Rod Collins

In common with many places in medieval Britain Grimsby had a leper hospital for the treatment of those suffering from leprosy
Slightly unusually, the one in Grimsby was not on the outskirts of town

The medieval period is pretty wide-ranging so let’s pin it down a little, or at least try.

The hospital of St. Mary Magdalene was definitely in operation in 1389 as we’ve already had documentary mention of it on this site previously in a comment here so some time earlier. I’ve found mention of 1325 as a date for the establishment of ‘Spital House’ as it was known though I cannot confirm it as yet with documentary evidence.

To the left you’ll see a map of medieval Grimsby on which is marked the location. Presuming the map to be accurate that puts it just above Nuns Corner on Bargate going into town roughly, I estimate, in the area today occupied around the streets The Cresta and Roundway.

According to Edward Gillett a leper hospital was not perhaps all we might imagine it to be today. One important instruction for any new keeper of the spital was that he was not to run a brothel from it !
It boasted it’s own chapel and ash trees. Ash trees have come up twice now in my research. Once in relation to to tax returns and the liabilities of the Burgesses of Grimsby. In 1481 the borough was so strapped for cash that it sold 24 ash trees belonging to the Leper Hospital for £3 6s 8d. with a promise to repay it as soon as was possible - presumably the debt is still owed

The second mention comes when Gillett mentions the that instructions were given on the Mayors Circuit for the cutting of 8 ash trees to repair the roof and walls of the chapel and house, presumably then a timber framed building.

There seems to be some confusion as to what was required before entry was allowed, makes it sound like the place to be, as it seems some people without leprosy resided there and at times were expelled. Likewise some of the town’s inhabitants who contracted the disease were not admitted to the hospital but expelled from the borough.
It sounds as though there was more to this than simple problems of diagnosis or indeed misdiagnosis.

Something else which may go to dispel the self-imagined idea one may get of a medieval leper hospital was the annual fete !
Yes, once a year they had a party on on the feast of Saint Mary Magdalene, non other than the mayor and towns burgess’ would attend for entertainment such as wrestling !
The keeper of the hospital was also legally obliged to provide 4 gallons of ale for the occasion. The keeper was independent form the church and once he had carried out his obligations to the hospital and borough, namely, care of patients, a priest twice a week for the sick, the annual fete and maintenance of the access road, he was free to take what profit remained for himself.

I think the main thing to take from this, certainly what I take after research, is that this was far from a place where ‘undesirables’ and ‘the unclean’ were dumped to await their fate. It seems to have elements akin to a modern day retirement home !
Some people actually chose to reside there and paid to do so, they did not have leprosy so perhaps given the options available at the time it wasn’t such a bad place to be.

Once again we are always very keen to learn more so if you have anything to add, be it information , comment or opinion please do take the time to share it with us - thank you
I’d like to thank Neville Sisson for his help with this, any mistakes are entirely mine though
All the best
Rod

[Later edit] See this new tremendous article related to the Grimsby Leper Hospital