28. THE HOSPITAL OF ST. DAVID AND THE HOLY TRINITY, KINGSTHORPE
In Kingsthorpe, which was a chapelry of
St. Peter's on the north side of Northampton,
the hospital of St. David and the Holy
Trinity was founded in the year 1200 by
the prior and convent of St. Andrew's, Northampton. At that time there was a chapel of
St. David at Kingsthorpe, and Peter, the son of
Adam of Northampton, and Henry his son, gave
a house adjoining the chapel to the Cluniac
priory for the reception both of travellers and
the local poor. This was accepted by Walter,
prior of St. Andrew's and his convent, on the
condition that it should not be changed into a
college of monks, canons, Templars, or Hospitallers, or nuns, and should at no time become
a church, which would be obviously to the prejudice of St. Andrew's monastery, as their house
stood on the north side of the town, and they
owned many plots of land in Kingsthorpe. The
prior granted that divine service might be held
in the house, but there were to be only two
altars, one in the chapel of the Holy Trinity
and the other in the chapel of St. David, and it
was only to possess a single bell for ringing, and
might have a burial ground for the poor, and
travellers and others living therein; any other
parishioners might be buried there, provided they
had expressly desired it in their lifetime or
named it in their will. It was further ordained
that in the body of the house adjoining the
chapel of the Holy Trinity there should be three
rows of beds wherein the poor or travellers who
were invalids might lie for the more convenient
hearing of mass and prayers. The provost or
chaplain to rule the house should be a clerk or
layman of good report, to be appointed during
his lifetime by Henry of Northampton, with the
counsel and consent of the priory, and after his
death by the abbot of Sulby and his successors,
also with the consent of the priory. The provost
should take a prescribed oath on his appointment,
and the like oath should be taken by two secular
chaplains. There were also to be six lay brothers
in the house to wait on the poor and sick, so that
the number of officials should be nine. The
provost and chaplain should wear habits entirely
of black without any badge or ornament. The
hospital was never to be united to any other
house, or assigned to any private person, and the
rents and profits should be applied solely to its
benefit. In augmentation of the foundation the
prior and convent of St. Andrew granted two
virgates of land, a messuage and croft and common
of pasture, which Helias held of their fee in
Kingsthorpe. (fn. 1)
Bishop Grossetête (1235-1254) drew up statutes for the regulation of this hospital. The
titles or headings of these statutes are given in a
MS. in the Cambridge University Library. (fn. 2) From
this it appears that the master was expected to
eat and sleep with the brethren and attend at the
canonical hours; that there were sisters as well
as brethren of the hospital, who fed apart; that
the sisters and brethren had nothing of their own;
that the lay brethren in place of mattins said
twenty Our Fathers and twenty Hail Marys, and
at the other hours seven of each; that old garments were to be given to the poor, and also the
remnants of the table. There was to be silence
in chapel, refectory, cloisters, and dormitory, and
also reading at meals. The hospitality of the
house was to be observed, and the infirm duly
attended. There was to be a weekly chapter,
and the seal of the house should be kept under
three keys.
An important award, made in 1233 by Augustine, abbot of Lavendon, and John of Northampton, arbitrators in a controversy between the
prior of St. Andrew's and Philip, son of Robert
of Northampton, concerning the advowson of
the hospital of St. David, laid down that the
prior should have the right of patronage of the
mastership, but that Philip should present two
of the brethren of the hospital, one lay and one
clerical, so that the number be not increased. (fn. 3) In
1311 Philip le Megre of Northampton released
to the master and brethren his inherited right of
presenting two brethren to the hospital. (fn. 4) The
masters were for the most part presented by the
priory of St. Andrew.
In 1265 William, son of Henry St. John of
Boughton, released to the master and brethren
all his right in three loaves of bread which he
received weekly from the hospital in consideration of his release of land in Boughton. (fn. 5) John
Greiby, the master, and the brethren of the
hospital of the Holy Trinity near Kingsthorpe,
demised in 1422 to John Man, John Egle, and
John Hamme, all bakers of Northampton, their
two watermills at Abington, with fishing and
pasture, for their lives, at a yearly rental of twelve
quarters of wheat and 6s. 8d.; the grantees were
not to cut any willows growing there without
leave, but they might cut off 'stoceynges and
shredynges' as often as they pleased. (fn. 6) In
1451 the same master and brethren granted to
William Preston, chaplain, a house called 'the
parlour' within the hospital, with two rooms
above the parlour, a kitchen by the hall-steps,
and a garden, with admission into the brotherhood, and also an annuity of seven marks for his
assistance in celebrating mass. William Preston
agreed to celebrate three obits yearly in the hospital for the souls of John Stotesbury, Robert
Greyby and Isabel his wife, and Nicholas Gryffon. (fn. 7)
The Survey of 1535 gives the clear annual
value of the hospital at £24 6s. There were
at that time only two poor brethren in the
house, who received jointly the sum of 65s. a
year, and prayed for the soul of King John, who
was represented as their founder. (fn. 8) A large
number of deeds and evidences at the Public
Record Office pertaining to this hospital relate
chiefly to lands at Boughton, Bletsoe, East Haddon, and Wollaston, and mills at Abington.
The hospital was more usually known by the
title of Holy Trinity, but the older name of
St. David or St. Dewes was used also; eighty
out of this collection of deeds style the hospital
Holy Trinity, nine St. David, and four St. Dewes,
whilst one gives it as the hospital of St. David or
Holy Trinity, and another as St. David and the
Holy Trinity.
The last but one of the masters of this hospital, Hugh Zulley, was appointed by Philip and
Mary, 5 July, 1557. He was styled magister
sive custos, and the house 'domum sive hospitale
Sancti David juxta Kingisthorpe alias dictum
Saynt Dewes.' (fn. 9) William Richardson, the last
master, was presented by Sir Henry Norrys and
Sir Richard Wenman, 25 February, 1570; but
he was not admitted, for he was unable to translate into English the first two lines of St. Paul's
second Epistle to the Corinthians. (fn. 10)
Masters Of Kingsthorpe (fn. 11)
John, died 1233
John of Brampton, appointed 1233
Robert (Vicar of Brayfield)
Walter, (fn. 12) died 1271
Walter of Irthlingborough, (fn. 13) appointed 1271
Richard of Pykeden, appointed 1276
Roger of Boudon
Peter of Okham, appointed 1289
Peter (fn. 14) (Vicar of St. Sepulchre's, Northampton),
appointed 1296, resigned 1301
William of Weldon, (fn. 15) appointed 1301, resigned 1313
John of Todington, (fn. 16) appointed 1313, resigned
1319
Robert of Catteworth, (fn. 17) appointed 1319, resigned 1327
John de St. Maur, (fn. 18) appointed 1327, resigned
1332
John de Keynes, (fn. 19) appointed 1332, resigned
1333
Ralph of Waldegrave, (fn. 20) appointed 1333
Richard le Bery, appointed 1352
Richard Bollesore, (fn. 21) appointed 1364-5
Richard Mandelyn, appointed 1383
John Pygot, (fn. 22) appointed 1395, died 1406
John Greiby, (fn. 23) appointed 1406, died 1463
Thomas Ailward, (fn. 24) appointed 1463, resigned
1465
Thomas Playn, (fn. 25) appointed 1465, resigned
1492
Robert Sherbourn, (fn. 26) appointed 1492, resigned
1496
Edward Braye, (fn. 27) appointed 1496, resigned
1505
Richard Emson, (fn. 28) appointed 1505, resigned
1517
Benet Davy, (fn. 29) appointed 1517, occurs 1536 (fn. 30)
Hugh Zulley, (fn. 31) appointed 1557
William Richardson, (fn. 32) presented 1570