Monument record 130/1 - Medieval Hospital of St John (Later St James & John)

Hospital founded in 1150, re-established in 1423, annexed to Magdalene College, Oxford in 1428. The chapel was restored in 1869-70 [HER No 130/1/1] and is still in use as a college chapel, there are no signs of the hospital buildings. Leland refers to a Friary of Crutched Friars in Brackley, which may be a confusion with this hospital.

{1} Hospital dedicated to Saints James and John. Founded in 1150 by the Earl of Leicester for brothers. A hospital, free chapel and graveyard on 1 acre of land. Refounded in 1423 for the poor, old, sick and travellers and pilgrims. It may also have been a college.

{4} The west part of chapel was used as a hospital.

{6} The Hospital of St John was founded in about 1150 by Robert de Beaumont, 2nd Earl of Leicester, who was involved in the endowment of various religious houses, raising the collegiate church of St Mary de Castro in Leicester into the Abbey of St. Mary; founding the Abbey of Garendon, the monastery at Nuneaton and the Priory of Luffield. At Brackley the Earl made a foundation endowment of an acre of land to build a Hospital for the poor, with a free chapel with burial rights, which was also to be a demesne chapel of the grantee. The advowson thereafter was held by the lords of the manor. It was established with a prior and 5 or 6 brethren under the Augustinian Rule. As part of the endowment 2 virgates of land in Brackley were also given to the Hospital. The grant was confirmed in 1170-80 by Robert, 3rd Earl, who added 2.5 acres adjacent to the hospital and land of the lord’s grove below the Hospital court. The Grove was certainly in existence by 1170-80 when the lord of the manor granted the Hospital 2.5 acres below their courtyard which extended to the ditch which enclosed the grove. This plot was 19 perches 8ft (321ft) broad and 13 perches (214ft) long from the wall enclosing the courtyard to the bank which inclosed the grove. Roger de Quincy granted land below the cemetery and the building formerly William de Merton’s for the extension of the cemetery. In the years which followed the founding of the hospital large amounts of land in Brackley and other villages, as well as various crofts and messuages, and the castle mill all come into their possession.
From the late 13th century the Hospital was known as St. John and St. James. In 1360 the chapel of the Hospital was rebuilt at a cost of over £34. There were continuing grants to the Hospital by the lords of Halse during the 14th and 15th centuries. Originally there was a master and fellows, all secular canons not subject to ecclesiastical rule, though the master was to be in holy orders. In 1423 upon the death of the then master there was no reappointment and Lady Lovell gained licence to convert into a religious house of friar preachers, but this was not apparently done. Instead the Hospital had been re-established by 1425 when the decay and poverty of the hospital was detailed. Thereafter it was governed by a master until granted to Magdalen College. The College then maintained a priest in the Chapel to say mass for the souls of the Lords Lovell. This chantry was maintained until 1548-9 when the site was turned into a school. In 1720 the chapel was held from the College by lease and was in a ruinous condition. Robert Holland, whose tomb lay there, had been Lord of the Manor in the mid 14th century and his tomb were still there in the mid 18th century when the anonymous historian wrote: ‘I have seen his effigis on his ruined monument habited in armour.’ The Countess of Winchester was buried in the Hospital at Brackley in 1252. The mere presence of a hospital, and particularly the rapid development of its wealth mirrors the growth and prosperity of the town itself from which the greater part of the hospitals income was derived through land and rents.
The fortunes of the town are also reflected in the later history of the hospital, which by the late 13th century had been known as St John and St James, for it was empty in 1423 when it was re-endowed by Lady Lovel with the intention that it should become a House of Friars and hospital for the poor, old, sick, travellers, and pilgrims. Her wishes do not appear to have been carried out for it was still ‘in great disorder’ with no inmates or fellows when sold to the Bishops of Winchester as an endowment to Magdalene College Oxford in 1484.
The largest property holding in the town was built up by the Hospital of St John of Brackley. There is ample evidence from the plan form and from 13th century documentary sources to indicate that Brackley was laid out in one or more phases of formal planning. When the lord of the manor founded the Hospital of St. John he granted one acre of land for its construction and then later a further 2.5 acres adjacent to the Hospital. This implies the existence not only of regular plots but that they were not all occupied immediately after being laid out. The strongest evidence however comes from the 1250-60 rental of the property belonging to the Hospital. There are a number of rood, half acre and acre plots recorded in the rental which have standard rents of 3d, 6d and 12d respectively.

{8} The chapel is in use for public school worship. No original hospital buildings can be identified. The area south of the chapel is occupied by modern school buildings and terraced gardens.

<1> Knowles; Hadcock, 1971, Medieval Religious Houses England and Wales, p.251 (unchecked) (Book). SNN10192.

<2> Serjeantson R.M.; Ryland W. (Editors), 1906, The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Northamptonshire, p.151 (unchecked) (Series). SNN100369.

<3> Pevsner N.; Cherry B., 1973, The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Series). SNN1320.

<4> Steane J., 1974, The Northamptonshire Landscape, p.153 (unchecked) (Book). SNN5137.

<5> Ordnance Survey, 1950s/1960s, Ordnance Survey Record Cards, SP53NE9 (unchecked) (Index). SNN443.

<6> Ballinger J.; Foard G., 1999, Northamptonshire Extensive Urban Survey: Brackley, Section 3.3.2 Hospital of St John (checked) (Digital archive). SNN100499.

<7> Ballinger J.; Foard G., 1999, Northamptonshire Extensive Urban Survey: Brackley, (unchecked) (Report). SNN106655.

<8> Colquhoun, FD, 1970, Field Investigator's Comments, F1 FDC 10-FEB-70 (Notes). SNN111540.

<9> Historic England, Undated, St James' and St John's Hospital Chapel, Brackley, BF107250 (Archive). SNN113977.

Record last edited

Feb 10 2025 7:53PM