36. THE HOSPITAL OF CASTLE HEDINGHAM (fn. 1)
Hugh de Vere, earl of Oxford (1221-1263),
founded a hospital outside the gate of the castle
for the celebration of divine service for the souls
of himself and his wife, ancestors, and heirs, and
the lodging and refection of poor and impotent
persons. The prioress and convent of Hedingham at first opposed the foundation, fearing that
it would be prejudicial to them, being within the
limits of the parish church, which belonged
to them; but afterwards an agreement was
come to. The earl and his heirs were to have
two or three chaplains, more or less, to celebrate
divine service in the hospital, but none of the
parishioners were to be admitted to any sacrament. The chaplains should have their own
cemetery in the soil of the hospital for themselves and the clerks, lay-brothers and infirm, and
these should be exempt from parochial charges,
though other laymen serving the hospital should
not be. They might have two bells in or by
their chapel. Any offerings in the hospital
should go to its use. But nothing should be to
the prejudice of the customary right of the parish
church, and the hospital should pay tithes to it
from its goods, except its garden produce and
other things growing there and offerings; and
the chaplains before celebrating divine service
were to take oath to the prioress and convent to
keep this ordinance.
Nothing is known of the end of the hospital,
but it is likely that it was absorbed by the
priory.