16. THE HOSPITAL OF ST. LEONARD, DERBY
There was a hospital for lepers outside the walls
of Derby, above the Osmaston Road, somewhere
near the present street of St. Leonard's; for this
hospital like so many other leper-houses founded
by the Normans was dedicated in honour of
the French hermit. It was a house of royal
foundation and probably established by Henry II,
for an inspeximus and confirmation charter of
Edward II cites an exemption granted by
Henry II to the lepers of the Domus Dei or God's
House of Derby—a name by which St. Leonard's was often known—from payment of
tallages, taxes, escheats, and all other contribution. The same inspeximus also cites a mandate
of 17 Henry II (1171) securing them in the
enjoyment of these immunities. (fn. 1)
In the Derby chartulary is an undated agreement between the abbey and the brethren of
St. Leonard, with Henry their chaplain; from
the witnesses it can be assigned to circa 1220.
The canons thereby sanctioned the chaplain of
St. Leonard's to daily administer the divine
offices in the oratory of the hospital, and to
receive all offerings over and above 10s. a year. (fn. 2)
In 1245 Nicholas le Jovene, in consideration of
a sparrow hawk, granted to the Master of the
Hospital of St. Leonard half a toft in Derby, at
the yearly rent of 9d. for all service. (fn. 3) On
12 March, 1309, Gerard Salvyn, escheator
beyond the Trent, was ordered to replevy to
the master and brethren of the hospital of
St. Leonard, Derby, until the next Parliament,
a messuage taken into the king's hand by the
escheator, because the master received it from
Alice de Wodeford who had held it of him in
fee, but Alice being unable to pay the rent the
master entered on the messuage without the
king's writ. At the same time order was made
to restore to the master and brethren a messuage
that William de Kersonton, who committed
felony, held of them, which they had entered,
after the year and the day, without the king's
writ. (fn. 4)
The first known master of this hospital would
appear to be Henry de Roucestre, who is said, in
a suit brought in 1330 by the then master
for the recovery of ten closes in Derby, to have
been master in the time of Henry III. (fn. 5) It
would, however, seem probable that this is
slightly too early a date for him, as it is recorded
that Henry de Roucestre, master of the house of
lepers of St. Leonard, and Henry Howes, a
brother of the same house, were accused of
killing one Henry Bonde in 1305, but subsequently acquitted. (fn. 6)
On 8 July, 1316, grant was made by Edward II
of the custody of the hospital of St. Leonard,
Derby, during pleasure to Roger de Luchirche,
king's chaplain. (fn. 7) In September of the same
year, at the instance of Thomas, earl of Lancaster, protection was granted for a year for the
hospital of lepers of St. Leonard, Derby, and
for their men and lands, the hospital being of
royal foundation, and so poor that it scarcely
sufficed for the sustenance of the lepers. (fn. 8)
Edward III, when at Nottingham in April 1327,
confirmed the grant of the late king to Roger
de Luchirche, chaplain, of the custody of this
hospital during pleasure. (fn. 9)
On 2 September of the same year, the king
commissioned Adam de Brom, Herbert Ponger,
and Edmund de Grymesby to visit the hospital
to inquire into and correct various abuses arising
from the decay of good discipline and the waste
and alienation of goods and possessions; with
power if necessary to take inquisition by oath of
men of the county of Derby, and to correct and
punish the guilty. They were to survey the
estate, to examine the warden, brethren, and
officials. The sheriff was ordered to cause juries
to attend on any day fixed by the commissioners. (fn. 10)
The result of this commission (fn. 11) was that Roger
de Luchirche, acting as warden, John de Barewe
and Richard Pot, able-bodied brethren, and
Roger de Duranthorpe and Geoffrey de Aylesbury, infirm brethren, appeared before the visitors
sitting in the chapel of the hospital. The warden
being sworn said that he had the custody of hospital by virtue of letters patent of the present king
confirming other letters of the late king. Being
required to show the rules of the house, he said
that they never had a rule there; when any
vacancy occurs the brethren admit some one either
able-bodied or infirm at their pleasure, and he
who is thus admitted shall take the oaths of
obedience, poverty, and chastity, and swear not
to reveal the secrets of the house to any stranger,
but they do not make any other profession, nor
do they have any peculiar dress or tonsure, nor
are they accustomed to perform prayers or other
alms except such as each chooses. Further, he
said that Roger de Duranthorpe had carried off the
foundation charter and the common seal without
leave of the warden and brethren, and had involved the hospital by giving many bonds sealed
with the same seal for various sums of money to
certain persons, and that year he had taken from
their stock at Derby 133 sheep and drove them
to Mackworth, and there they were shorn at the
house of Robert le Foucher, and the wool was
sold by the said Roger and disposed of to Roger
de Bredon of Derby; also he sold fifty-eight
lambs belonging to the hospital's stock for
63s. 8d., and took 22s. 8d. of the farm of their
will, and of all this none was spent for the good
of the hospital, but was wasted and expended on
bailiffs and others to take his part against the
warden, to the manifest injury of the hospital.
And all the other brethren being examined
separately, agreed in all points with the warden.
Roger de Duranthorpe being sworn, acknowledged that he had the charter and seal, and said
that they were in safe keeping in the town of
Derby, and being ordered to fetch them at once
promised faithfully to do so, and went out for
that purpose. The commissioners had to wait
a long time, but at last he returned, and being
asked for the charter and seal said he had changed
his mind, and refused to give them up, though
commanded to do so in the king's name and by
his oath of obedience, nor would he answer
their questions. So they gave sentence that he
should be ejected from the hospital, and ordered
the master no longer to allow him to remain
there. On other points the master and brethren
reported all well. John de Barewe said that he
had been in the hospital seventeen years, at first
as cook and afterwards as chaplain.
On 15 April, 1328, the king granted the
mastership for life of St. Leonard's to Thomas de
Goldington, king's clerk; at the same time a
writ de intendendo to the brethren and sisters of
the hospital, and a mandate to the sheriff to
induct him were issued. (fn. 12) Thomas de Goldyngton, described as master of the house of God and
the leprous persons therein, obtained inspection
and confirmation under privy seal, on 29 June,
1331, of letters patent of 2 Edward I, whereby
the liberties granted to the house by Henry II
and Henry III were confirmed. (fn. 13)
On 8 January, 1333, the taxers and collectors of the tenth and fifteenth in Derbyshire
were ordered not to molest or aggrieve the master
and brethren of the hospital of St. Leonard,
Derby, founded by the king's progenitor, for
these dues, inasmuch as the house was so slenderly endowed that its goods barely sufficed for
the maintenance of the master and brethren and
of the leprous persons. (fn. 14)
Thomas de Goldington, who was a surgeon
and was also master of Bolton Hospital in
Northumberland, (fn. 15) seems to have been a failure
in the administration of his house. In March
1340 a commission was issued by the crown to
William de Cossall and Roger de Baukwell to
visit the hospital, which was reported to be greatly
decayed through misrule, and to take measures,
to reform its estate, and to inflict due punishment
on all persons responsible for the decay. The
commission was renewed in the following May,
when Richard de Wylughby and Richard de la
Pole took the place of William de Cossall. (fn. 16)
On 28 September of the same year a fine of
half a mark was paid to the king for confirmation
of an agreement whereby Warden Goldyngton
and the brethren of St. Leonard's undertook to
receive Henry de Fyndern as a brother, and
grant him for life food, raiment, and other
necessaries, and a chamber under the master's
chamber adjoining the chapel, with free ingress
and egress. (fn. 17) There was doubtless some handsome compensation made for this grant of a life
corrody, as the brethren were not fond of unremunerative boarders, Thomas de Goldington
being summoned by William Tappe of Derby
in 1330 for refusing to admit him to food and
lodging in the hospital as ordered by the king's
letters patent. (fn. 18)
The administration did not, however, improve,
and on 7 June, 1341, yet another commission
was appointed to correct the misrule and to
chastise as they deserved all those who were
found to be blameworthy. The duty of reformation and chastisement was committed by
the king on this occasion to a religious, namely
the abbot of Burton-on-Trent, and with him
were associated Thomas de Clopton and Richard
de la Pole. (fn. 19) This commission seems also
to have been futile, for actually another, with
like powers, was nominated by Edward III
in November, 1342. (fn. 20) Again, in July 1345
the prior of Repton, with two colleagues, were
appointed for a like purpose. (fn. 21)
A commission was issued to the abbot of
Darley and two others in September 1345 to
make a visitation of this hospital, as the king was
informed that Master Thomas de Goldyngton,
warden, was exercising the office of surgeon of
the commonalty, neglecting the duties of the
wardenship, dissipating the goods, and alienating
the lands of the house. The commissioners
were to examine the warden and the brethren
and sisters of the hospital severally, and to find
on inquisition by the oath of good men of the
county, the whole truth as to the condition of
the house. (fn. 22) The report of this commission is
not extant, but it would appear that Goldyngton
died in the Black Death, or was called upon to
resign, for in August, 1349, the king appointed
Robert de Sandford as warden for life. (fn. 23)
Mention is made of the house of the Lepers,
Derby, in the boundaries of property in two
charters respectively dated 1352 and 1359. (fn. 24)
William de Pakyngton, king's clerk, was granted
the custody for life on 20 October, 1377; but
in the following April the letters patent of that
appointment were revoked, William de Pakyngton having obtained them by false representation.
The late king, it was then stated, had granted
the wardenship to Henry de Coton, clerk, who,
after holding it for some time, was suddenly
ejected by William, whereupon Henry petitioned
the king in Parliament with the result that the
sheriff of Derby was commanded to give notice
to William to appear in Chancery, and to show
cause why Henry should not be restored. He
appeared, but would show no cause, and mandate
was issued to the bailiffs of Derby to reinstate
Henry. (fn. 25)
There is no special entry pertaining to this
hospital in the Valor Ecclesiasticus of 1535, but
in the annual outgoings at that date from Darley
Abbey is the sum of 5s. 6d. to the master of
St. Leonard's, Derby. The certificate of the
last year of Henry VIII shows that there were
no goods pertaining to the hospital, that a priest
took all the profits, and that the lands were
farmed at 10s. a year.
Masters Of St. Leonard's, Derby
Henry de Roucestre, occurs 1305 (fn. 26)
Roger de Luchirche, appointed 1316 (fn. 27)
Thom de Goldington, appointed 1328, (fn. 28)
occurs 1348 (fn. 29)
Robert de Sandford, appointed 1349 (fn. 30)
Henry de Coton, occurs 1377 (fn. 31)
John Candelesby, resigned 1401 (fn. 32)
John Kyrkeby, appointed 1401 (fn. 32)
Thomas Normanton, occurs 1461, (fn. 33) died
1479 (fn. 34)
John Tyrry (fn. 34)