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 RELIGIOUS HOUSES ward, though there was a regular succession of masters, nothing further is known of the history of the house. 1 The brethren probably died off gradually and their places were not filled up; and the later masters held the hospital in plurality with other benefices after it had become a sinecure. Its name does not appear in the Chantry Certificates, but at Cardinal Pole's visitation in 1556 it was alleged that it had been 'violated and occu- pied by laymen a great while in the time of the schism.' 2 In the petition to Parliament of 1302 it was stated that the hospital owned only 67 acres of land and a rent of 26s., all in lay fees, and held in capite of the king, and no spiritualities. 3 In 1535 the value in rents, etc., was £16 6s. Sd. clear, 4 and the same amount is mentioned in 1556." Masters of St. Leonard's Hospital, Bedford William, 6 resigned 1288 Walter of Torksey, 7 appointed 1288, re- signed 1294 Robert Cuppe, 8 appointed 1294, died 1310 Gerard of Eaton, 9 appointed 13 10, died I3 J 4 John of Woodweston, 10 appointed 1313 William of Woodweston, 11 appointed 1349, resigned 1356 William of Bedford, 12 appointed 1356 William of Willington, 13 died 1392 Thomas Fisher, appointed 1392, 11 resigned 1398 Thomas Ulf, 15 appointed 1398, resigned I43 6 John Leget, 10 appointed 1436, resigned 1441 William Barford, 17 appointed 1441 William Edwards, 18 resigned 1470 1 See list of masters. > Strype, Eccl. Mem. iii. 485. a Rolls, of Pari. (Rec. Com.), i. 154. To this they were to add land of £10 value. 6 Strype, Eccl. Mem. iii. 485. 6 Line. Epis. Reg., Memo. Sutton. 7 Ibid. 8 Ibid. Inst. Sutton, 99. » Ibid. Inst. Dalderby, 265. 10 Ibid. 272d. John de Woodweston's insti- tution is dated before the death of Gerard ; he must have been the coadjutor appointed in the impotence of the latter. u Ibid. Inst. Gynwell, 382. ' 2 Ibid. 396. 13 Ibid. Inst. Buckingham, 3581!. '* Ibid. " Ibid. 372d. >» Ibid. Inst. Grey, 72. w Ibid. Inst. Alnwick, 182. is Ibid. Lust. Chedworth, 178. Richard Hyndeman, 19 appointed 1470 Edward Exmowe, 20 died 1480 Thomas Shenkwyn, 21 appointed 1480, re- signed 1493 Richard Fitzjames, 22 appointed 1493, re- signed 1497 Bernard Andrew, 23 appointed 1497, re- signed 1499 Hugh Oldham, 21 appointed 1499, resigned 1505 Richard Elwyn, 25 appointed 1 505, resigned 1513 Reginald Bray, 28 appointed 1513, resigned 1517 John Pitts, 27 appointed I 517, occurs 1535 17. THE HOSPITAL OF ST. MARY MAGDALENE, LUTON This hospital is said to have been founded by Saint Thomas of Canterbury, on the authority of a charter issued by the brethren and sisters in October 1465. 28 Another charter dated 1377 29 refers to the same house ; there is no other mention of it earlier or later. It was evidently a hospital for the sick, served, like many other such foundations, by brethren and sisters who followed some form of the rule of St. Augustine. The charter of 1465 is a quaint and most pretentious document, 30 offering indulgences on quite a «• Ibid. He had just been master of St. John's. »o Ibid. Inst. Russell, 1 5od. " Ibid. " Ibid. I54d. Bishop of Rochester 1497. " Ibid. Inst. Smith, 438. " Ibid. 441. Rector of Shillington and Bishop of Exeter 1505. » Ibid. 450. " Ibid. 459d. 17 Ibid. Inst. Wolsey and Atwater, 5 2d, and Valor Eccl. (Rec. Com.), iv. 190. »» Add. Ch. 28882. " Ibid. 28786. These references are given in Rev. H. Cobbe, Luton Church, 74. 3° The object of the charter was to appoint a new proctor to collect alms, and to revoke all previous appointments. The indulgence granted by the popes was for eight years and forty days, and covered such offences as forgotten compacts, broken vows (on condition that they were re- sumed), injuries to father or mother (offensus patrQ et matrB), forgotten penances, etc. ; forty days from the Archbishops of Canterbury, be- ginning with St. Thomas the founder, with a share in all present and future privileges of the church of Canterbury ; and forty or thirty days from all the other bishops. Besides this, benefactors of the hospital were to share in the benefit of as many as 32,000 masses and 47,000 psalters granted by the order of Sempringham ; 20,000 masses by the Cistercians and Premonstra- 399
 * Valor Eccl. (Rec. Com.), iv. 190.