32. THE HOSPITAL OF ST. BARTHOLOMEW, BRISTOL
Nothing is known of the foundation of the
hospital of St. Bartholomew at Bristol. In
1275 the community consisted of brethren and
sisters who had the right of free election of their
master. (fn. 1) There is no evidence that any of the
brethren beside the master were priests, and it is
probable that both they and the sisters had been
appointed at the original foundation to minister
to the needs of the sick and poor, and were
under vows. The endowment was very small. (fn. 2)
The master was a secular chaplain; (fn. 3) in 1329
Robert de Merston was presented to Orlton,
bishop of Worcester, as master or warden by
John de la Warre, who claimed to be the patron,
with the unanimous assent of the brothers and
sisters. (fn. 4) In 1331 Orlton commended brother
John de Merston to the community, to be admitted to the care and guidance of the hospital
until he should order otherwise. (fn. 5) However, in
the latter half of the fourteenth century and
onwards, the de la Warres of Wickwar in Gloucester were recognized as the patrons, (fn. 6) and
declared the house to be of their foundation.
In or before 1336 the brethren seem to have
disappeared from the community, (fn. 7) and in 1340
a prioress ruled over it. In that year Wulstan
de Bransford, bishop of Worcester, allowed the
prioress and sisters to let on rent for a term of
sixty years a piece of land and the old
dorter in which they used to sleep when both
brothers and sisters were dwelling in the hospital. (fn. 8) The prioresses maintained their position
for over forty years, but when the hospital lacked
a ruler in 1386, John de la Warre presented
William Badesford to Henry Wakefield bishop
of Worcester, (fn. 9) who ordered the archdeacon
of Gloucester and the prior of St. James,
Bristol, to inquire into the vacancy, and report
whether the hospital ought to be ruled by seculars or by regulars, by men or by women, who
was the true patron, and what was the yearly
value of the endowment. (fn. 10) The claim of John
de la Warre to present a secular priest as supreme
ruler was then established. (fn. 11) The question of
the government was again raised in 1412, when
the women again attempted to assert their
claim to the supreme rule. By order of Bishop
Peverell an inquisition was held to discover
whether according to the ordination of the hospital it ought to be ruled by men or by women. (fn. 12)
The jurors declared that the hospital ought to
be ruled by men who were secular priests, and
not by women, and added that it had always
been ruled by men. (fn. 13) They were unable to
ascertain the value of the endowment propter
grauissimam dilapidacionem. Successive masters
bore undisputed sway over both brothers and
sisters.
In 1445, with the approval of the mayor and
commonalty of Bristol, a fraternity of mariners
was established in the hospital of St. Bartholomew. (fn. 14) A priest and twelve poor mariners were
bound to remember in their daily prayers all
'merchants and mariners passing and labouring
on the sea . . . to the port aforesaid.'
In 1531 Lord de la Warre conveyed the hospital and all its property to Robert Thorn to
enable him to found a free grammar school at
Westbury on Trym. (fn. 15)
Masters of the
Hosptial of St. Bartholomew, Bristol
Walter, (fn. 16) 1319
John de Hulle, 1322, (fn. 17) resigned 1329 (fn. 18)
Robert de Merston, 1329 (fn. 19)
John de Merston, 1331 (fn. 20)
Prioresses
Eleanor, occurs 1340 (fn. 21)
Elizabeth Batte, became prioress 1363 (fn. 22)
Joanna Joye, 1368 (fn. 23)
Matilda Coveley, 1369 (fn. 24)
Masters
William Badesford, 1386, (fn. 25) resigned 1389 (fn. 26)
John Dauntre, 1389, (fn. 27) exchanged 1403 (fn. 28)
John Prentys, resigned 1412 (fn. 29)
John Arundel, 1412 (fn. 30)
John White, 1457, (fn. 31) resigned 1463 (fn. 32)
William Attingham, 1463 (fn. 33)
Thomas Mark, resigned 1480 (fn. 34)
John Langrissh, 1480 (fn. 35)
James Butler, 1488 (fn. 36)
Humphrey Saville, 1511 (fn. 37)
George Croft, circa 1524-31 (fn. 38)
33. THE HOSPITAL OF ST. LAWRENCE, BRISTOL
The leper hospital of St. Lawrence, Bristol,
was founded by King John when earl of Mortain, and in 1208 he gave a charter confirming
the foundation. (fn. 39) The right of appointing the
master was vested in the crown (fn. 40) until Henry V
granted it to Humphrey, duke of Gloucester. (fn. 41)
It is probable that the hospital was always very
poor. In 1390 Richard II issued a commission to six persons to visit the hospital and
correct abuses therein. (fn. 42) In the middle of the
fifteenth century it had fallen into decay, and in
1465 Edward IV granted the custody to the
dean and chapter of Westbury to increase their
endowment. (fn. 43) In 1535 the clear yearly value of
the possessions of the hospital was £12 8s. 2d. (fn. 44)
The dean and chapter paid a salary of £2 to a
priest to celebrate mass in the chapel, and gave
16s. to four poor almsfolk. (fn. 45) The hospital was
surrendered as part of the possessions of Westbury
in 1544. (fn. 46)
Masters or Wardens of the Hospital of
St. Lawrence (fn. 47)
Robert de Halwell, occurs 1321 (fn. 48)
Simon, occurs 1337 (fn. 49)
William Coterell, appointed 4 Feb. 1390 (fn. 50)
John Bell, appointed 16 Sept. 1390 (fn. 51)
Robert Bailly, appointed 28 Nov. 1390 (fn. 52)
Richard des Armes, 1393 (fn. 53)
William Ruddock, 1400 (fn. 54)
Walter Chivington, occurs 1438 (fn. 55)
34. THE HOSPITAL OF ST. MARY MAGDALEN, BRISTOL
The leper hospital of St. Mary Magdalen,
Brightbow, is described by William of Worcester
(1415-90) as an ancient foundation. (fn. 56)
A seal (fn. 57) of the fifteenth century represents St.
Mary Magdalen standing in a canopied niche;
in her right hand an ointment box to which she
is pointing with the left hand. The background
is a diapered lozengy with a reticulated pattern,
having a small spot in each space; the edge
engrailed; in base an arcade. The legend is:—
S' HOSPETAL . MARIE . MAGDALENE . BRISTOTT
ĪQ. BRITBOW