Monument record 1160/12 - St Thomas' Hospital, Bridge Street

This hospital lay at the junction of Bridge Street with Victoria Promenade, just outside the South Gate. According to Legend it was founded circa 1450, but may have been an enlargement of an earlier foundation.The buildings comprised a chapel and two-storey domicile. In 1834 the residents were removed to new house in St Giles' Street and the hospital buildings were used for as carriage-builders' shop until 1874 when they were demolished. It was recorded by Sir Henry Dryden. It consisted of a domicile on 2 floors with a chapel to the East.

{1} St Thomas' Hospital usually said to have been founded c.1450 however this was possibly augmentation & rebuilding of older foundation on larger scale; St Thomas a Becket was canonised in 1173 & certainly a special chapel was built soon after in Northampton which was confirmed to priory of St Andrew; there was also fraternity of St Thomas The Martyr in town during reign of Henry III; from mid C15th house was under charge of mayor & burgesses as trustees; it supported 12 poor persons receiving weekly allowance of clothing & firing & washing; earlier management vested alternately in two masters or wardens; later alderman also participated in this role; in 1604 assembly resolved that Mr Thomas Humfrey be Alderman of almshouses or hospital of St Thomas; mention is made of raise in pay of lay-preacher at hospital in 1617;

{2} Founded apparently in C15th Hospital of St Thomas stood on east side of Bridge Street just outside South Gate; in 1834 residents were removed to new house in St Giles' Street & hospital buildings used for as carriage-builders' shop until 1874 when they were demolished to make room for access road to new cattle market; Hospital was C15th rectangular stone building consisting of large hall or domicile 22ft 3in wide internally with upper floor; chapel at its east end 15ft wide x 16ft 9in long & south wall of which was continuous with hall; roofs of Collyweston slate; at time of demolition hall was 54ft 8in long internally but had been shortened at west end by 3-4ft probably for street widening; original west elevation facing Bridge St had central arched doorway with window on south side; above these row of quatrefoils contained blank shields; over doorway was 4-light window & on each side a canopied niche containing a figure; hall was probably divided by screens with cubicles around walls; several lockers remained in north & south walls but some converted into windows; large fireplace in middle of north wall; no arched wall opening to chapel at east end of hall; no trace of any division between chapel & lower room although screen had probably existed; several windows in upper room; both chapel & hall were open to timber roof; piscina in south wall of chapel;

{3} In 1538 wrote that St Thomas' Hospital lay without town & was joined hard to West (?South) Gate; it was erected less than 100 years previously & endowed with landes by citizens of Northampton;

{4} Full accounts of later history of hospital given; fraternity of St Thomas The Martyr in town during reign of Henry III; chapel of St Thomas named in C13th may have been chapel of that name on South Bridge;

{5} "....returning to Bridge St....we arrive at site of South Gate to left & come in front of St Thomas's Hospital founded in 1450 in honour of St Thomas a Becket; first endowed for 12 poor widows with allowance of 1s 11d per week with clothing & firing & washing; additional revenue granted by Sir John Langham in 1654 for further 6 persons; another almswoman added by Richard Massingberd...." & still more added with improvements to allowances; inmates of charity now removed to new building in St Giles' Street; On exterior of building is row of shields in panels; in chapel which is now used for trade corbels support a floor; east window of three-lights remains but stained glass long destroyed; stream ran in front of town wall under chapel to Cow Meadow; at many crossings of streams are places dedicated to St Thomas a Becket;

{6} Dedications to chapel of St Thomas The Martyr outside south gate of Northampton; pulled down in 1874; C15th building consisting of chapel & domicile; domicile of 2 stories with chapel at east end rising to whole height of building;

{9} Includes view of original west front of hospital;

{10} St Thomas' Hospital shown at junction between Bridge St & what is now Victoria St; located over stream leading to Cow Meadow;

{11} Hospital built & endowed c.1450 by citizens of Northampton for poor; most hospitals were founded in C15th; originally for 12 men & women on allowance of 1s 11d per week each with clothing & firing & washing; in 1654 Sir John Langham added 6 more with 1s 8d per week; another poor woman also later added; revenues paid to chamberlain besides which is warden who is generally alderman; chaplain is vicar of All Saints.

{16} States that Sir Langham's Almshouse was founded in 1682; located at junction of Bridge Street & what is now Victoria Promenade.

{18} Plans of building deposited in collection of Architectural Society; situated in Bridge St outside town wall; west end formed part of street which lies north & south; ironstone building comprised domicile & chapel but without any internal wall to separate them; former measured 54ft 8in x 22ft 3in internally & had an upper room & lower room on 2 floors; lockers built into walls of lower room; chapel at east end 16ft 9in x 15ft internally; its south wall was continuous with that of domicile; piscina on south wall & niche for statue on each side of east window; eaves of chapel were at same height as hall & both had open roofs which were covered with Collyweston slate; arrangement of chapel at east end of domicile & open to it was usual for hospitals; main entrance was always at west end but in wall at east end & north of chapel was further doorway leading to garden etc; main entrance was central arched doorway with window to its right & over these row of quatrefoils containing blank shields; above these was another window with canopied niches on either side containing military figures; recent west end of building was 3/4ft further east than that represented in Bridges & old frontage was probably removed to increase width of street at this point; original floors presumed to be of stone but had been removed prior to survey; further details of construction techniques & measurements given as well as plans & elevations; old almshouse vacated c.1834 & almspeople moved to St Giles' St; building was then let by Corporation for carriage house; hospital was destroyed between 1874-6 & street to new market place passes exactly along line of building; its south wall for some months formed south boundary of this street;

{19} Hospital measured approximately 22.8m x 8.1m externally; consisted of domicile on 2 floors which measured 16.4m x 6.7m internally with chapel measuring 5m x 4.5m internally on its east end;

{20} C14th glass from hospital now in St Sepulchre's church;

{22} Original west elevation;

{24} Sketches, measurements, notes, letter, pamphlet, drawings, photo, plans; document DR/25/198/669 details the former location of the stream which previously followed the route of Weston Street and Victoria Promenade. It 'ran in a well-built culvert 15' wide exactly under the hospital and chapel and then became again an open watercourse until it joined the river. Photographs show the frontage of the hospital after its conversion into a carriage shop.

{25} A pair of cartouche tablets in Northampton Museum relate to three houses burnt in the great fire of 1675 and one is dated 1679, presumably the date when the houses had been repaired and the tablets put up [not known where the houses were located]. The two cartouches are Oolitic limestone. The first has damaged edges but the second is virtually complete. The first reads in eight lines: These 3/houses be/longing to/St Thomas Ho/spital were/burnt the/20th Sepbr/1675/. The second reads: For the/use of the/said/Hospi/tall the/25th March/Anno Do/1679.
Another datestone is rebuilt into a wall at the side of 'The Plough' in Victoria Promenade and reads 1636 [second earliest known datestone in the town].

{26} The datestone in the wall {25} appears to now be illegible, but may have been associated with the now demolished hospital.

<1> Serjeantson R.M.; Ryland W. (Editors), 1906, The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Northamptonshire, p.161-62 (checked) (Series). SNN100369.

<2> Page W. (ed), 1930, The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Northamptonshire- The Borough of Northampton, p.60-61 (checked) (Series). SNN100370.

<3> Hearne T., 1710, Collectanea (Leland J.), p.10 (unchecked) (Series). SNN974.

<4> Cox Rev.J.C., 1898, Records of The Borough of Northampton, p.341+432 (unchecked) (Book). SNN3420.

<5> Wetton, 1849, Guidebook to Northampton and its Vicinity, p.81-82 (checked) (Book). SNN1032.

<6> Serjeantson R.M.; Longden Isham H., 1913, The Parish Churches & Religious Houses of Northamptonshire: Their Dedications, Altars etc., p.233-35 (checked); Copy in NDC SMR File M32; (Extract). SNN1080.

<7> Dugdale, 1846, Monasticon Anglicanum, p.770 (unchecked) (Book). SNN2724.

<8> Report of The Charity Commissioners, p.257 (unchecked) (Report). SNN54545.

<9> Bridges J., 1791, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.457 (unchecked) (Book). SNN77325.

<10> Noble; Butlin, 1746, Town Map, (checked) (Map). SNN430.

<11> Dryden H., 1876, On The Hospital in Northampton Dedicated to St Thomas a Becket, p.225-31 (checked) (Series). SNN1932.

<12> Ordnance Survey, 1950s/1960s, Ordnance Survey Record Cards, SP76SE47 (unchecked) (Index). SNN443.

<13> Serjeantson R.M., 1909, The Hospital of St Thomas, Northampton, (unchecked) (Article). SNN56158.

<14> Williams J.H.; Shaw M.; Hardy S., 1978-1984, Northampton Development Corporation SMR Secondary Record Sheets, M32 (checked) (Catalogue). SNN108.

<15> Parker, Domestic Architecture in England, p.179 (unchecked) (Book). SNN56159.

<16> Wood; Law, 1847, Town Map of Northampton, (checked) (Map). SNN752.

<17> Minchinton J.A., 2005, County Tales: County Links to St Thomas, (checked) (Newspaper cuttings). SNN107673.

<18> Dryden H., 1876, On The Hospital in Northampton Dedicated to St Thomas a Becket, p.225-31 (checked) (Series). SNN1932.

<19> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1985, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.341 (checked) (Series). SNN77383.

<20> Cox; Serjeantson, 1897, A History of the Church of The Holy Sepulchre, Northampton, 50 (Book). SNN72349.

<21> Shaw M.; Williams J., 1971-1981, Northampton Development Corporation SMR Record Cards, M32 (checked) (Index). SNN133.

<22> Bridges J., 1791, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Book). SNN100366.

<23> Knowles; Hadcock, 1971, Medieval Religious Houses England and Wales, p. 380 (Book). SNN10192.

<24> Dryden H.E.L., 1842-1895, Dryden Collection, DR/25/198/620,621,626,627,630,633-640, 642-644, 648-655, 658-662, 663-672, 673-701,710 (Archive). SNN115.

<25> MOORE W.R.G., 1974, Survey of Northampton Datestones, p. 80 (Article). SNN40535.

<26> Northamptonshire HER, Unknown, Oral information, correspondence (not archived) or staff comments, Charlotte Walker 31/03/2025 (Oral Report). SNN115011.

Record last edited

Mar 31 2025 12:29PM