Hospital of St Katherine

[f. 172v] Hospital of St. Katherine

973. [1147–8] Charter of Stephen by which he granted 100s. of land in Brackyng in Hertfordshire to hold to Holy Trinity in free alms for ever for the repose of the souls of Baldwin his son and Matilda his daughter who lie in the church of Holy Trinity; and also 6 librates of land [as above in 972] which is in the part of the manor which will remain in the royal demesne after a partition and in which the church is, to which church the market belongs; to hold in free alms with sac and soc and toll and theam and infangenetheof; witnesses, Theobald archbishop of Canterbury, Robert bishop of London, Robert bishop of Hereford, Robert bishop of Exeter, Hilary bishop of Chichester, William bishop of Norwich, Queen Matilda, Earl E[ustace] the king's son, William de Ypres, Robert de Ver, William Martel, Henry de Essex, Richard de Lucy.

Reg. A.-N., iii, no. 511; Cart. Antiq., ii, no. 405; Cal. Letter-Bk. C, 222.

974. [1147–8] Confirmation of Matilda of the grant of 100s. of land in the manor of Bracching to Holy Trinity and also of 6 librates of land in exchange for what they have granted to Matilda next the Tower where she has erected a hospital; witnesses as in 973 at London.

Reg. A.-N., iii, no. 511; Cart. Antiq., ii, no. 406; Cal. Letter-Bk. C, 223.

975. [1147–52] Confirmation by Stephen of the perpetual custody of the hospital of St. Katherine to the prior and convent of Holy Trinity; the canons to hold the hospital with the mill together with a payment of £20 p.a. out of the rent of Edredeshede as the queen has granted them so that they may move it where it can be more conveniently placed (ita quod transponant illud ubi oportunius sisti potuerit); witnesses, Earl E[ustace] the king's son, Henry de Essex, Richard de Lucy, Warner de Lusor(e); at Hayngham.

Original deed P.R.O. E 40/4897; Reg. A.-N., iii, no. 504.

976. [1147–52] Grant by Queen Matilda of the hospital of St. Katherine by the Tower to the prior and canons of Holy Trinity; the canons are to place the mill in a more suitable place and to maintain thirteen poor people in the hospital for ever for the salvation of the souls of the queen, King Stephen and their two children Constance and William; a grant of £20 p.a. from the rent of Edredeshede in free alms; King Stephen agreeing; witnesses, Henry de Essex, the king's constable, Richard de Ca(nv)ill, Warner de Lusor(e), A. the chancellor, Thomas the chaplain, Richard Montague (de Monte Acuto); at Hayngham.

Reg. A.-N., iii, no. 503; Sir Christopher Hatton's Book of Seals, ed. L. C. Lloyd and D. M. Stenton (1950), no. 424; C. Jamison, History of the Royal Hospital of St. Katharine (1952), App. 1.

977. [1151–2] Charter of William de Ypres addressed to Theobald archbishop of Canterbury and legate and to the bishop of London [f. 173] granting to God and to the prior and canons of Holy Trinity in free alms Edredeshetha (Edredeshede) now called Ripa Regine anglice Quenhyth on condition that they give from the rent of this hythe £20 p.a. for the maintenance of the hospital which is in their custody; and they shall give 100s. p.a. to the monks of St. Saviour (Bermundesheia) and 60s. to the infirm brethren of the hospital of St. Giles and what remains of the rent (fn. 1) the canons shall have for clothing (vestitura) and other necessities; the grant has been made with the agreement of King Stephen for the souls of the king and queen and for the souls of their children Baldwin and Matilda buried in the church of Holy Trinity and for the remission of the sins of the donor and for the salvation of his soul and the souls of all his ancestors, relations and friends; witnesses, Roger archdeacon of Canterbury, Odo the clerk, Ralph the chaplain, John the clerk, Richard de Lucy, Ralph Picot, Warner de Lusores, Erchebald Pas(c)e, Roger Waleis and others.

978. [1151–2] Confirmation of 977 by King Stephen, addressed to the bishop of London etc.; confirms the grant of 100s. to Holy Trinity made by William de Ypres out of the farm of Edredeshetha which the king had granted to him; witnesses, Queen Matilda, E[ustace] the king's son, William Martel, Richard de Lucy; at London.

Reg. A.-N., iii, no. 501.

979. [1136–54] Confirmation by Stephen, addressed to the justiciar, the sheriff and citizens of London, to Holy Trinity of Edredeshetham as it had been granted to them by Matilda, wife of his uncle King Henry; witness, Roger de Fraxine(n)t; at Norham'.

Reg. A.-N., iii, no. 502.

980. [1151–61] Confirmation by Archbishop Theobald of the gift which William de Ypres gave to the canons of Holy Trinity from Edredeshida as King Stephen had confirmed it [978]; also confirms to Holy Trinity the custody of the hospital with a mill near the Tower of London as confirmed by the king and granted by Queen Matilda.

J. Nichols, Bibliotheca Topographica Britannica, ii, sec. i, 101; P.R.S., x, no. 32; A. Saltman, Theobald (1956), no. 162; C.A.D., iv, A 6684.

981. [1161] Confirmation by Pope Alexander [III] to the prior and convent of Holy Trinity of the order of St. Augustine having received a petition from the house showing that the canons had been granted the perpetual custody of the hospital of St. Katherine the Virgin within the parish of St. Botolph without Algate, this is confirmed; dated Viterbo 30 Oct. the 3rd year of his pontificate.

982. [f. 173v] Plea held at Westminster, Thurs. 3 Dec. 1254. John prior of Holy Trinity, at Westminster before William de Kylkeni, chancellor, Philip Lovel, treasurer, John Franceis, Peter de Orival, Edward of Westminster and other barons of the exchequer against Stephen once a clerk, the prior being accused by the writ of Queen Eleanor (fn. 2) concerning (super) the custody of the hospital; on that day there was enrolled in the plea roll of the exchequer the charters of Stephen, Matilda and Henry III and the prior showed a writing to the barons about a certain composition made between Holy Trinity and the hospital about the commutation of a certain rent which writing had been made at the instance of the brethren and sisters of the hospital; the prior was protested if he wished to renounce the composition and on the same day the perpetual custody of the hospital was adjudged to the prior and his successors for ever.

983. Note: that the same year [1254] when Ralph Hardel was mayor an inquisition about the hospital was made; all the aldermen of London replied with one voice that the prior and convent of Holy Trinity had continuously the custody and lordship (dominium) of that hospital from the time of King Stephen.

984. Note: that Queen Eleanor inspired by the malevolent suggestions of Stephen one of the brothers of the hospital, wrote in the following threatening terms to Fulk Basset, bishop of London, to use his powers to say that Holy Trinity's claims to the hospital were not valid.

985. [before 3 May 1257] Letter of Eleanor to Fulk bishop of London recalling that, as the hospital was founded by her predecessor Queen Matilda, she has the patronage of it and accusing Holy Trinity of failing to support the hospital adequately; Stephen the bearer of the letter is to explain the position more fully to the bishop and to ask him to enquire into his accusations of detention of charters and of the seal of the hospital by the prior and convent; he enquired not only of the brethren and sisters but also from citizens of London, both lay and ecclesiastical.

See Jamison, History of the Hospital of St. Katharine, 13.

986. [f. 174] Note: that the bishop, on the orders of the queen, called together some great men and came to Holy Trinity on 1 Sep. 1257 to enquire what spiritual right (ius spirituale) they had in the hospital and they replied that they had the same rights over the brethren and sisters as they had over their brothers at Corney, Berkeden, Brachyng, Totenham, Welcomstowe and Lyesnes since all received their habit in the chapterhouse of Holy Trinity and swore before the prior and convent; they enjoyed this right because the hospital was situated in the parish of St. Botolph which formed part of Holy Trinity's endowment of the Englischknythtengild and that whatever spiritual right they had in the hospital they had by grant and by the confirmation of the bishop of London; asked why they had put a certain canon Rusus over the hospital they replied that the brethren had been contentious and given to getting drunk (ebriosi) and that he was to restore them to religion, sobriety and devotion; the bishop, moved by a desire to please the queen rather than God, removed this canon, forbidding Holy Trinity to meddle in the affairs of the hospital and handed the custody of the hospital to a certain Gilbert, chaplain of the hospital; he permitted that the oath taken by the brothers and sisters should no longer be taken to the prior and convent and thus matters stood until the death of that bishop (fn. 3) which occurred soon afterwards whereupon Henry de Wyngeham succeeded him; he also was influenced by the suggestions of the queen so that in 1261 he, assisted by R[obert] (fn. 4) bishop of Carlisle and E[gidius] (fn. 5) bishop of Salisbury, sent for prior John and some of the canons and compelled them to agree to the following.

987. Letter of H[enry] de Wyngeham, bishop of London addressed to all, declaring that on Mon. before the feast of St. Margaret 1261 the prior of Holy Trinity and the steward of the place (yconomus) released to Queen Eleanor all right which they had, both spiritual and temporal, in the hospital of St. Katherine by the Tower; in testimony whereof the bishop affixed his seal; given at London, Wed. after the feast of SS. Simon and Jude in the year of his bishopric etc. (fn. 6)

988. [1261–78] Inspection by R., (fn. 7) bishop of Carlisle of 987 repeating it in similar terms.

989. [1261–2] Inspection by E., (fn. 8) bishop of Salisbury of 987 repeating it in similar terms.

990. [1222–48] Grant and confirmation by Richard prior and convent to the brethren and sisters of the hospital of St. Katherine of the cemetery, saving to the grantors and their successors the custody and the custom (ordinacio) which they have and 2 lbs. of wax by way of parochial rights and that henceforth [f. 174v] any doubt may be removed on these matters (super hiis tollatur ambiguum); chirograph sealed with the seal of Holy Trinity on the part remaining with the hospital and with the seal of the dean and the archdeacon of London on the part kept by Holy Trinity because the brethren and sisters did not have a seal.

991. [?1222–?1248] Exchange made between Holy Trinity and the hospital of St. Katherine whereby Holy Trinity released to the hospital an annual rent of 5s. which they owed to the canons as 'Schaldflet' and also the exaction of tithes on the mill and the gardens (ortorum et gardinorum) which the canons received since the hospital, mill and gardens were all within the limits of the parish of St. Botolph, appropriated to Holy Trinity; in return the brethren and sisters granted to the canons a rent of 15s. 4d. p.a. in Edelmeton and 2½ acres of meadow there and they handed over all the relevant muniments; chirograph sealed with the seal of Holy Trinity on the part remaining with the hospital and with the seal of the dean and archdeacon of London [as in 990]; witnesses, John Blund, Gilbert de Thotech, William de Forda and others.

992. Note: to seek another composition made between Prior William and Brother Thomas master of the hospital of St. Katherine in the parish of St. Benet Graschyrch when Ralph Sandwich was warden of London.

993. [1218–19] Grant by R. [sic] prior and convent and confirmation to the brethren and sisters of the hospital of St. Katherine of 34s. 4d. p.a., i.e. 3s. p.a. which Angodus son of Odo was accustomed to pay from land next to land formerly of Robert the Mercer on the north in the parish of St. Mary Aldermanbury; 18d. p.a. from land which Lambert the Glover (Wanterius) held next the land of Richard de Arras on the west in the parish of Holy Trinity by (versus) Algate; 2s. p.a. from land which Robert Norensis held in the parish of All Hallows Stanenechirch next the cemetery of the church on the south; 4d. p.a. from land which Walter Brown (Brunus) held in the same parish next Craddokeslane on the west; 5s. p.a. from land which Bartholomew son of Philip held in the same parish next the land of Walter Brown on the west; 5s. p.a. which Simon Chaloner paid from land next to that of Ralph Chaloner on the west; 4s. p.a. from land which Robert de Beuerlac held in the same parish next the land of the aforesaid Simon on the west; 4s. p.a. from land which Thomas de Wileby held next the land of the aforesaid Robert on the west in the parish of All Hallows Fanchirch; 18d. p.a. from land which James the priest held in the parish of St. Dunstan; 12d. p.a. from land which William Vicinus held next the land of Joce the Weigher (Ponderator) on the south in the parish of St. Mary at Hill (de Hylla); 3s. p.a. from land which Robert Basse held next the land of Robert Cincur on the west in the parish of St. Botolph; 12d. p.a. which Ralph the Bureller (Burel) held in the parish of St. Olave by the Tower; 3s. p.a. from land which Semmanus held in the same parish next to the land of the aforesaid Ralph on the south; to hold to the hospital in perpetuity; rent to Holy Trinity 4d. p.a. to be paid within the octave of Easter without 'occasio' and miskenning; warranty against all persons; gersuma 29 marks; witnesses, Serlo Mercer, mayor, John Viel, Joce the Weigher, sheriffs and others.

994. [f. 175] [1218–19] Grant and confirmation (fn. 9) of P[eter of Cornwall], prior and convent to the hospital of St. Katherine of rents of 31s. 4d. p.a. [rents repeated as in 992 with the exception of 3s. p.a. which Angodus was accustomed to pay; warranty as in 993]; gersuma 26 marks; witnesses, [as in 993].

994 appears to be a correction of 993.