Monument record 1160/7/2 - The Master's House, Hospital of St John

Medieval building, probably common living quarters of prior & brethren of hospital, subsequently converted into the Master's House. Demolished in 1871 to make way for the Midland Railway Station

{1} Substantial medieval fabric & possibly medieval plan; possible that original C13th building had one large open hall & was common living quarters of prior & brethren of hospital; earliest features recorded were lancet windows & wall arcading of circa 1300 in east wing of master's house; original building may have been made more conventionally domestic after being appropriated to master alone; plans & elevations & drawings made; show 6-bay range with crown-post roof probably C15th date; insertions of substantial chimney stacks; chamber in eastern bays raised on undercroft but other bays floored; other windows mullioned & like the 2 storey porch were typical of Northamptonshire circa 1600; demolished 1871;

{3} Master's House situated in large garden adjoining; state of dilapidation; upper part of interior is window of very early decorated architecture; in roof original tie beams & king posts remain;

{4} Behind the hospital and removed from the street is a large mansion house for the master with a garden of 3 acres & further adjoining garden of 3 roods for the co-brethren; no master has resided for many years; middle of C18th tennanted by Sir Thomas Humble; building very spacious and was probably originally larger than at present; several outbuildings have recently been pulled down; in very bad state of repair; property let in seperate tenements to several families by tenant to master; garden is let to several persons;

{5} "....The master hath a good house & garden."

{6} The master's house had long been in a pitiable state of delapidation when it was taken down to make way for the new railway station; it was very spacious & truly a princely residence; portions of it were as early as the reign of King John; nothing can be conceived more charming than its situation must have once been; it had an enviable outlook with the woods of Delapre & Hardingstone & Hunsbury Hill before it;

{7} Master's house pulled down in 1871 to make way for Midland Station; expected that the other two buildings would follow; plans of buildings placed with Northampton Architectural Society; the master's house was east by north of chapel at about 182ft distance; last Master was appointed in 1816 but never occupied house & it approached ruin; was let to Mr Mold a builder who made part of it habitable & used rest for timber store; house is south-facing parallelogram; porch attached to south face & wing to north; total length of building 87ft; width approximately 25ft; height to eaves approximately 21ft; history complicated & has been shortened & lengthened & added to on both faces; additions on top & underpinning at bottom; insertions & alterations; contains work of every century C13-C19th; constructed of sandstone; detailed description of building given; mentions presence of well in cellar & another to west end of house; also kitchen & pantry & stairs etc; possible lavatory; roof of Collyweston slate; large room probably formed hospital refectory mentioned in 1395; possible plans;

{8} Master's house taken down in 1872 for site of Midland Railway Station; nothing remains of original structure;

{9} The Refectory was destroyed in 1871 to make way for the Midland Railway Station; some way east of the other Hospital buildings; 87ft long by 27ft wide; seems to have been rebuilt & added to & diminished at various dates; by C16th Refectory no longer needed as community had shrunk; building was then used as Master's House; during C18-19th Masters generally non-resident & house fell into ruin; was let to Mr Mold a builder who restored some of it & used rest as timber store.

{11} Notes on the Master's House, also several photos, some dated 1871, plan with measurements of the Refectory, plan of west gable, plan of porch, drawings of ceiling, roof beams, fresco in roof, list of plans, drawing of corbel in closet arcade, newspaper cuttings;

<1> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1985, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.342-3 (checked) (Series). SNN77383.

<2> 1871, MAP, (unchecked) (Map). SNN57561.

<3> Wetton, 1849, Guidebook to Northampton and its Vicinity, p.79-81 (unchecked) (Book). SNN1032.

<4> The Charities Commission, 1837, Report of The Commissioners, p.809 (unchecked) (Report). SNN1207.

<5> Bridges J., 1791, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Book). SNN100366.

<6> De Wilde G.J., 1872, Rambles Roundabout and Poems, p.212-3 (unchecked) (Book). SNN1106.

<7> Dryden H., 1873, Hospital Dedicated to St John The Baptist at Northampton, p.213+224-30 (unchecked) (Series). SNN1119.

<8> Poynton C.H., 1905, The History of St John's Hospital, (unchecked) (Article). SNN1126.

<9> Serjeantson R.M., 1913, The Hospital of St. John, Northampton, (unchecked) (Article). SNN1135.

<10> University for the Creative Arts, 2005, The Henry Dryden Collection on VADS, DR/25/198/486 and DR/25/198/519
DR/25/198/486
DR/25/198/486
DR/25/198/486 (Website). SNN112545.

<11> Dryden H.E.L., 1842-1895, Dryden Collection, DR/25/198/524,486-492,496-8,501,503-523,525-531,552,553,561 (Archive). SNN115.

Record last edited

Nov 20 2024 12:43PM