them nightly a loaf of good rye bread, and a herring or two eggs. They were also to provide three beds, and hot water for washing their feet. This charter received royal confirmation the following year." The Hospital of St. Mary and St. Julian The hospital of this double invocation was more usually known as St. Julian's chapel or St. Julian's hermitage. This hospital, which stood at the bridge foot on the Norfolk side, was of early foundation. According to Tanner, Blomefield, and Martin it was presumably founded by Henry I ; but no evidence as to this is forthcoming. The ad- ' Close, 12 Edw. II, m. 9. ' Norw. Epis. Reg. i, 77. ' Close, 12 Edw. II, m. 9. ' Pat. 9 Edw. Ill, pt. ii, m. 26.
- Ibid. 22 Edw. Ill, pt. i, m. 23.
vowson of it rested with the earls of Warenne. It seems to have been of the nature of a hostelry for poor travellers and pilgrims. Martin names a number of the specific bequests to this hospital, which comprised upwards of a hundred acres of land, in addition to foldcourses and other pastu- rage rights, chiefly in Thetford and Croxton.^ In 1325 William Harding, who was also master of God's House, was master or warden of this hospital. In 1326 Harding resigned, and was succeeded in the following year by Robert de Worcester on the presentation of Edward II. The advowson was in the crown's hands for that turn, owing to the minority of the heir of Ralph de Cobham. The Hospital of St. Mary Magdalen John earl of Warenne and Surrey built a hospital for lepers in the reign of Henry III, endowed it with certain lands in Thetford, and appropriated to it the church or chapel of St. Mary Magdalen for the use of the master and brethren. The church of St. Mary Magdalen had originally been a parish church j but when that parish was annexed to St. Cuth- bert's, in the first half of the thirteenth century, it became a chapel.' It stood some distance outside the town, on the right-hand side of the road to Norwich. No trace of it remains, save that the land on which it stood still bears the name of Maudlin Acre. In 1232 the crown granted the right to collect alms to the master and brethren of this hospital.* By degrees it became possessed of 260 acres of land, 604 acres of pasture and heath, together with four foldcourses in Thetford, Kilverstone,, and Croxton. In 1360 Henry duke of Lancaster died, seised of the advowson. When the advowson in due course came to the crown it was granted to the mayor and commonalty of Thetford, who presented the master until its dissolution in the third year of Edward VI. At that date the hospital and its possessions, save the bells and lead of the chapel, were granted to Sir William Fermour ; but Sir William Fermour almost immediately re-leased the premises to Sir Richard Fulmerston. When the Valor Ecclesiasticus was drawn up in I535> Christopher Braunche, clerk, was master of the hospital, and the clear annual value was returned at the mean sum of 3 35. bd. There must have been some gross alienation of property by certain of the masters, as it had at that date lost all its possessions save some rents in Thetford. ' Martin, Hist, of Thetford, 95-7. ' Ibid. 90-2 ; Blomefield, Hist. ofNorf. ii, 77, 78. « Pat. 16 Hen. Ill, m. 4. 451
