1432-05-12, Westminster

Letters patent, dated 12 February, 8 Henry VI, inspecting and confirming the above. 5. Ordinances made by the said executors for the governance of the college, dated at London, 17 and 18 December, a.p. 1424, 8 Henry VI. [Monasticon, No. II.] 6. Other ordinances of the same for the same, dated 18 February, 8 Henry VI. [Monasticon, No. III.] 7. Ordinances of the same for the establishment and governance of the said almshouse, dated at London, 21 December, a.p. 1424, 8 Henry VI. [Monasticon, No. IV.] 8. Other ordinances of the same for the same. The guardian and poor are to have 401. a year out of the treasure (errario) and lands of the said Richard Whityngton in the possession of the said executors, until they have an endowment of that amount. The vacant plot of land on the west of the present almshouse with the open parlour (parlura) adjoining, lately appointed for the recreation of the guardian and poor of the house, and all the way leading by the north wall of the said church of St. Michael into the king's highway of la Riole, have been recently enclosed with divers buildings and are to be regarded as the outer precinct of the almshouse; but the fee of the plot is to remain in the executors and their heirs, and the plot may in due time be dedicated as a graveyard, and when that has been done the parishioners shall have necessary access. Any poor person of the house falling sick shall be provided with suitable diet out of his or her weekly pension according to his or her usual commons. If the disease be in the judgment of the fellows long or a nuisance to them, or permanent, the patient shall be assigned the separate chamber with its offices in the said outer close of the house which the executors have appointed to be an infirmary, and someone shall be hired out of the remainder of the patient s pension to wait on the patient. But these provisions for the benefit of the sick shall not extend to persons suffering through crime or voluntary excess. Such shall be removed from the almshouse unless the disease or injury be temporary and the culprit amend his ways. The healthy members of the house shall, as far as may be, visit and aid the sick. Dated at London 18 February, 8 Henry VI. 9. A deed of assignment to William Brooke, master, and the chaplains of the college of the messuage built for their habitation by the said executors, on the plot of land which they had of the gift and feoffment of Henry Jolypace, chaplain, by his charter enrolled in the husting of London, common pleas side, on Monday after St. Faith, 8 Henry VI. The messuage is situated in the parish of St. Michael, Riole, in the vintry ward of London, between the high altar of the church of St. Michael on the east and the tenement of the skinners of London and the tenement of Thomas Knolles the younger, sometime of Richard Cliderowe, esquire, on the west, and ewe ar me 1 eee Membranes 8 tu 1 extends from the executor' s great tenement, which was Richard Whityngton s inn, on the north side, to the lane called Chirchelane on the south side; with barriers, alleys, lights, jutties (seiticits), waterspouts, latrines, chimneys, entries and exits as now ad and used. Dated when John Michell was mayor of London, Simon Seman and John Bithewater, sheriffs, and Robert Chichely, alderman of the ward, 19 December, 8 Henry VI, and witnessed by John Clerk, Thomas Walsyngham, William Reynold, John Bacon and William Shepton. 10. A grant by the said executors to John Chesterton, citizen of London, now guardian of the said almshouse, and to his fellows, the poor of the same, of the almshouse, which is in vintry ward in the parish of St. Michael's, Riole, on land purchased from Robert Chicheley, William Sevenoke and others between the church of St. Michael and the vacant plot of ground behind the high altar of the same church on the south side and the great tenement or inn where Richard Whityngton used to live on the north, and extends from the manse of the master and chaplains of Whityngton college on the east to a vacant plot of ground of the said executors on the west, with all its cellars, solars, entries and exits, walls, lights, jutties, waterspouts, latrines, chimneys and other easements as now built and used. Dated during the office-holding of the above named mayor, sheriffs and alderman, 22 December, 8 Henry VI. Witnesses : John Clerk, Thomas Walsyngham, William Reynold, John Bacon and William Shepton. 11. The will of George Gerveys, late citizen and grocer of London, dated at London 7 May A.D. 1482, 10 Henry VI, for a competent endowment of the said college and almshouse according to the enrolled in the Husting of London, Vol. ii. pp. 457, 458.) 12. The will of William Sevenoke, late citizen and grocer of London, dated at London 4 July, 1482, 10 Henry VI. He bequeaths his lands, sometime of John Carpenter, citizen of London, in the parishes of St. Martin Oteswich and St. Mary le Bow (de arcubus), London, to the wardens and commonalty of the mistery of mercery of London, to sustain both poor men of that commonalty and mistery and also a chaplain to celebrate divine service every day according to the ordinance of the same wardens and their successors. He bequeaths the rest of his lands, sometime of the same John Carpenter, in the parishes of St. Michael, Riole, St. Laurence, Old Jewry, St. Mary Magdalene, Milkstrete, All Hallows, Berkyng, St. Dunstan in the East, St. Leonard, Estchep, St. Margaret, Briggestrete, St. Stephen, Colmanstrete, St. John, Walbroke, St. Michael in Bassingeshawe, St. Gregory by Poulescheyne, St. Botolph without Bisshopesgate, St. Bartholemew the Less, St. Benet Fynke, St. Michael upon Cornhill and St. Laurence, Poulteneye, on which with the tenements in St. Martin Oteswich, and 8t. Mary le Bow above mentioned, under the will of George Gerveys, a quit rent of 681. a year is payable to the master and chaplains of the college, and a like rent of 401. a year to the guardian and poor of the almshouse, to the said John Carpenter the younger, citizen and clerk of the commonalty of the city of London, for life, with remainder to the wardens and commonalty of the mistery of mercery aforesaid, on conditions as follows: viz. they shall pay the said two quit rents to the college almshouse. They shall take part in Richard Whittington s anniversary every year on . Parr 2. 217 Membranes 8 to 1 80 or 81 July within the said college, and shall justly do and perform all nominations and presentations of master and fellows of the same college and all provisions and substitutions of the warden and poor of the almshouse. They shall keep up the said lands and tenements. All issues and revenues beyond the aforesaid quit rents and other reasonable charges shall be put in a certain chest called Whityngton chest, appointed for the purpose by the said executors of Whityngton, in a house or treasury by the lobby (vestibularium) of the said college, under the care and administration of the wardens and the commonalty of the said mistery of mercery, to sustain and aid poor men and women of the same commonalty and mistery, and especially in loans for a year or less, at the discretion of the said wardens, under sufficient pledges in gold or silver, and not otherwise. A condition in writing under seal of the receiver of the loan is to be made at the deposit of each pledge, whereby if they do not repay the loan or redeem the pledge at the term appointed, the pledge may be sold, any surplus realised above the amount of the loan being returned to the borrower. Should the warden and commonalty make default in any of their said duties, after being twice required to perform the same by the mayor or keeper of the city for the time being, or three times by the master of the college or chamberlain of London, then the present conditional legacy of the said lands and tenements so far as concerns the said wardens and commonalty and their successors shall be invalid, and the premises shall go to the mayor, chamberlain and commonalty of the city of London to the use of the commonalty of the city, the mayor and chamberlain and their successors for the time being to keep the premises in repair and pay the said quit rents for the support of the college and almshouse, keep the said anniversary and perform the ssid nominations, presentations, provisions, and substitutions ; but the surplus issues of the premises to be put every year in the chest called Bierneschest from old time situated in the treasury of the city, for loans to be made thereout to poor men and women of the city under the conditions appointed by John Biernes, sometime citizen and alderman of London, in his will regarding certain other sums of money for the same chest, as by his will enrolled in the husting of London held on Monday after St. Edward the King, 49 Edward III, appears. Testator bequeaths to the master of the college 8s. 4d. and to each of the chaplains 20d. to pray for his soul also 20d. to the guardian of the almshouse, 12d. to each of the poor of the house, and 4d. to each poor boy and servant of the same college and almshouse for the like prayers. He appoints as executors the said John Carpenter, Richard Osbarn and John Gamelyn of London. By pet. in Parl. and for 20s. paid in the hanaper.