31. THE HOSPITAL OF ST. JAMES, TAMWORTH
The hospital of St. James, Tamworth, was founded
by Sir Philip Marmion probably shortly before 1274
or 1275, for it was then reported that 'a religious
house' had been newly built on land at Tamworth
which Marmion had taken from the inhabitants. (fn. 1)
In 1294 a jury stated that the land was part of John
de Hastings's manor of Tamworth and that Marmion
had built a hospital there and placed in it a master
and brethren. The hospital was therefore presumably
built between 1266, when Marmion was granted
Henry de Hastings's demesnes at Wigginton and
Tamworth, (fn. 2) and 1275. In the latter year Marmion
was apparently making determined efforts to
strengthen his title to Hastings's land, (fn. 3) probably in
order to convey a secure title to his new foundation.
In 1283 Marmion granted St. James's Hospital
and its appurtenances to William de Crouebyrihal',
chaplain; (fn. 4) he was to reside in the hospital and
celebrate divine service there for the souls of the
founder and his family and all the faithful departed.
Marmion apparently added to the endowments of
the hospital by including in his grant pasture in
'Asscheland' sufficient for four oxen and two
horses. He retained the power to dismiss William
from the hospital should he be found guilty of
incontinence or of neglecting divine service there.
In the event of William's dismissal or death his
goods were to be retained for the use of the hospital.
It is evident that at the time of this grant Marmion
was planning the foundation of a house of Premonstratensian canons at Tamworth, for William
de Crouebyrihal' was to retain the hospital only
until the canons of the new monastery were ready to
take control of it. (fn. 5) The canons were then either to
receive William as a canon or brother or else to
provide him with the same food and clothing as a
canon. (fn. 6) Marmion may have intended that the
hospital itself should be the nucleus of his new
Premonstratensian foundation (fn. 7) for in 1285 he was
planning a considerable increase in its endowment
for the maintenance of five chaplains there. It was,
however, found that his proposed alienation would
be to the detriment of the Crown, and this seems to
have thwarted Marmion's purpose. (fn. 8)
Nothing more is heard of Marmion's proposed
monastic foundation, and he died in 1291 without
having carried his plans into effect. It is also unlikely
that he succeeded in further endowing his hospital,
for he was in debt during his later years. (fn. 9) In fact the
master and brethren of his hospital left because of
their poverty, and after their departure Marmion
took its lands into his own hands and leased them
out. (fn. 10)
St. James's Hospital nevertheless survived, though
it remained poorly endowed — probably too poorly
endowed to serve any eleemosynary purpose. The
patronage evidently passed to the Frevilles and
subsequently, in 1419, to the Willoughby family of
Wollaton (Notts.), who were descended from Sir
Philip Marmion's grand-daughter and coheir,
Joan. (fn. 11) When Sir Henry Willoughby visited the
hospital chapel in 1524 he made an offering of 4d.
and paid 1s. to a friar there who heard his confession
and that of his wife. On the same occasion he paid
1s. 'for bread and ale there' and 1d. 'in alms there'; (fn. 12)
it is unlikely, however, that either of these payments
can be taken to indicate that the hospital was still an
effective eleemosynary foundation. Indeed the
Willoughbys appear at least occasionally to have
followed Marmion's example by granting the
hospital lands without appointing a master. Sir
Henry Willoughby gave the hospital lands to John
Marmion, one of his household servants, and after
Marmion's death to his chaplain Robert Parrot;
Parrot, however, came to be regarded as the beneficed incumbent of the hospital. (fn. 13) This use of the
hospital lands to provide virtual annuities for the
Willoughbys' servants may not have left the chapel
entirely without the services of a priest: the friar
there in 1524 may well have been a stipendiary
priest employed by the grantee of the hospital. (fn. 14)
In 1535 the income of the 'free chapel or hospital
called Saint Jamys Spytell', amounting to £3 6s. 8d.
a year from certain lands and pastures, appears to
have belonged wholly to the 'chaplain' of the
hospital. (fn. 15) In 1546 the chantry commissioners
stated that there were no jewels, ornaments, plate, or
goods belonging to the hospital. (fn. 16) Despite the
observation in the 1548 chantry certificate that
Tamworth was one of the four places in the county
'where most need is to have hospitals for relief of
the poor', (fn. 17) the hospital was suppressed in that year;
the incumbent, Robert Parrot, received a pension of
60s. a year. (fn. 18) In 1548 the chapel and its lands were
sold; (fn. 19) some at least of the lands seem eventually to
have passed to John Voughton, yeoman, of Tamworth, who in 1593 devised 'Spittelfield' and
'Spittelhill' to his son Humphrey. (fn. 20)
The hospital chapel stands between the roads
from Tamworth to Ashby and Wigginton, about a
mile north of St. Edith's Church in Tamworth.
Some of the chapel's architectural features, typical
of an earlier period than that of Marmion's foundation, suggest that it may incorporate remains of an
older building. (fn. 21) By the end of the 18th century it
had been turned into a barn, and half a century later
it was serving as 'a small dwelling-house and barn'. (fn. 22)
An attempt was made in 1855 by brethren of the
Guild of St. Alban to establish a monastic community in the ruined chapel. (fn. 23) This failed, however,
and the chapel seems to have become simply a
dwelling-house once more. (fn. 24)
In 1906, when the remains of the chapel were
threatened by plans to build on the site, proposals
were made to restore the chapel. (fn. 25) The restoration
was carried out during 1909, (fn. 26) and the chapel was
dedicated by the Bishop of Lichfield in 1914. Since
then it has served as a mission church in the parish
of Wigginton. (fn. 27)
Masters or Chaplains
William de Crouebyrihal', appointed 1283. (fn. 28)
Thomas ad Crucem, occurs 1319. (fn. 29)
Robert Parrot, occurs 1535, chaplain at the
suppression in 1548. (fn. 30)
No seal is known.