18. THE HOSPITAL OF ST. LEONARD, LANCASTER
The hospital of lepers at Lancaster, dedicated
to St. Leonard, is said to have been founded by
King John when count of Mortain and lord of
the honour of Lancaster, 1189-94. (fn. 25) It is first
mentioned in the charter which he granted between those dates to Lancaster Priory. (fn. 26) In the
fourteenth century it sustained a chaplain and
nine poor persons, of whom three were to be
lepers, (fn. 27) but it is always referred to in early
documents as the hospitale leprosorum of Lancaster.
John's grant included free pasture for their
animals in his forest of Lonsdale, and the right
of taking fuel and building timber therein without payment. Deprived of these privileges during the civil troubles which followed, they secured
orders for their enforcement from Henry III in
1220, (fn. 28) 1225, (fn. 29) and 1229. (fn. 30) From Pope Celestine III (1191-8) they claimed to have obtained
exemption from payment of tithes on lands in
their own cultivation. This led to disputes with
the priory of Lancaster, which owned the rectorial
tithes of the parish. The first recorded ended
in a compromise about 1245. (fn. 31) In 1317 there
was further litigation. The prior complained
that the master of the hospital withheld tithes at
Skerton and Lancaster to the amount of £5, and
the oblations of the hospital chapel, worth £1.
On the question of tithe the master pleaded the
bull of Pope Celestine, to which the prior retorted that the benefits of the bull were exclusively intended for lepers, (fn. 32) and that in any case it
only covered land newly brought into cultivation,
whereas that in dispute had been cultivated from
time immemorial. He alleged seisin of both tithes
and oblations since the date of the bull. Judgement was given against the hospitalonboth heads. (fn. 33)
On the forfeiture of Thomas of Lancaster the
advowson of the hospital was taken into the
hands of the crown, and one William de Dalton
obtaining a grant of the wardenship ejected
several of the lepers and poor inmates, and sublet the wardenship to William de Skipton and
Alan de Thornton, who diverted much of its
revenue to their own uses. (fn. 34) A protest was
made and the king ordered an inquiry. The
jury reported (5 October, 1323) that the custom
had been for the brethren to elect one of the
lepers as master and present him to the seneschal
of Lancaster, who instituted him. (fn. 35) Three years
later, however, the crown appointed a warden. (fn. 36)
On 1 November, 1356, the mastership being
vacant, Henry duke of Lancaster gave the hospital to the nuns of Seton in Cumberland to
relieve their poverty. (fn. 37) His generosity is said to
have been inspired by his servant, Sir Robert Lawrence, kt., of Ashton, near Lancaster, a kinsman
of the prioress. (fn. 38) The grant was conditional on
the consent of the burgesses of Lancaster and
on the nuns finding at the priory a chantry of one
chaplain to replace that at the hospital and agreeing to continue its alms and dues at Lancaster. (fn. 39)
How long this last condition continued to be
fulfilled is not recorded, but an inquiry held at the
instance of the burgesses in 1531 showed that no
alms had been done for sixty years, and that the
lazar house had been pulled down and the church
and other buildings allowed to fall into ruin.
The prioress, though summoned, did not appear
to answer the allegations of the townsmen. (fn. 40)
In the Taxatio of Pope Nicholas the possessions of the hospital after allowing for necessary
expenses were assessed at 13s. 4d. (fn. 41) The temporalities comprised one plough-land in Skerton,
with a manor and mill in Lancaster. (fn. 42) According to the jurors of 1531 they had been worth
about £6 13s. 4d. a year; (fn. 43) they were assessed
in 1535 at £6. (fn. 44) The daily portion of the
brethren according to the inquisition of 1323
reveals the poverty of the house; it consisted of
a loaf weighing 1 lb. 12 oz. with pottage on
Sunday, Monday and Friday. (fn. 45)
Masters or Wardens of the Hospital
Nicholas, (fn. 46) occurs 1224-5
William Dalton, (fn. 47) occurs 1323
Richard de Cesaye, (fn. 48) appointed 23 February, 1326
Robert de Arden, (fn. 49) occurs 1334