Hospitals: Crowmarsh

36. THE HOSPITAL OF CROWMARSH

Very little is known of this institution. That it existed as early as 1142 is a natural conclusion from the notice that the Empress Matilda gave it land in Benson. (fn. 1) We have a deed (fn. 2) of 1248 whereby the hospital for lepers at Crowmarsh and the hospital for lepers at Wycombe, by their proctors, Adam and Richard, surrender to Oseney Abbey some part of their tithes at Oving, Buckinghamshire, receiving annually in return six quarters of corn. Two other deeds, quoted by Lipscombe, (fn. 3) add to our knowledge. In 1267 and 1269 Richard, master of the hospital for the infirm at Wycombe, and John, master of the hospital for the infirm at Crowmarsh, made good their claim to the tenth sheaf of the demesne once of Wigan of Wallingford in Oving, after the church has taken its tenth sheaf. This they claimed in virtue of the charter of Wigan. This Wigan was nephew of the great Brien FitzCount of Wallingford, was at one time lord of Wycombe, (fn. 4) and died in 1156, (fn. 5) but as it does not seem that he ever owned Crowmarsh, he cannot have been the founder of the hospital. In 1232 the king granted an oak to the master of the hospital of St. Mary Magdalen of Crow marsh, to make shingles for the roof of the church of the hospital. (fn. 6) By a deed of 1240-50, (fn. 7) the 'brothers and sisters of the hospital of St. Mary Magdalen of Crowmarsh' make a grant about land in Wallingford; and another deed (fn. 8) records that in 11 Edw. II, Miles, warden of the hospital of St. Mary Magdalen of Crowmarsh, quitclaimed arrears of wheat from Oving; both deeds have lost their seals.