35. THE HOSPITAL OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST, REDCLIFFE
This hospital, of which one John Farcey or
Farceyn was traditionally regarded as the
founder, (fn. 183) was apparently established about the
beginning of the 13th century, as a deed of
the time of King John granting a well to the
church of St. Mary Redcliffe stipulated that
the hospital should have its water supplied
therefrom by a pipe. (fn. 184) As a result of this
stipulation we find that in 1320 the workmen of
St. John's were allowed to enter the chapel yard
of St Mary's to mend a broken pipe. (fn. 185) Several
deeds of the first half of the 13th century
refer to the 'brethren and sisters ' of the hospital, (fn. 186) but the deed by which the chapel of the
Holy Spirit in the cemetery of St. Mary Redcliffe was made over to the hospital speaks only
of brethren, (fn. 187) and the same is the case with the
grant of a portion of the rectory of Backwell
made by Bishop Walter de Hasleshaw in 1306. (fn. 188)
The sisters, however, reappear in 1322, (fn. 189) and
in 1317 Bishop Drokensford requested the master
of St. John's to receive as a secular sister Alice,
niece of Edmund de Wyntereshall. (fn. 190) On admission the inmates were required to take an
oath to follow the rule of St. Augustine as
observed in the hospital. (fn. 191)
In 1286 Stephen, Master of the hospital of St.
John, was fined 20s. for obstructing a public road
by erecting a gate. (fn. 192) John Monington, Master
or Prior of St. John's, resigned in 1348, retaining
a room in the hospital and enjoying for life the
manor of Bishopsworth. (fn. 193) Later in this century, in 1383, the chapel of the Holy Spirit was
made over to the fraternity of the Holy Spirit, (fn. 194)
and it would seem that the hospital was dwindling
into insignificance, as in 1442 there was only one
brother resident. (fn. 195)
In 1534 the Mayor and corporation of Bristol
granted the next presentation to the hospital of
St. John the Baptist in Redcliffe Pitt, at the request of Queen Anne Boleyn, to Sir Edward
Beynton and Dr. Nicholas Shaxton, of the
Queen's household, and David Hutton, grocer
of Bristol. (fn. 196) Their nominee was probably
Richard Bromefield who surrendered the hospital
in March 1544. (fn. 197)
Masters of St. John's, Redcliffe (fn. 198)
Thomas, 1261
Stephen, 1286 (fn. 199)
Edmund le Thyelare, 1292
John de Monington, (fn. 200) occurs 1344, resigned
1348
Lawrence Cocele (fn. 201)
William Topesleye, 1383
John Seympoule, occurs 1394, (fn. 202) 1403 (fn. 203)
Nicholas Sterr, 1430
John Hall, appointed 1442
William Prowse, appointed 1467
Richard Collins, S.T.P., appointed 1504
Richard Bromefield, surrendered 1544
The early 13th-century seal of the Hospital
of St. John Baptist at Redcliffe (fn. 204) is a vesica,
3 in. by 21/8 in., and has a representation of the
baptism of Our Lord. The legend is:—
✠ SIGILL' HOSPITAL' S[ANCT]I IO[HANN]IS BAPTISTE DE REDECLIVIA.
The seal of Roger the Procurator, used as a
counterseal to the above, is a vesica, 1½ in. by 1
in., with a three-quarters' length figure of the
Baptist holding a scroll inscribed: ECCE AGNUS
DEI. On the left is the Lamb. The legend
is:—✠ SIGILL' PROCURATORIS HOSPITAL S[ANCTI] IO[HANNI]S
DE RADECLIVIA.