Hospitals: Armston

HOSPITALS

23. THE HOSPITAL OF ARMSTON

In 1232 Ralph de Trubleville and Alice his wife built a hospital with a chapel, dedicated to the honour of St. John Baptist, at Armston, a hamlet of Polebrook, on their own ground, with the assent of Robert le Fleming, the patron and parson of the church of Polebrook. The entry of this foundation in Bishop Wells's roll states that the chaplain and brothers were to be dressed in a religious habit of russet cloth with the figure of a pastoral staff in red cloth on the breast. There was to be a belfry attached to the chapel for calling together the brethren, who were to be duly ministered to by the chaplain. Licence was granted by the bishop for a cemetery attached to the hospital, where the lay brothers (conversi) and the poor and sick of the hospital might be buried; but the mother church was to receive all offerings from the hospital.

It is also recorded in the same year that Aumary Schelton, chaplain, was presented by Alice de Trubleville to the rule of the hospital of Armston. (fn. 1)

Pope Boniface IX. in 1393 issued a mandate to the abbot of Sautre and the archdeacons of Buckingham and Ely to correct and reform the statutes, ordinances, and customs of the chapel or hospital of the poor of St. John (Baptist) Armston, in the diocese of Lincoln, going thither in person, and summoning, if expedient, the patron, rector, and minister thereof. (fn. 2)

The hospital was again the subject of a papal mandate in 1401, when Boniface directed the bishop of Aquila to intervene in a dispute as to the church of Oundle, which had become void through the resignation of the late Richard Treeton, on his acceptance of 'the hospital with cure of St. John, Armston.' (fn. 3)

The Chantry and College Commissioners of the end of Henry VIII.'s reign reported that the 'chantry' of Armston with £8 1s. 4d. a year had been dissolved by Sir Richard Kirkham since 4 February, 1535-6 (fn. 4); the commissioners of 2 Edward VI. that it had been sold since the last commission to 'Syr Edmund Mountague, Knight, Cheyf Justice of the Commonplais as yt is seyd.' (fn. 5)

Masters or Priors of Armston

Aumary of Schelton, (fn. 6) 1232

Hugh, (fn. 7) died 1298

Henry of Barnton, (fn. 8) 1298, resigned 1303

John le Moyne, (fn. 9) 1303

Robert Stacy, (fn. 10) resigned 1332

John of Felmersham, (fn. 11) 1332, resigned 1344

Roger Saltiel, (fn. 12) 1344, resigned 1345

Walter of Eketon, (fn. 13) 1345, died 1349

Roger of Milton, (fn. 14) 1349, died 1353

John Stalleworth, (fn. 15) 1353, died 1354

Regnold Pothors, (fn. 16) 1354, died 1357

William de Percehag, (fn. 17) 1357, died 1361

Robert Martyn, 1361, (fn. 18) died same year

William of Clopton, (fn. 19) 1361, died 1369

Henry of Etyngton, (fn. 20) 1369, died 1381

Richard of Treton, (fn. 21) 1381, resigned 1390

William Wynceby, (fn. 22) 1390, resigned 1392

John Belle, (fn. 23) 1392, resigned 1394

John Gryme, (fn. 24) 1394

William Mason, (fn. 25) 1430, died 1437

Thomas Petham, (fn. 26) 1437, died in same year

Thomas Cooke, (fn. 27) 1437, resigned 1446

Roger Shryghey, (fn. 28) 1446, died 1465

John Draper, (fn. 29) 1465, resigned 1482

Thomas Warberton, (fn. 30) 1482

James Tunstal, (fn. 31) 1540