25. THE HOSPITAL OF ST. MARY MAGDALEN, WINCHESTER
The original site of the hospital of St.
Mary Magdalen was about a mile due east of
Winchester, on the down which was called
after it Magdalen Hill, now Morne Hill. It
does not seem to be possible to trace its first
foundation with any certainty, although the
cumulative presumptions in favour of Bishop
Ilchester (1174-89) being the founder, ingeniously put forth by Dr. Milner, (fn. 13) seem
highly probable. Moreover the elaborate
drawings made of the remains of its chapel
by Mr. Schnebbelie, (fn. 14) in 1788, corroborate
this view, as they show that the main work
was apparently late in the Norman style.
The first mention of the hospital occurs in
the register of Bishop Pontoise (1280-1304),
where it is named in a list of benefices of
which the Bishops of Winchester had been
patrons for a long time. (fn. 15) It is mentioned
once in Stratford's register, under the year
1325, when it is called a hospital for lepers. (fn. 16)
Pope John XXII. in 1333 granted a faculty
to the prior and chapter of Wine ster to
appropriate the church of Wonsington, value
£40, out of which, however £25 19s. 4d.
was to be paid yearly to the hospital of St.
Mary Magdalen, according to the prescription
of Henry, late bishop of the see. (fn. 17) The
foundation at that time consisted of a priest
(master) and nine poor brethren and nine poor
sisters.
On 8 September, 1334, the keepers of the
temporalities of the see of Winchester, then
in the king's hands, were directed to pay to
the master and paupers of the hospital of St.
Mary Magdalen on the hill, the arrears of a
certain fixed sum for their maintenance, as
they had been in the habit of receiving such a
sum during voidance from the king's progenitors. (fn. 1) In 1336 the taxers and collectors of
the tenth and fifteenth in Hampshire were
ordered not to molest or aggrieve the master
and brethren of the hospital, and to permit
them to be quit for that turn, as the hospital
was so slenderly endowed that its goods hardly
sufficed for the maintenance of the master,
brethren and sisters, and of the weak and
infirm there, and for other alms according to
the foundation. (fn. 2)
From Bishop Orlton's registers the interesting fact is established that it was at one time
customary for the bishop to collate not only
the master, but the various inmates of the
house, whether brothers or sisters. Thus in
1338 Bishop Orlton collated William de
Berwick to a portion or share in the house,
with all its rights, customs and pittances. In
1339 the bishop collated Margaret Greenway
to another portion, which had been held by
Henry le Bule, clerk, whilst he remained in
the hospital. In 1342 the same bishop collated William de Basynge, clerk, to the perpetual custody of the hospital, assigning to the
custodian or master four 'greater portions.' (fn. 3)
Both in Orlton's and Wykeham's registers the
chapel of St. Mary Magdalen is termed a
chantry, in consequence of the obligations
that rested on the priest and brethren and
sisters to pray for the souls of the founders
and of all the faithful departed.
According to Trussell's MS. history of
Winchester, 'The House of St. Mary Magdalene was founded by Maria de Valentia,
daughter of Guido, Earle of St. Pawle of
Fraunce, wief of Adamore de Valentia,
Earle of Pembrokke, in the dayes of
Edwarde the Third.' (fn. 4) This is of course
incorrect, but it may quite possibly refer
to some special benefaction, or scheme of
refounding. Certain it is that there was a
considerable architectural reconstruction of the
hospital in the first half of the fourteenth
century.
In 1394, John Melton, who was the first
schoolmaster of Winchester College, was collated by Bishop Wykeham to the wardenship
of the hospital and chantry, to which, as
again stated, was assigned the share of four
'greater portions.' (fn. 5) The form of collation
reminded the new master of his obligations,
for therein is reference to the Quia contingit
bull of Clement, whereby he was bound to
make an annual return of the goods and
expenditure of the hospital. In the following
year the bishop, on the death of William
Chaloner, one of the brethren, collated Roger
Muleward to his place; John Melton, the
master, was ordered to induct the new
brother. (fn. 6) Much earlier in his episcopate
(1369), Wykeham had collated to this hospital one Adam Coudrich, who is described
as aged, weak, poverty stricken, and unable
with his own hands to gain a maintenance.
Wykeham was as keen to check abuses on
a small scale as those on a larger throughout
his diocese. Encouraged by the successful
issue of his contention with the great hospital
of St. Cross, he next turned his attention to
the much humbler foundation of St. Mary
Magdalen. On 1 September, 1400, he
appointed John Campeden, Archdeacon of
Surrey, and Simon Membury, treasurer of
Wolvesey, two of his most trusted friends, as
commissioners, with full power to visit and
inquire into the condition and administration
of this hospital. (fn. 7) The report showed that
many 'delinquencies, crimes, and excesses,
had been brought to light; and Wykeham'
on 20 November of the same year, commissioned Campeden and Membury, together
with John Elmore, his official, to punish
canonically the offenders, and even to expel
the master, or any other delinquent, if justice
required it. (fn. 8)
Among the Harley MSS. (fn. 9) is a portion of
a rental of the hospital, with an inventory of
the furniture of the chapel and house, taken
about 1400. The receipts were: £25 19s. 4d.
from the treasurer of Wolvesey; £6 9s. 4d.
from the prior of St. Swithun's; 22s. from
the abbot of Hyde; 60s. from the bailiffs of
Winchester; and 16s. 3d. in rents—yielding
a total of £37 6s. 11d. These receipts were
thus allotted. The sum from Wolvesey was for
eighteen persons, 5d. a week each for victuals,
and 6s. a year each for clothing. From the
entries already cited in the registers of Orlton
and Wykeham, it would seem that four of
these portions were allotted to the master, and
that would reduce the other inmates to fourteen, or seven of each sex. It is quite clear
from this and other documents that the episcopal founder of this house originally designed
it for eighteen inmates, nine of each sex, and
that by the fourteenth century a reduction to
fourteen, in addition to the master, had been
accomplished. (fn. 1) The sum from St. Swithun's
was assigned to ten persons, 3d. a week for
each, namely three farthings on Sunday and
on three week days, and nothing for clothing
unless the convent, for love of God, gave
them some old clothes. It would seem as if
this pension, when originally granted, was
intended for the partial relief of ten persons
outside the bishop's eighteen. From the
same source were supplied four flitches of
bacon, namely one on each of the eves of
Christmas, Ash Wednesday, Easter and
Pentecost. The money from the bailiffs and
from Hyde Abbey was for the general support of the brethren and sisters. There were
also for the support of the house 14 acres of
land, and pasturage for 101 sheep in the
pasture of St. Swithun. The oblations
received at the chapel on the festival of St.
Mary Magdalen were reserved for the repairs
of the house and the walls, save 13s. 4d.,
which was assigned for the reaping and carrying, of their corn. Offerings made at other
times were divided equally among the inmates.
The warden's stipend is named as consisting
of four of the greater portions, that is of those
provided from the Wolvesey bequest, and
came to £5 15s. 4d.
The ornaments of the chapel included in
addition to chalices, crosses, vestments, etc., a
rochet for (the image of) Magdalen; an old
missal; a new one worth 100s., the gift of
William Basinge, a former master; a great
noted portifer, worth 60s.; two old antiphonars; a legendary of the saints; a calendar
(temporal'); three psalters; a collectary; a
hymnary; a manual and three graduals; a
green carpet powdered with birds and roses;
and five banners for carrying at Rogation-tide.
The inventory of the brass and pewter in the
domestic buildings mentions six houses, besides
the master's house.
The visitor, according to the list of questions, was to inquire if the chaplain (master)
duly celebrated and said the canonical hours;
if he lived chastely and soberly and visited the
sick and punished delinquents; if he wasted
the hospital's substance, or allowed any
destructions of houses or trees; and if he
reproved evil livers; whether husbands and
wives were cohabiting in the hospital or had
a house there; if the clerk served the church
and chaplain with due obedience; whether
there were any living in common, or in
separate houses using their portion in any bad
or extravagant way; if there was any one
disobedient, or quarrelsome, or wandering
contrary to the statutes; whether the goods
of a deceased inmate went to the works of the
church after the payment of debts; whether
any one was unwilling to submit to the justice
and discipline of the master; whether any
brother or sister was not living in Christian
peace; and finally whether any one entered
into the house save through the treasurer of
Wolvesey.
It seems highly probable, as the rest of this
MS. book pertains to Wykeham, that these are
the very list of questions drawn up for the
guidance of his commissaries in 1400. From
a study of them it seems obvious that there
were at that time six houses, in addition to
the master's house, in which lived those inmates who drew major portions, as well as
others, namely the ten provided for by the St.
Swithun's pension, who lived in a common
hall and dorter.
The exact issue of Wykeham's inquiry and
correction cannot be now ascertained; but it
is fair to assume that the condition of the
hospital was materially improved, otherwise
he would scarcely have made the hospital a
bequest in his will, which was drawn up
about two and a half years after the inquiry
had been held.
Among testamentary bequests to this hospital may be mentioned 6s. 8d. in 1420, by
John Fromond, steward of Winchester College under Wykeham, the words of whose
will are: Lego ad distribuendum inter leprous
B. Marie Magdalene, Wynton. (fn. 2) This need
not however be taken to prove that the
brothers and sisters were all, or even any of
them, lepers. Like many another hospital
founded for the relief of lepers, as the disease
disappeared the inmates were selected from
other poor and impotent folk. (fn. 3) The Valor
of 1535 gave the gross income as £42 16s.
William Atkinson was at that time master.
Hospitals were not included in the Act of
Edward VI. for the dissolution of chantries
and other like foundations, and therefore St.
Mary Magdalene's does not appear in the
certificates taken under this Act, but in the
certificate of 1545 its value is entered as
£41 6s. 8d., of which £19 7s. 4d. was
divided amongst nine poor men and women.
After other payments, there was a balance
left for the master and the repair of tenements
of £13 9s. 4d. The certificate states that
the hospital was founded by the Bishop of
Winchester 'to pray for the soules of ther
founders and all crysten soules.' The great
reduction in numbers from eighteen to nine is
not such a flagrant instance of mismanagement or peculation as might at first seem to
be the case. By far the larger part of the
hospital's income came from fixed pensions,
and the purchasing power of money had
certainly lessened by one half in the course of
three and a half centuries.
Dr. Ebden, master of the hospital, by
indenture dated 2 September, 1611, gave
£10 annually to be divided at the rate of 4d.
weekly to each of the brethren and sisters,
and a gown each at Christmas.
At the time of the great Civil War the
hospital suffered severely from the king's troops.
Out of its little flock of sheep thirty-six
were killed by the soldiers, and the remainder
had to be conveyed away sixteen miles for
safety. Much corn was stolen, and the great
gates, doors, barn and stable fittings, in short
everything of wood was burnt. Even the
furniture of the chapel down to the very
holy table were used for fuel, and horses of
the troopers were stabled in the sanctuary.
The master, brethren and sisters petitioned
Lord Hopton, general of the Royalist forces
in the west, as to the destitution and misery
brought on the inmates. In an order dated
19 March, 1643, the general promised inquiry
and redress.
The master and poor folk had not long
been in their renovated houses, when the
government of Charles II., in 1665, chose to
seize it as a place of confinement for the
Dutch prisoners of war, and to order that the
almsfolk were to be removed into lodgings at
Winchester at the king's expense. The
result was most disastrous; the Dutch
prisoners used all the woodwork, including
that of the restored chapel, for fuel; and the
chapel bell, and all iron and lead were carried
away. In short, the hospital was ruined; and
the master, brethren and sisters found it impossible to return when the war was over.
The estimate for rebuilding and repairing
was £650, but the government would only
allow £100. Dr. Gulston was at that time
master. His successor, Dr. Darel, who was
also archdeacon of Winchester, purchased, in
1671, some tenements for the poor outcasts
in Colebrook Street, which were left after his
death in trust for the use of the hospital. In
1788 the remnants of the old buildings, including the beautiful chapel, still bearing
many traces of wall painting, (fn. 1) were pulled
down, and the materials used for the erection
of six plainly built almshouses on the upper
side of Water Lane, in the East Soke.
The old buildings are fully described as
well as illustrated in the Vetusta Monumenta. (fn. 2)
A view of their original state is given at
page 155 of Mr. Wavell's second volume,
before referred to, wherein are shown the
chapel with master's house and common
rooms adjoining, together with the range of
small houses for those who held the major
portions.
Masters of The Hospital. of St. Mary
Magdalen, Winchester
William de Basynge, collated 1342 (fn. 3)
John Melton, collated 1394 (fn. 4)
William Waynflete, 1438 (fn. 5)
William Atkinson, 1535
Dr. Ebden, 1611
Dr. Gulston, 1665
Dr. Darel, 1671
Mr. Wavell, 1773