RELIGIOUS HOUSES 75. THE HOSPITAL OF ST. JOHN BAPTIST, LYNN There was in the Dam Gate of Lynn an important hospital,^ of early foundation, dedicated to St. John Baptist, consisting of a community of master and brethren, with church, hospital, hall, chambers, houses, and court. In the thirteenth century a dispute arose as to the right of the chaplain to administer the sacraments in the hospital chapel or church. The prior of St. Margaret's endeavoured to stop what he regarded as an infringement of the rights of the mother church of Norwich, and the matter was referred to the judgement of the priors of Bury St. Edmunds and Thetford and the sacrist of Bury. The award, dated 1 1 February, 1234, decreed that the private chaplain of the hospital should celebrate one mass a day in the chapel for the brethren in a low voice [submissa voce), and that no one else was to celebrate there on the same day save the prior of Lynn and some priest nominated by him ; that all oblations of every kind, without any diminution, were to be restored to the priory church of St. Margaret; that brothers and sisters dying in the hospital were to be buried in St. Margaret's ; that the chaplain was not to hear confessions ; that they were to be allowed a single bell for summoning the brethren ; and that the prior of Lynn was annually to visit the hospital.^ On 26 May, 1399, the chapel was the scene of the public recantation of William Chatrir alias Sawtre, a priest of the church of St. Margaret, Lynn. There had been another re- cantation on the previous day in the churcliyard of the chapel of St. James. Sawtre solemnly took his oath, before the bishop of Norwich in the chapel, on the book of the Gospels, that he would never after that time preach publicly the eight conclusions which he repudiated. But the next year he relapsed, abjured his repudiation, and was burnt.' In 1535 the value of the hospital's small possessions at Hardwick, Clenchwarton, and Lynn, were estimated at £"] 6s. iid. a year ; the master at that date was Robert Newman. This house was destroyed by the later legis- lation of Henry VIII. On 18 May, 1545, it was surrendered to the crown by Robert Bumpstead, the master. He is described as generosus, so he was clearly not in holy orders.* Priors of the Hospital of St. John, Lynn* Michael,' occurs 1273 William de Lingwode,* admitted 1331 Joini Barsham,^ admitted 1390 John Blake,'*' admitted 1390 Roger Loksmith," admitted 1401 John Vyne,'^ admitted 1405 Richard Warden, admitted 14 10 Thomas Lank,'* 141 8 John Lovell,'* admitted 14 18 Thomas Lovys,'^ admitted 1426 William Cowper," admitted 1471 Robert Newman," occurs 1535 Robert Bumpstead,'" surrendered 1545 76. THE HOSPITAL OF ST. MARY MAGDALEN, LYNN The hospital of St. Mary Magdalen was founded on the causeway leading to Gaywood, in the year 1145, by one Peter the chaplain. It consisted of a prior and twelve brethren and sisters ; of these ten, the prior or chaplain being one, were to be sound, and the other three infirm or leprous. From the foundation deed it appears that this was a reconstruction of a yet older hospital, for the opening clause provides that the brethren were to dress after a decent fashion, like their predecessors (' secundum morem fratrum antecessorum domus '). The statutes drawn up by the founder and Arch- bishop Winchelsey ordered that the infirm were not to enter the quire, the cellar, the kitchen, or precincts, without reasonable cause, but to confine themselves to the places assigned them in church, hall, and court, and not to wander about in public ; that the brethren were not to eat or drink outside the hospital for the space of a mile in circuit lest scandal might arise ; that the common seal, books, chalices, vestments, relics, wax, and other church orna- ments, and the chest with the treasury of the house, were to remain in the custody of the infirm brethren, and the common money be kept in a pix with three keys, one with the prior, and the other two with two of the sound brethren, and the alms from within or without the hospital to be placed in the pix ; that if anyone wislied to visit his wife or friends he might do so two or ' It was probably founded /iTOT/. Hen. I. SeeDugd.iIe, Mot!, vi, 648-9, where two early undated charters are cited from the town muniments. ' The award is with the capitular muniments at Norwich ; a photographic facsimile is given in Mr. Beloe's King's Lynn : Our Borough, Our Churches (1896), where there is an excellent account of the chapel, PP- 74-77- ' Fox, /ids and Mons. (ed. 1837), iii, 225.
- Valor Eccl. (Rec. Com.), iii, 397.
' Dep. Keeper's Rep. viii, App. 2, 30. 2 441
- The priors of this hospital were collated by the
bishop of Norwich. ' Close, 15 Edw. II, m. 35.
- Norw. Epis. Reg. ii, 42.
' Ibid vi, I 50. "Ibid. 258. "Ibid. "Ibid. 320. " Ibid, vii, 27. " Ibid, viii, 36. "^ Ibid, ix, 10. '« Valor Eccl. (Rec. Com.). " Dep. Keeper's Rep. viii, App. 2, 30. '^ Ibid. 38. '" Ibid, xi, 56
