Hospitals: Aynho

24. THE HOSPITAL OF AYNHO

The hospital of Aynho, built for the relief of the poor, the sick, and infirm, and dedicated in honour of SS. James and John, stood at the west entrance of the village. It was founded towards the close of the twelfth century by Roger Fitz Richard and Alice his wife, with the consent of their two sons, William and Robert. The grant was ratified by William de Mandeville, earl of Essex, as lord of the fee. (fn. 1) Robert Fitz Roger confirmed and added to his father's grants, and his grandson provided for the maintenance of a chaplain at the hospital to celebrate for the soul of his grandmother, Elizabeth, countess of Dunbar. (fn. 2) The hospital was under the direction of a master nominated by the lord of the manor and instituted by the bishop. The earliest name recorded is that of Peter of Maldon, presented in 1232 by Roger de Creissy, farmer of Aynho. (fn. 3)

On the death of John de Graham in 1282, and the appointment of William de Hokkeholte as master, Bishop Sutton ordered an inquisition to be held by the official of the archdeacon of Northampton into the condition of the hospital. The return found that Roger Fitz-Roger was the true patron for that turn, and that his right was undisputed; that there was no cure of souls annexed to the hospital; that its income included the tithes of 4 virgates of land, with the exception of 1 acre, and the small tithes of the lordship of John de Hay, save one lamb, one fleece, and one cheese due to the mother church of Croughton; that the hospital was founded for the pauperes debiles ac infirmos coming there; and that the new master, William de Hokkeholte, was reported to be a man of good life and honest conversation. (fn. 4)

In 1319 Sir John Clavering, lord of Aynho, gave to the hospital half a virgate of land, a messuage and a mill called 'Goldsbolte milne' with the adjacent meadow and water-course, and the custom of his tenants at the said mill. (fn. 5) The master and brethren acquired further lands in Aynho from the same lord in 1331 to the value of 5 marks yearly. (fn. 6) But with time and possibly the increase of worldly goods the institution began to fail in the accomplishment of the aims of its founders. Two of the masters, William Lambton, appointed in 1455, and Henry Wright, in 1478, became rectors of the parish church, in itself evidence that the duties of the hospital did not absorb all their cares. On 1 October, 1483, William, earl of Arundel, the patron, granted the advowson and patronage of the hospital with all its property to William Waynflete, bishop of Winchester, the founder of Magdalen College, Oxford, and on 29 August, two years later, the formal annexation of the hospital to Magdalen College was executed by the bishop with the assent of the patron, on the express ground of the neglect of the hospital to carry out the duties of hospitality and almsgiving. The patron stipulated that mass should be said daily at the Arundel altar by the president and fellows for the members of the Arundel family. (fn. 7)

Bridges (1720) states that the hospital became the dwelling-house of Mrs. Watkins, who held it on lease from Magdalen College, and that it was much altered from its first form. (fn. 8) Baker, a century later, describes it as occupied by Mr. Gardner and 'recently modernized.'

Masters of Aynho

Jordan, (fn. 9) c. 1215

Peter de Maldon, (fn. 10) presented 1232

Adam de Stutesbirie, presented 1235

Stephen, presented 1243

Peter de Wyndesover

John de Graham, (fn. 11) resigned 1282

William de Hokkeholte, (fn. 12) presented 1282, died 1293

Geoffrey de Crouleton, (fn. 13) presented 1293, died 1298

Thomas de Aynho, (fn. 14) presented 1298

Thomas Budel, (fn. 15) died 1324

William de Kirkeshagh, (fn. 16) presented 1324

Richard of Aynho, occurs 1376

Henry Bretenelle or Brudenel, occurs 1391

William Lambly alias Weston, (fn. 17) presented 1394, resigned 1398

William de Southo, (fn. 18) presented 1398

Simon Smith, (fn. 19) resigned 1401.

William Aichecote, (fn. 20) presented 1401, resigned 1407

William Humberston, (fn. 21) presented 1407, resigned 1409

William Oldon, (fn. 22) presented 1409, died 1419

John Rede, (fn. 23) presented 1419

Thomas Tong, resigned 1454

Robert Taylour, (fn. 24) presented 1454, died 1455

William Lambton, (fn. 25) presented 1455, died 1468

Nicholas Langton, (fn. 26) presented 1468, died 1478

Henry Wright, (fn. 27) presented 1478