131. CHARTERHOUSE HOSPITAL, HULL
In the Letters Patent of Edward III, (fn. 5) granting
licence to Michael de la Pole to found the
Carthusian monastery outside Kingston-uponHull, provision was made for thirteen poor men
and thirteen poor women to be included in the
scheme. They might either be a part of the
Carthusian monastery or distinct from it, as the
founder determined.
It would seem that the Carthusians were
established in an already existing 'Maison Dieu ' (fn. 6)
or hospital in the manor of Myton, outside Hull,
and presumably the monks and the poor brethren
occupied the same set of buildings. But apparently in 1383 the two foundations were
separated, and Michael de la Pole gave two
messuages to the east of the monastery to the
master and brethren of the Maison Dieu, with
lands in Cottingham and Willerby. (fn. 7)
By his charter, dated at Hull on 1 March
1394, Michael de la Pole founded, adjoining
the Charterhouse on the east, a hospital, with
1½ acres of land there, for thirteen poor men and
thirteen poor women, feeble and old, which hospital was to be known for ever as ' God's House
of Hull.' Richard Killam, priest, was appointed
the first master, and every master was to be a
priest and thirty years of age and bound to
personal residence. The poor folk were to
render obedience to him, and he was to have a
residence near the hospital and £10 yearly. He
was to say mass daily in the hospital chapel, and
the poor folk were to resort daily 'before dinner'
to hear Divine service, and say their own
prayers, and then in the afternoon to betake
themselves to some honest occupation. They
were to pray for King Richard and the founder
and other persons named, and the master was to
give them each 40s. a year for their necessaries,
viz. 8d. a week to each, and the residue of the
40s. at the four terms of St. Michael, Christmas,
Easter, and the Nativity of St. John the Baptist.
Vacancies of the mastership, or among the poor
folk, were, during the founder's life, to be filled
by the founder, and after his death by his heirs,
lords of the manor of Myton, if of full age.
If the heir was a minor, and the appointment
was delayed for a month, then during the next
fortnight the Prior of the Charterhouse was to
appoint. If he failed, then the mayor, and again
if the mayor failed within his fortnight, then the
Archdeacon of the East Riding or his official was
to make the appointment.
Provision was made for the annual rendering of
the accounts of the house. A chest was to be
kept in the treasury of the adjoining priory, into
which the founder had placed 100 marks of
silver. It was to be under the custody of the
master, the prior, and the mayor. The 100
marks was to be lent out, and the interest
placed in the chest and added to the capital.
By licence of King Richard, the founder gave
also 5 messuages in Kingston-upon-Hull, and
land and pasture in (Nottingham and Willerby,
A considerable addition to the endowment of
this hospital of Myton was made in 1408 by
Michael de la Pole, Earl of Suffolk, Sir Edmund
de la Pole, and Robert Bolton. (fn. 8)
The hospital escaped at the dissolution of
the priory, and in the chantry certificates (fn. 9) is
described as ' Thospitall of Saint Mychaell,
commonlie called Goddes House without the
Gates of Hulle.' William Man was then
master, and there were only six brothers and six
sisters, owing to the decay of the endowment
first given at the foundation, which in this case
is stated to have been 12 March, 7 Richard II
[1384-5]. The hospital was said to be within
Trinity parish, and it was needed for the
living of the master and relieving of poor and
impotent people, with twelve persons then in the
house. The goods, ornaments, &c. as by
inventory were valued at £4 7s. 8d., and the
plate at 42s. The whole of the other tenements and rentals after deducting reprises, &c.
amounted to £61 1s. There was the site of the
house and houses for sixteen poor people under
one roof, the chapel, three gardens separated, with
a highway leading to the late Charterhouse, and
environed with a brick wall, and containing an
acre and a half of ground.
In 1571 (fn. 10) the mayor and aldermen complained to Archbishop Grindal against Thomas
Turner that during the thirteen years he had
been master he had misused the hospital, ' not
only in receiving and admitting thither such as
be neither halt, lame, nor blind, but such as are
well to live in the world, and have plenty of
money, so as to let it out to usury. As also in
letting out of leases of such lands and tenements
as belong to the hospital, as well in reversion
as by surrender of the old leases, and that for
many years, and taking great fines, and incomes
for the same,' &c.
Eventually four of the aldermen with the two
chamberlains and the town clerk examined the
master's accounts for 1560 to 1571, and found
him on various heads indebted to the hospital to
the amount of £69 18s. 3d. Turner urged that
he had only followed the example of his predecessors, and had not acted mala fide. This
excuse was accepted, and it was decided not to
compel him to make restitution; but they examined the leases he had let, and as he had
granted some for unusually long periods, and
others in reversion, these were declared void. All
were given up, and fresh leases for twentyone years were granted with the assent of the
brothers and sisters of the house. For the better
rule of the hospital in future seventeen ordinances
were compiled, which can only be briefly mentioned here. In the first place the original
ordinances were to stand and be enforced 'so as
they be not contrary, varying, or repugnant to
the most wholesome and godly laws of this realm
now established for the true religion of God.'
There was again to be the full number of
thirteen brothers and thirteen sisters with their
ancient allowances. The master was yearly to
render an account of his administration, with a
full statement of all lands and chattels, in writing,
to the mayor and two aldermen, and twice a year
to make a full survey of the edifices and
buildings belonging to the hospital and see to
their repair. Daily, or at least thrice a week,
the master was tq say divine service, viz., morning and evening prayer from the Book of Common Prayer, and further instruct the brethren and
sisters in the catechism, and procure that the
brethren and sisters should each communicate at
least four times a year. He was not to alienate
any of the hospital property without the consent
of the brothers and sisters. He was not to
dismiss any of the brothers or sisters without the
consent of the mayor, and on the death of any
brother or sister he was to give notice to the
mayor within three days. The master's original
stipend of £10 was increased by £3 6s. 8d. a
year. Before Pentecost there was to be provided a muniment chest, to remain in the fittest
place in the hospital or in the safest place in the
town, with three keys of several fashions, one of
which the mayor was to have, the second the
master, and the third the senior chamberlain.
Steps were to be taken to increase the funds
so that more poor might benefit from the
hospital, and a new seal was to be made to be
called the common seal of the Hospital or
House of God; it was to be used for leases, and
kept in a leather purse in the treasury chest.
All the brothers and sisters were to take oath to
observe the statutes of Michael de la Pole, not
being contrary to the newer statutes or the laws
of the realm. The master was at the same time
made to take an oath for the due administration
of the hospital. By 1624 the revenues had so
increased that the full number of thirteen men
and thirteen women was restored, the income
being then £130, as against something less than
£ in Turner's mastership.
During the siege of Hull in 1642 (fn. 11) the buildings of the hospital and several houses in Myton
lanes were entirely destroyed by Sir John
Hotham, with a view to prevent the besiegers
from taking possession of them. The hospital
was rebuilt in 1644, (fn. 12) but was soon afterwards in
financial difficulties, a sum of £473 15s. 7d. having been expended in rebuilding it; and in 1651,
although there were only twelve poor people in it,
the house owed more than £100. A vigorous
reform was begun, and the revenues gradually
increased, so that in 1752 they amounted to
over £420, and in 1780 the then master was
able to rebuild the hospital with accommodation for forty-four brothers and sisters, there
being when Tickel wrote (1793) eighteen
poor men and twenty-five women living in
separate apartments, and each receiving 3s. 6d.
weekly, besides fuel, &.c. The revenues in 1794
were estimated to reach £850, and in 1840 (fn. 13)
amounted to upwards of £1,300, and twentyeight poor men and twenty-nine poor women
were then housed in the hospital, which in
modern times has come to be spoken of as ' The
Charterhouse.'
Robert de Killam, 1384
Simon Burton, 1428
Robert Pullan, 1448
Henry Paycock, 1468
Thomas Wilson, 1508
John Garton, 1513
Thomas Sotheby, 1514
Robert Walter, 1515
Christopher Richardson, occurs 1527 (fn. 16)
William Man, 1535
Simon Hemsey, 1552
Laurence Allan, 1555
Thomas Turner, 1558
Griffith Briskin, 1583
Thomas Wincop, 1598
Andrew Marvell, 1624
William Styles, 1641
John Shaw, 1651
William Ainsworth, 1661
Richard Kitson, 1671
John Garnet (pro tem.), 1715
John Clarke, 1716
John Bourne, 1768
132-6. OTHER HOSPITALS, HULL
Gregg's Hospital.—This hospital was founded in 1414 by John Gregg, (fn. 16) alderman and
merchant of Hull. He also founded two chantries in Trinity Church, and endowed the
whole with houses, lands, and tenements in
the town. In 1445 William Saunderson, chaplain of Gregg's Maison Dieu and chantry, enfeoffed the Mayor and burgesses of Hull and
their successors, in trust, of the lands, &c., belonging to the hospital and chantries. Licence
having been obtained from the king, the
mayor and commonalty bound themselves to
maintain them, and to pay to the thirteen poor
folk in the hospital £3 0s. 8d., on every Sunday
1s. 2d., for their maintenance, which they were
to receive at the altar of St. Lawrence in Trinity
Church. Tickell states that in the hospital there
' lately hung two antient tables, in one of which
were placed rules and orders appointed by the
founder to be observed in this house by such poor
as should be admitted unto the same; in the
other, before the reformation, were drawn the
pictures of the founders, and of Christ, to whom
this hospital was dedicated, which in the reign
of Queen Elizabeth were effaced, together with
some orders in the first table which enjoin the
poor of this house to pray for the souls of certain
persons deceased, and new rules and orders drawn
up by the mayor and aldermen were written in
their place.'
Tickell professes to quote verbatim the rules
from the founders' table, which begin, ' Thys ys
th' ordynaunce and constitucione of John Gregg,
of Kingston-upon-Hull, merchant, and of dame
Jone his wife, founders and beginners of a
mayson dieu yn ye olde Kirk lane, of the said
town, ye which ys callyd ye masen dew of
Chryste.'
Each brother or sister was to be taken by
advice of the mayor and aldermen, and those poor
people who had been ' of most worship' in the
town, and had fallen into poverty, were to be
admitted before others. Every brother or sister
might leave at will. The founders willed that
every brother and sister should say daily at 6 in
the morning, and at 6 at even, fifteen paternosters, fifteen Ave Marias, and three Credos, for
the founders' and all Christian souls. If any
married they were to leave and take their goods.
All goods were to be in common, and the garden
' common to alle the brothyrs and systers both in
herbs and dysporting both for ye pottes and ye
cuppes, and in dewe tyme yay to manour (fn. 17) and
garto set and sow the same garden by yair
best avyle for ye welefare of yem alle.' The
founders also willed that the 'prayer bell be
rongen at 6 atte clok atte morning lasting the
tyme of yair prayers,' and at even the same, by a
brother or sister.
In 1564 the mayor and aldermen altered
various of the rules for the poor ' within Corpus
Christi (sic) maison dieu.' The brothers and
sisters were to learn the belief, commandments,
and Lord's prayer in English, and not to be given
to idolatry, or worship or keep images, or practise
witchcraft. There was to be no evil living.
Those who were in health were to tend the
sick. And yearly two among the brethren and
sisters were to be chosen who should see to the
observance of the rules.
This hospital is still one of the town charities.
In Tickell's time the poor were not so comfortably lodged as in the Charterhouse Hospital,
the building, as he remarks, being very ancient,
and the apartments small. The poor were not
then fed in common according to the intent of
the founder, but lived separately, and provided in
the best manner their allowance and industry
would admit for their needs.
The hospital was situated in Postern Gate, and
in 1840 (fn. 18) housed twenty widows who received
' 2s. each weekly.' (fn. 19)
Riplingham's Hospital.— According to
Tickell, (fn. 20) John Riplingham, D.D., whom
he terms ' president of Beyerley College,' soon
after 1517 founded a hospital for twenty poor
people in Vicar Lane, and also a chantry
in Trinity Church, wherein two priests (the
last of whom were Laurence Allan and
William Parkins) (fn. 21) were daily to pray for his
soul, his parents' souls, and the souls of all
Christians. He endowed this chantry and the
hospital with the rents of eighteen tenements
and four gardens within the town, and lands, &c.,
elsewhere. Tickell says that the hospital was
standing in the beginning of the reign of
Charles I, but was destroyed during the Civil
war. John Riplingham, a son of William
Riplingham, merchant of Hull, died in 1518,
as rector of St. Martin's Vintry, London. (fn. 22)
Trinity Maison Dieu.—There was a
Maison Dieu at Beverley Gate which is referred to in the will of Dame Joan Thurescrosse of Hull, 17 September 1523, where
she bequeathed ' To the Trinitie Massendew at
Beverley gattes a matres, a coverlett, a paire of
blankettes, a paire of hardyn sheittes.' (fn. 23) It
may have been that which James de Kyngeston,
king's clerk, built for thirteen poor infirm
persons, and which he obtained the king's
licence in mortmain in 1344 to assign to John
le Couper, the master he had appointed of God's
House, to provide a habitation for thirteen poor
men and women, broken by age, misfortune,
or toil, who could not gain their own livelihood. (fn. 24)
Trinity House Hospital.—The gild of
the Holy Trinity of Kingston-upon-Hull was
formed in 1369, (fn. 25) and in 1441-2 Henry VI
granted Letters Patent constituting the gild
a body corporate. In the king's grant provision was made towards the building of an
almshouse, founded for thirteen persons, who by
misfortune of the sea shall happen to fall into
poverty, and a chapel annexed thereto.
On All Saints' Day (1 November) 1457 certain
of the masters and owners of ships by advice of
the merchants and others established as part of
the gild of the Holy Trinity, in honour of the
Holy Trinity and our Lady, 'an house of alms
within the said Kingston-upon-Hull for mariners
that be impotent and of no power of goods, in
the said house to be sustained and charitably
relieved and continued of and with lowage and
stowage, that is to say, all profits in money that
shall hereafter grow or be taken of every ship of
the said port,' &c.
The hospital thus founded in connexion with
the corporation of Trinity House, Hull, has been
so intimately connected with and managed by
that corporation that its history is part of the
history of Trinity House.
Selby's Hospital.—This hospital seems to
have been founded by Richard de Ravenser,
Archdeacon of Lincoln, and Robert de Selby,
his brother, for twelve poor men, each of
whom was to receive one halfpenny a day. (fn. 26)
In 1392 (fn. 27) lands in Lund were conveyed to
the Prior and convent of Guisborough for
its support and the maintenance of a chantry
for a canon regular in Trinity Church, Hull, at
that time a chapel in the parish of Hessle, the
church of which belonged to Guisborough.
Leland says that Selby's Hospital stood on the
north side of the church. (fn. 28)