A HISTORY OF NORFOLK The Hospital of St. John Baptist The leper hospital of St. John Baptist, founded in the twelfth century, used to stand, says Blome- field, 'at the corner of Earl's or Alice's lane against St. Cuthbert's Cross, its church being in the orcliard belonging to that house.' '■ Protection, involving authority to collect alms, was granted by the crown to this hospital in 1229,^ and the master had a grant of a fair, in 1232, to be held on the vigil and feast of the decollation of St. John the Baptist.' As the town increased in that direction, the inconvenience of a leper establishment in the midst of population became obvious ; and on the foundation of Magdalen hospital by John earl of Warenne it was suppressed, and the brethren moved there. Subsequently the latter house was not infrequently named under the conjoint invocation of St. Mary Magdalen and St. John Baptist ; a gild that pertained to the earlier hospital, called the gild of St. John Baptist, was also transferred to St. Mary Mae;dalen. 1390, John Fordham, bishop of Ely, granted an indulgence of forty days to all persons who would give help and assistance to the poor men and lepers living in the hospital of St. Margaret's by Thetford during the next three days.' The hospital was dissolved in the time of Edward VI, and the site granted to Sir Richard Fulmerston. 103. LAZAR-HOUSE OF WALSING- HAM There was a lazar-house or a spittle of old foundation at Walsingham. Blomefield found mention of it in i486 ; and in 1491, Robert Pigut, by will, gave messuages called the Spittle- houses, with lands, freemen, and villeins pertain- ing, in Walsingham and Houghton to Robert Godfrey and others, on condition that they settled them on John Ederich, a leper of Nor- wich, and Cecil his wife, for their lives ; and afterwards to admit two leprous men or one, of good family, from time to time.* The Hospital of St. John There was a leper hospital dedicated in honour of St. John on the Suffolk side of the town. Martin gives references to it under the reigns of Edwa^rd I, II, and III. In 1387 John" of Gaunt, as already detailed in the account of the friary, gave the old parochial church of St. John to the friars, which then became the chapel of the hospital. At the time of the dissolution it was demolished as part of the friars' property, and the site was granted to Sir Richard Fulmerston.* The Hospital of St. Margaret ' St. Margaret's was one of the four appendant churches of Thetford both in the Confessor's and the Conqueror's days. It stood on the Suffolk side of the borough. In the fourteenth century the parish was annexed to that of St. Mary's, and the church, which was in the gift of the bishop of Ely, became the chapel of a leper hospital. In 1304 certain thieves broke into the house of lepers of St. Margaret and stole a silver chalice worth 5^., 205. in money, and linen and woollen cloths worth los., and then set fire to the buildings.* On 20 March, ' Blomefield, Hist, of Nor/, ii, 78. ' Pat. 13 Hen. Ill, m. 5. ' Chart. 16 Hen. Ill, m. 5.
- Blomefield, Hist, of Norf. ii, 71-2 ; Martin,
Hist, of Thetford, 97-8. There is a certain amount of confusion in the statements as to these two leper hospitals, one of St. John, and the other of St. John Baptist. ' Blomefield, Hist, of Norf. ii, 72 ; Martin, Hist, of Thetford, 89, 90. ' Assize R. 1234, m. 26, i. 104. THE HOSPITAL OF WALSOKEN There was a chapel dedicated to the Holy Trinity in the parish of Walsoken, at a place called Stathe-Dytch, to which was attached a gild or fraternity of some fame, ruled by a master or warden. It seems to have been usually termed the Hospital of the Holy Trinity. Pope Urban (1378-90) and four of his succes- sors granted particular indulgences to the brethren and sisters of this house and their benefactors as appears from a deed of admission of two persons into this fraternity, dated 6 Octo- ber, 1 48 1. At that time Eborard was master ; he is termed ' custos capelle et hospitalis See. Trinitatis de Walsoken.' Blomefield also mentions a like deed of admission granted in 1476, to John Bernus, esquire, and states that the bishop of Ely granted in 1487 forty days' indulgence to all who contributed to the support of this hospital.^ The hospital was served by chaplains as well as by a master. In December, 1390, Thomas Fayrandgod and Richard Holn, perpetual chap- lains of Holy Trinity chapel, Walsoken, received permission for themselves and their successors, from Pope Boniface IV, to celebrate mass in the chapel even in the time of interdict. This indult is of value, as it is therein stated that the hospital was founded by King Richard 1.'" The Valor of 1535 estimates the annual value of this hospital at £s ^'- 3^-" ' Fordham's Register, fol. 175.
- Blomefield, Hist, of Norf ix, 2 8 1-2.
' Ibid. 1 29-30. '" Cul. Papal Reg. iv, 376. " De/>. Keeper s Rep. viii, App. 2, p. 46. 452
