Blakberd’s Treasure: a Study in Fifteenth-Century Administration at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital, London

Summary

‘John Wakeryng, otherwise Blakberd … was served by John Cok during the whole of his mastership. John Cok put down in writing all the famous works of this master because it is memorable to recollect his wondrous wisdom and extraordinary discretion.’ So begins the account of John Wakeryng, master of St. Bartholomew’s hospital from 1423 to 1466, in the fifteenth-century cartulary of the house. Taken at face value, this statement may seem to be little more than hagiography: the posthumous apotheosis of a master, courtesy of his doting servant. Yet, in Wakeryng’s case, John Cok’s flattery may have substance, for he was arguably one of a small number of mid fifteenth-century heads of London religious houses who left their mark by virtue of their particular administrative zeal and ability. The context for Wakeryng’s reforms is provided by a background of economic instability across London and the rest of the kingdom and the consequent need for religious houses to consolidate their properties and finances. In this vein Wakeryng is of particular interest as one of several heads of London institutions who reformed their houses in the fifteenth century, particularly with regard to administration, education and patronage. Other reformers included John Neel, master of the hospital of St. Thomas of Acre (1420–63), and Thomas Lisieux, the administrator-dean of St. Paul’s (1441–56), who produced long inventories of the cathedral muniments.

St. Bartholomew’s was founded in West Smithfield in 1123 by Rahere, and initially consisted of a priory of Augustinian canons, with a church and hospital house. The site was possibly chosen because of the existence of a chapel there, dedicated to the Holy Cross and already used for the care of the sick. The hospital was run by a combination of chaplains and lay brothers in conjunction with the priory’s canons although, as will be discussed, after Rahere’s death in 1143 the two institutions soon split from one another and often squabbled over several contentious issues. The first gift of property to the hospital was from Rahere himself, who granted the living of St. Sepulchre without Newgate to Hagno the clerk, on condition that he gave 50s. a year to the canons and to the hospital.