The Hospital of St Mary Ospringe, commonly called Maison Dieu

38 M:A.!SON DIE'O', OSPRT'NGE. travellers, the house maintained a certain number of almsfolk who dwelt within its walls. In 1235 the king gave to the brothers £or their support, during his pleasure, one hundred solidates in land with the appurtenances thereon, in Waltham, which the king had before given to John de Dinar (or Disner), the hospital to hold them in "full seisin."9 The king also caused fifty hogs to be sent to the hospital from his park at Havering, or elsewhere if more convenient. 10 Final concord was made "at the King's. court at Bermundsey, St. Michaelmas in fifteen days, 19 Henry III. (1235), between Hervey (Hervicius) de Cobeham, master of the hospital of St. Mary, Ospreng, plt., and John le Wandeys and Letitia his wife, defts., of one messuage with appurtenances in Ospreng by which John and Letitia recognise the same to be the right of the master and brothers of the said hospital as of the gift of John and Letitia, to hold of them in free, pure, and perpetual alms for ever free from all secular services and exactions, and they warrant therein the said master and brothers against all men for ever ; in return the master and brothers give their prayers."11 It is doubtful if any of the foundation deeds of this house are in eKistence now. The se1·ies of charter rolls in the Record Office give evidence, however, of a number of g-rants of property to the hospital, commencing in the year 1237, the earliest date mentioned by Tanner.1Z This charter is dated 8 February, 21 Henry III. (1237), and in it the king confirms an agreement as to the demise of lands in Merrow13 by Alice, prioress, and the nuns of S. Margaret I vingho, and an agreement as- to lands in the same place by Roger de Crest to the brethren of the hospital of Ospringe · for thirty years. 9 Close Rolls 19 Henry III., m. 10. 1o Ibid., m. 2. u Feet of Fines, Kent, Case 96, File 19, No. 260. 1􀀂 !l'anner, Monasticon (Na.smith), "Maison Dieu, Ospringe or Awssprenge." Charter Roll 21 Henry ill., m. 7. la :Merrow, a parish in Surrey about three miles north-west of Guildford.