RELIGIOUS HOUSES
The institutional history of the religious houses
of Hull has been described elsewhere. (fn. 1) The following account is concerned chiefly with their sites and
buildings, and with their fate after the Dissolution.
In no case do any remains of the buildings survive.
At least two of the lesser hospitals, as well as the
Charterhouse hospital, continued as post-Reformation almshouses, and their later history is considered
in another section. (fn. 2) So, too, is the entire history of
the Trinity House hospital. (fn. 3)
The Carthusian Priory and Hospital. The history
of the religious foundations which may have
preceded the Carthusian Priory, founded in 1378, is
uncertain, (fn. 4) but probably all stood on the same site,
to the north of the town, on land which was formerly
part of the manor of Myton. (fn. 5) At its foundation by
Michael de la Pole the priory consisted of a messuage,
called the maison dieu, and 7 acres of land. It housed
not only the monks but also thirteen poor men and
thirteen poor women. (fn. 6) In 1383 the priory and hospital were separated: the hospital had a grant from
Michael de la Pole of two messuages containing 1½
acre, lying to the east of the priory, (fn. 7) and the government of the hospital, to be known as God's House
of Hull, was laid down in 1384. (fn. 8) The hospital and
priory walls and certain gardens belonging to the
prior are mentioned in 1450. (fn. 9) At the Dissolution the
hospital had accommodation for sixteen poor persons
under one roof, a chapel, and three gardens, all
contained in 1½ acre of land surrounded by a brick
wall and separated from the Charterhouse by a road. (fn. 10)
The hospital was not dissolved and its government
passed to the Corporation of Hull. (fn. 11)
The priory itself was dissolved in 1539: its site
was valued at £1 a year and consisted of about 3 acres
of land enclosed within a pool called 'le mote', with
orchards, applegarths, and gardens. (fn. 12) In 1550 the
site was granted to the Protector Somerset. (fn. 13) Later
in the same year it was in the possession of Sir
Michael Stanhope, then Governor of Hull and
brother-in-law to Somerset, and was tenanted by
Ralph Constable. (fn. 14) On the fall of Somerset the site
passed to Edward, Lord Clinton and Say. (fn. 15) At an
unknown date it came into the possession of John,
Duke of Northumberland, (fn. 16) and on his attainder
was granted in 1554 to John Green and William
Jenyns, Ralph Constable retaining the tenancy. (fn. 17) In
1558 it was granted to Sir Henry Gate and Thomas
Dalton. (fn. 18) By 1605 the site appears to have been
owned by Roger, Earl of Rutland. At least some of
the buildings were then in good repair; the windows
of the great chamber, the wardrobe, the drawing
chamber, the matted chamber, the little gallery, and
elsewhere had been recently glazed and leaded. (fn. 19)
Nothing further is known of the buildings or site.
It is possible that some of the buildings were razed
at the time of the Dissolution and that the remainder
were destroyed, together with the hospital buildings,
during the siege of Hull in 1643. The last remnant,
the east gateway, is said to have been demolished
about 1805. (fn. 20)
The Augustinian Friary. The Augustinian friars
held property in Hull from at least 1303. (fn. 21) In 1317
Geoffrey de Hotham and John de Wetwang obtained
licence to alienate to the friars a messuage and a plot
of land, measuring 205 by 115 feet, for the building
of an oratory and living accommodation. (fn. 22) In 1402
the friary garden adjoining 'the flesh market'
(i.e. Butchery, later part of Queen Street) is mentioned. (fn. 23)
The friary was dissolved in 1539, when the site
consisted of a house and a garden in Blackfriargate
measuring 49 by 33 yards; (fn. 24) in the previous year
the church and part of the cloisters were described
as covered with lead. (fn. 25) The friars' former property
was leased to Robert Kemsey in 1540. (fn. 26) In 1544 the
house, site, and garden were granted by the Crown to
John Broxholme, but Kemsey retained his lease. (fn. 27)
In 1608 Edward Scales, a lunatic, was said to have
been seised of six messuages in Hull called 'le
Freers'; this may have been the Augustinian
Friary. (fn. 28) About 1796 the remaining parts of the
friary buildings were demolished; these comprised a
square, six-storied, tower with Gothic windows, on
the east side of Market Place near the old Guildhall,
and a long range of buildings lying north-south
which had been converted into the Tiger Inn. (fn. 29) In
1806, when the old Guildhall was demolished, part
of the cloisters of the friary were found to be incorporated in it. (fn. 30) The main friary buildings seem
to have been situated to the east and south of the
Guildhall, with a garden fronting on Blackfriargate. (fn. 31)
The Carmelite Friary. In 1289 Robert of Scarborough, Dean of York, applied for a licence to
grant a messuage in Hull to the Carmelite friars;
this is the first mention of the friars in Hull. (fn. 32) In
1293 they had a messuage on the south side of
Monkgate (later Blackfriargate). (fn. 33) By 1304 the
numbers in the friary had so greatly increased that
Edward I granted them 3 acres of land in Milncroft,
outside the town, in exchange for the land the friary
held within the town. The friary was to keep its
church and houses, removing them to the new site. (fn. 34)
In 1307 papal authorization was given for the friary
buildings to be transferred, and in 1311 the archbishop granted a licence for the consecration of the
friary church. (fn. 35) The new site lay within the town
walls when they were built in the 1320s: it was on
the south side of Whitefriargate, near Beverley
Gate. (fn. 36) Some small additions were made to the
friary's property in the 14th century, including one
by William de la Pole in 1352. (fn. 37)
The friary was dissolved in 1539; a year earlier
the chancel of the church and part of the cloisters
were said to be roofed with lead. (fn. 38) In 1540 John
Hennage was granted the friary property; this
comprised the house and gardens (½ acre in 1539),
a close of pasture (1 acre), three more gardens,
property outside Beverley Gate, and 1s. annual rent
from Trinity House. (fn. 39) Hennage granted this holding
to Henry Thurscross in 1541, and the Thurscross
family held it until 1614 when another Henry granted
the site, cottages, gardens, and orchards to Thomas
Ferries. (fn. 40) In 1621 Ferries granted the property,
both within and without the town walls, to Trinity
House, although his family retained some interest
in it. (fn. 41) In 1830 human bones were found buried on
the south side of Whitefriargate; these may have
marked the site of the friary burial ground. (fn. 42)
The Dominican Friars. There is no conclusive
evidence of a Dominican friary in the town, (fn. 43) but in
1291 the Dominicans of Beverley had a preaching
station to preach the Crusade in Hull. (fn. 44)
Adryanson's Hospital. A hospital, the site of which
is unknown, was probably founded about 1485 by
Brand Adryanson, a Hull brewer. It consisted of a
house, chapel, and garden for four old men;
according to the terms of the founder's will, proved
in 1503, his wife was required to provide the men
with a specified amount of coal. (fn. 45) No more is known
of it.
Aldwick's Hospital. John Aldwick of Hull, by his
will proved in 1444, provided for masses to be sung
according to the terms of an agreement to be made
between himself and the corporation. (fn. 46) The corporation in 1448 undertook to provide fees and a
house for a chaplain from the revenues of Aldwick's
property. The chaplain's house was to be built on
a piece of land in Marketgate (i.e. Lowgate); it was
to contain the chaplain's room and underneath it a
hospital for two poor persons, who were to have a
garden and a path leading into Marketgate. Vacancies
in the hospital or chaplaincy were to be filled by the
corporation. (fn. 47) The room and hospital were built
the same year, (fn. 48) and in 1455 the corporation placed a
married couple in a hospital in Lowgate which was
described as newly built and belonging to the town. (fn. 49)
Nothing more is known of the hospital, which
reputedly had a considerable revenue. (fn. 50)
Bedforth's Hospital. This almshouse is said to have
been founded in 1412. (fn. 51) It may be the hospital which
Tickell describes as founded by a 'Mr. Bedford',
whom he identifies with John Bedford, mayor of
Hull and founder of a chantry in Holy Trinity
Church. The large endowments of this chantry,
which was in the corporation's charge, may have
been used in part for the upkeep of the hospital, (fn. 52)
about which nothing further is known.
Gregg's Hospital. A maison dieu for thirteen poor
people was established in Aldkirk Lane (i.e. Posterngate) by Joan Gregg, some time before 1438. It
continued, under the corporation's control, after the
Dissolution. (fn. 53)
Holy Trinity Maison Dieu. A hospital was built in
Holy Trinity churchyard some time before 1445.
In 1453 and 1463 there were twelve poor men and
women there; vacancies were filled by the mayor.
Bequests were made to the house in 1455 and 1460, (fn. 54)
but nothing further is known of it. (fn. 55)
Kingston's Maison Dieu. In 1344 James de Kingston, king's clerk (otherwise James Hellward), was
licensed to grant to John le Couper, warden, a house
which he had built for thirteen poor and infirm
persons. It stood in Aldgate (now Whitefriargate),
on a plot extending back to Beverley Street. (fn. 56) The
house may have been dissolved about 1540. (fn. 57)
Ravenser's and Selby's Hospital. In 1375 Robert
de Selby, his wife, and Richard de Ravenser, obtained licence to grant lands in Hull worth £10 a
year to the priory of Guisborough. In return the
priory was to maintain a chantry priest in Holy
Trinity Church, and twelve poor men, each of whom
was to receive ½d. a day. (fn. 58) Licences to give lands
outside Hull to the hospital were granted in 1380 and
1392. (fn. 59) In 1385 it was stated that at Whitsun and
Martinmas £9 2s. 6d. was to be distributed to the
inmates, and the hospital was described as being
next to Holy Trinity churchyard. Guisborough
Priory was responsible for the upkeep of the house
and for the annual rent of 8s. payable to the king.
Vacancies were to be filled by the priory, the Vicar of
Hessle, or the chaplain of Ravenser's chantry, with
the consent of the mayor and bailiffs of Hull. (fn. 60) The
hospital probably stood on the north side of the
churchyard. (fn. 61) Nothing further is certainly known
of it. (fn. 62) It was possibly this hospital, however, which
continued after the Reformation and was later rebuilt as Bishop Watson's Hospital. (fn. 63)
Riplingham's Hospital. An almshouse for 20 poor
people is said to have been established in Vicar Lane
by John Riplingham in 1517. It continued, under the
corporation's control, after the Dissolution. (fn. 64)
Other Maisons Dieu. A maison dieu dedicated to
St. James is mentioned in 1455, 1456, and 1513. A
bedehouse was given by Richard Doughty to the
Carmelite friars by his will of 1513. The site of
neither house is known. (fn. 65) In 1455, 1456, and 1460
bequests were made to the Corpus Christi maison
dieu in Whitefriargate, and to the Glover maison dieu,
founded by Richard Pountefrette. (fn. 66) In 1460 a bequest was made to another maison dieu in Whitefriargate. (fn. 67) Other maisons dieu of which little is
known were in Scale Lane, mentioned in 1455 and
1456; (fn. 68) in Chapel Lane, next to St. Mary's Church,
mentioned in 1518; (fn. 69) and at Beverley Gate, mentioned in 1455, and again in 1523 when it was called
Trinity maison dieu. (fn. 70)
College of St. James, Sutton. The college was
founded in 1347. The chapel of Sutton was appropriated to it and the chapel was apparently rebuilt
during the next two years. The warden and chaplains
lived in the rectory house. After the Dissolution this
house was granted along with the tithes. (fn. 71)