Hospitals: St David & the Holy Trinity, Kingsthorpe

28. THE HOSPITAL OF ST. DAVID AND THE HOLY TRINITY, KINGSTHORPE

In Kingsthorpe, which was a chapelry of St. Peter's on the north side of Northampton, the hospital of St. David and the Holy Trinity was founded in the year 1200 by the prior and convent of St. Andrew's, Northampton. At that time there was a chapel of St. David at Kingsthorpe, and Peter, the son of Adam of Northampton, and Henry his son, gave a house adjoining the chapel to the Cluniac priory for the reception both of travellers and the local poor. This was accepted by Walter, prior of St. Andrew's and his convent, on the condition that it should not be changed into a college of monks, canons, Templars, or Hospitallers, or nuns, and should at no time become a church, which would be obviously to the prejudice of St. Andrew's monastery, as their house stood on the north side of the town, and they owned many plots of land in Kingsthorpe. The prior granted that divine service might be held in the house, but there were to be only two altars, one in the chapel of the Holy Trinity and the other in the chapel of St. David, and it was only to possess a single bell for ringing, and might have a burial ground for the poor, and travellers and others living therein; any other parishioners might be buried there, provided they had expressly desired it in their lifetime or named it in their will. It was further ordained that in the body of the house adjoining the chapel of the Holy Trinity there should be three rows of beds wherein the poor or travellers who were invalids might lie for the more convenient hearing of mass and prayers. The provost or chaplain to rule the house should be a clerk or layman of good report, to be appointed during his lifetime by Henry of Northampton, with the counsel and consent of the priory, and after his death by the abbot of Sulby and his successors, also with the consent of the priory. The provost should take a prescribed oath on his appointment, and the like oath should be taken by two secular chaplains. There were also to be six lay brothers in the house to wait on the poor and sick, so that the number of officials should be nine. The provost and chaplain should wear habits entirely of black without any badge or ornament. The hospital was never to be united to any other house, or assigned to any private person, and the rents and profits should be applied solely to its benefit. In augmentation of the foundation the prior and convent of St. Andrew granted two virgates of land, a messuage and croft and common of pasture, which Helias held of their fee in Kingsthorpe. (fn. 1)

Bishop Grossetête (1235-1254) drew up statutes for the regulation of this hospital. The titles or headings of these statutes are given in a MS. in the Cambridge University Library. (fn. 2) From this it appears that the master was expected to eat and sleep with the brethren and attend at the canonical hours; that there were sisters as well as brethren of the hospital, who fed apart; that the sisters and brethren had nothing of their own; that the lay brethren in place of mattins said twenty Our Fathers and twenty Hail Marys, and at the other hours seven of each; that old garments were to be given to the poor, and also the remnants of the table. There was to be silence in chapel, refectory, cloisters, and dormitory, and also reading at meals. The hospitality of the house was to be observed, and the infirm duly attended. There was to be a weekly chapter, and the seal of the house should be kept under three keys.

An important award, made in 1233 by Augustine, abbot of Lavendon, and John of Northampton, arbitrators in a controversy between the prior of St. Andrew's and Philip, son of Robert of Northampton, concerning the advowson of the hospital of St. David, laid down that the prior should have the right of patronage of the mastership, but that Philip should present two of the brethren of the hospital, one lay and one clerical, so that the number be not increased. (fn. 3) In 1311 Philip le Megre of Northampton released to the master and brethren his inherited right of presenting two brethren to the hospital. (fn. 4) The masters were for the most part presented by the priory of St. Andrew.

In 1265 William, son of Henry St. John of Boughton, released to the master and brethren all his right in three loaves of bread which he received weekly from the hospital in consideration of his release of land in Boughton. (fn. 5) John Greiby, the master, and the brethren of the hospital of the Holy Trinity near Kingsthorpe, demised in 1422 to John Man, John Egle, and John Hamme, all bakers of Northampton, their two watermills at Abington, with fishing and pasture, for their lives, at a yearly rental of twelve quarters of wheat and 6s. 8d.; the grantees were not to cut any willows growing there without leave, but they might cut off 'stoceynges and shredynges' as often as they pleased. (fn. 6) In 1451 the same master and brethren granted to William Preston, chaplain, a house called 'the parlour' within the hospital, with two rooms above the parlour, a kitchen by the hall-steps, and a garden, with admission into the brotherhood, and also an annuity of seven marks for his assistance in celebrating mass. William Preston agreed to celebrate three obits yearly in the hospital for the souls of John Stotesbury, Robert Greyby and Isabel his wife, and Nicholas Gryffon. (fn. 7)

The Survey of 1535 gives the clear annual value of the hospital at £24 6s. There were at that time only two poor brethren in the house, who received jointly the sum of 65s. a year, and prayed for the soul of King John, who was represented as their founder. (fn. 8) A large number of deeds and evidences at the Public Record Office pertaining to this hospital relate chiefly to lands at Boughton, Bletsoe, East Haddon, and Wollaston, and mills at Abington. The hospital was more usually known by the title of Holy Trinity, but the older name of St. David or St. Dewes was used also; eighty out of this collection of deeds style the hospital Holy Trinity, nine St. David, and four St. Dewes, whilst one gives it as the hospital of St. David or Holy Trinity, and another as St. David and the Holy Trinity.

The last but one of the masters of this hospital, Hugh Zulley, was appointed by Philip and Mary, 5 July, 1557. He was styled magister sive custos, and the house 'domum sive hospitale Sancti David juxta Kingisthorpe alias dictum Saynt Dewes.' (fn. 9) William Richardson, the last master, was presented by Sir Henry Norrys and Sir Richard Wenman, 25 February, 1570; but he was not admitted, for he was unable to translate into English the first two lines of St. Paul's second Epistle to the Corinthians. (fn. 10)

Masters Of Kingsthorpe (fn. 11)

John, died 1233

John of Brampton, appointed 1233

Robert (Vicar of Brayfield)

Walter, (fn. 12) died 1271

Walter of Irthlingborough, (fn. 13) appointed 1271

Richard of Pykeden, appointed 1276

Roger of Boudon

Peter of Okham, appointed 1289

Peter (fn. 14) (Vicar of St. Sepulchre's, Northampton), appointed 1296, resigned 1301

William of Weldon, (fn. 15) appointed 1301, resigned 1313

John of Todington, (fn. 16) appointed 1313, resigned 1319

Robert of Catteworth, (fn. 17) appointed 1319, resigned 1327

John de St. Maur, (fn. 18) appointed 1327, resigned 1332

John de Keynes, (fn. 19) appointed 1332, resigned 1333

Ralph of Waldegrave, (fn. 20) appointed 1333

Richard le Bery, appointed 1352

Richard Bollesore, (fn. 21) appointed 1364-5

Richard Mandelyn, appointed 1383

John Pygot, (fn. 22) appointed 1395, died 1406

John Greiby, (fn. 23) appointed 1406, died 1463

Thomas Ailward, (fn. 24) appointed 1463, resigned 1465

Thomas Playn, (fn. 25) appointed 1465, resigned 1492

Robert Sherbourn, (fn. 26) appointed 1492, resigned 1496

Edward Braye, (fn. 27) appointed 1496, resigned 1505

Richard Emson, (fn. 28) appointed 1505, resigned 1517

Benet Davy, (fn. 29) appointed 1517, occurs 1536 (fn. 30)

Hugh Zulley, (fn. 31) appointed 1557

William Richardson, (fn. 32) presented 1570