Christ’s Hospital in Abingdon

At our October meeting Jackie Smith, the archivist for Christ’s Hospital in Abingdon, gave an interesting and detailed account of the foundation and development of the charity.
Christ’s Hospital was established in 1553 by Royal Charter of Edward V1. Sir John Mason, a Tudor diplomat born in Abingdon played a major role in gaining the charter for the new charitable foundation. Roger Amyce plus local men, including Richard Mayotte, Thomas Tesdale and Oliver Hyde contributed to the expense of obtaining the charter.
The main obligation of the charity was to care for the Long Alley almspeople who were to receive 8 pence per week, 1 shilling at Easter and 5 shillings a year for clothing: gown and hoods for the women and gown and hats for the men.

johnmason

Sir John Mason

In addition, the charity shouldered the maintenance of the town’s bridges including those constructed by the Fraternity of the Holy Cross – a medieval religious guild. They also maintained the bridge over the River Ock to the west and the medieval arched stone bridge at the confluence of the Thames and Ock known as St. Helen’s Bridge.

Christ’s Hospital were also involved in the education of Abingdon boys from 1608 onwards.  They administered and appointed Bennett scholars and Tesdale ushers at Abingdon School.  An usher taught 6 poor boys at the school.

The History Society would like to thank Jackie Smith for her informative talk.

Local Oxfordshire talks – October 2015

Information provided by the OLHA (www.olha.org.uk)

October 2015

1st – Eynsham – Graham Bannell “Evolution of the Built Tradition”. St Leonard’s Church Hall, Thames Street, 7:30pm.

6th – Henley – Shaun Morley “Drunk and Riotous – Oxfordshire Friendly Societies”. Kings Arms Barns, Market Place, 7:45pm.

6th – Hook Norton – David Ashby “The Collapsed Medieval Towns of Oxfordshire”. Baptist Church Hall, Netting Street, 7:30pm.

7th – Otmoor – Olaf Bayer “The Archaeology of East Oxford Project”. Islip Village Hall, 8:00pm.

8th – Banbury – Barrie Trinder “Banburyshire’s Victorian Boatpeople”. Banbury Museum, Spiceball Park Road, 7:30pm.

8th – Wootton & Dry Sandford – Jackie Smith “Christs Hospital in Abingdon”. Wootton Community Centre, 7:30pm.

12th – Chipping Norton – Bill King “Yesterday’s Runways”. Methodist Room, West Street, 7:30pm.

12th – Goring & Streatley – Alan Turton “In the meadow which is called Runnymeade: The story of the Magna Carta”. Goring Village Hall, 2:30pm.

12th – Radley – Simon Wenham “The History of Salters Steamers in Oxford”. Primary School Hall, 7:30pm.

13th – Marcham – Martin Buckland “The Invisible Brick – Revealed in Language & Literature, Film & Fiction, Music & Murder in the Local Area and Much More”. Marcham church, 7:45pm.

15th – Eynsham – Pam Manix “Oxford’s Medieval Jewish History”. St Leonard’s Church Hall, Thames Street, 7:30pm.

15th – Sibfords – Maureen Hicks “The Sibfords 1914-1918”. Village Hall, Sibford Gower, 8:00pm.

15th – Whitchurch & Goring Heath – Peter Hawley “The Grey family of Whitchurch House and the Foundling Hospital”. Goring Heath Parish Hall, 8:00pm.

19th – Adderbury – Martin Bloxsom “The Importance of Local Railways in WW1”. Methodist Chapel, Chapel Lane, 7:30pm.

19th – Bicester -Stephen Barker “Oxfordshire on the Home Front 1914-1918”. Clifton Centre, Ashdene Road, 7:30pm.

19th – Kennington – Ivan Cadge “The History of the Abingdon GWR Branch Line”. Methodist Church, Upper Road, 7:45pm.

20th – Clanfield and Bampton – Muriel Pilkington “The Lost Railways of Oxfordshire”. Carter Institute, Clanfield, 7:30pm.

20th – Enstone – Alan Simpson “Tracing Ancestors”. Venue tbc (contact 01608 677246, carolawt@gmail.com), 7:30pm.

21st – Littlemore – Simon Townley “The Victoria County History in the Chilterns”. Littlemore Community Centre, Giles Road, 7:00 for 7:30pm.

27th – Hanney – Annual General Meeting and Hazel Brown “Wantage Town Lands Charity”. War Memorial Hall, 8:00pm.

27th – Kidlington – Alastair Lack “Travels with Auntie”. St John Ambulance Hall, High Street, 7:50pm.

28th – Dorchester – Robert Kidner “Railway Poster Art: a Special Genre”. Village Hall, 7:30pm.