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| Spital Bridge / Old Council Depot |
The Hospital of St. Michael, Spital Bridge.
The origin and early history of this hospital are contained in two documents in the Whitby Chartulary. In 1109, during the abbacy of William de Percy, a leper named Orm (Old Norse meaning - worm, snake, or dragon) sought from the abbot and convent a place where he might make his habitation. A place afterwards called 'Spitylbrydg' or 'Ad Pontem Hospitalis' (bridge hospital), was granted him, as well as a corrody of seven loaves and seven lagenae of ale weekly, and a daily service of meat or fish, such as the convent had. Afterwards others, lepers or not, were permitted to live at the hospital, and it was agreed by Abbot William, as well as by his successors, Abbots Nicholas and Benedict, and their convent, that when an inmate of the hospital, leprous or not, died, the body was to be brought to the monastery to be buried there by the monks. One of the monks was appointed master of the hospital, but neither he, nor the brothers or sisters of the hospital, were to admit anyone to it except through the abbot, because, it was said, the original alms came from the mensa of the abbot and convent. The hospital had its own chaplain with cure of souls there. The alms originally granted by Abbot William to Orm were granted in perpetuity to the hospital, as well as land near the hospital, called the Hospital Croft. A monk named Geoffrey Mansell, who was suspected of leprosy by Abbot Benedict and certain of the monks, was sent there and lived at the hospital many years and died there. He cleared the land at 'Helredale,' now called Spittal Vale, and cultivated it.
Source - The Victorian history of the county of York: volume three (page 334)- William Page 1913
The historian and geologist Rev. George Young claimed in his book 'A History OF Whitby And Streoneshalh Abbey' (1817) that - 'Some remains of the building may yet be seen in the premises at Spital Bridge, belonging to William Skinner, Esq and John Holt Esq; particularly three small cellars, neatly constructed of hewn stone'.
He then goes on to describe in detail the dimension of the cellars - 'One of the cellars is 10 feet long, 5 and half broad, and 5 and half high; the door 4 feet by 2: another is 5 feet square, and 5 and half feet high; the door is 3 feet by 2: the third is 9 feet by 4, and also 4 feet high; the door is 3 and half feet by 2. In this last, there have two concealed presses. The roofs and floors are formed with large flat stones'.
The map below is a section of a plan of Whitby harbour dated 1740. In it can be seen two buildings situated to the left of the last 'E' in Eske and just above the place named Spittle Bridge. It is speculation on my part, but I believe that either one or both these buildings may be the remains of the medieval Hospital, as found in George Young's description of 1817.
The following image is from an O/S map of Whitby dated 1895 and goes some way to corroborate my belief regarding the location of the hospital. It's position has been marked on the map between Bell Island and Whitehall Dockyard. And although the name itself appears in the river, I feel certain that it points to the location of the hospital.
The image below is taken from what was once Bell Isle on the opposite banks of the Esk. The large sand stone building to the right of the bridge is, by my best estimate, the probable vicinity of the hospital of St Michael. The building itself date back to the early 19th century and was constructed as a sail loft. It has also been a nightclub in it's time and is now privately owned apartments.
A Sacred Heart
The following is an account of a fictional meeting between William De Percy, the second Abbot of Whitby Abbey, and the crusader Knight Sir Ralph De Everley. In which the knight details the fate of the Abbot's father Baron William De Percy Aux Gernons.
My Lord Abbot, the stories that you have heard from the Holy Lands are naught but falsehoods, created to make you think that all there is well. But, I stand before you a much-changed man. I have, for too long, kept locked deep within my heart the burden of the truth. I must now ask that you bare witness, so I can share this sorry tale.
Antioch was our undoing. We took and held that god forsaken city, but it was nothing more than a Pyrrhic victory. Starvation and disease had decimated our ranks. Peter Bartholomew had failed in his trail and the Holy Lance was once again lost. This is, I believe, when the light left us; when we finally succumbed to the darkness.
Such unspeakable acts we carried out in His name. Men, women and children, Turks, Jews and Christians alike, suffered grave depravations at our hands. I witnessed terrible deeds, men turned to beasts, lost to the Lord's light, avarice and rapacity their only goal. The lust for power drew forth from them such madness, that I believed the Devil himself their bedfellow.
And now with the situation made plain, I must speak of your father's part in all this and how he came to be lost to us.
It was on the road to Jerusalem when the sickness made a friend of your father. I watched helpless as he took to fasting. Maddened with hunger he started to talk of dark visions, of how God Almighty himself would judge our agency unfit and of how He would mete out our punishment, true and just. And when, at last, the company could take no more of your father's ravings, they did remove his tongue, and so as to spare him from the rapture of his visions they then took his sight. That was how they left him; to his fate. But I stayed, I stood by his side and watched as our brethren marched onto the Holy City.
We then wandered the lands set adrift from our destiny. I nursed your father back to a better health, but his soul was lost to me, an empty vessel he would remain.
I myself took ill and suffered many trails and tribulations. I fought many a battle, with devils and men alike, until at last God took pity on me, and by way of the symbol of His son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, showed me the path home.
I knew nothing of the man fixed to the cross, whether Christian or Heathen. Only that he bore the mark about his body of that of a great serpent. The beast's head rested upon the man's breast, this I took as a sign of His divinity, and so removed the poor soul's heart.
I believed your father would never again find acceptance amongst his own, so I decided to contrive his death alongside his fallen brothers in the Holy Land, and that the organ that I had plucked from the stranger's body, would take on the mantle of your Father's earthly remains. So that it could be venerated as such.
With a plan formulated, we then set about our journey home. Time went unmeasured as we travelled those unforgiving distant lands. God did forsake us many times and it was thus that your father became afflicted with the leprosy. But for his sins he lived, and we did march on, ragged and starved, until at last we reached our destination.
So, it is here before you my Lord, that I find myself. And I think now you have come to the understanding that your father did not meet his fate in those far-off lands, as you had been led to believe, but that this poor ungodly wretch that I bring before you is, in fact, the same man whom you had once known and loved deeply.
Now, my duty done and I have served my master faithfully, I would ask that these bonds be broken, so that I can live the rest of my days in peace. And on your father's behest, my Lord Abbot, I pray that you show him the same good grace.
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| Siege of Antioch - Jean Colombe |
A Brief History Of Baron William De Percy
William I (Willame) De Percy (b.1032/4 - d.1096/9), 1st feudal baron of
Topcliffe in North Yorkshire, known as Willame als gernons ( meaning
"with whiskers", later forming the first name Algernon, frequently
used by the Percy family), was a Norman nobleman who arrived in England
immediately after the Norman Conquest of 1066. - Wikipedia
In 1070 William was engaged on works connected with the rebuilding of York Castle after its destruction by the Danes, he took part in the Conquerors expedition to Scotland. At the Domesday survey he was tenant in chief in the three ridings of Yorkshire, in Lindsey, with a small holding in Nottingham and of Humbledon Hants which he had received with his wife (Emma de Port). He was also an under tenant of the Earl of Chester in Whitby and in Catton and in the city of York and of the Bishop of Durham in Scarborough and Lund.
He built the castle at Topcliffe and before 1086 re founded the monastery at Whitby. He was among the Barons present when the Conqueror heard a plea relating to property of the Abbey of Fecamp and he witnessed charters of William II in the period before 1095.
In 1096 he set out on the first crusade. While in the Holy Land his army captured a Turkish Garrison near Antioch.
It was usual then, that the vanquished would give up their emblem to their captors. In this case it was the silver crescent pennant of the Turks which was won by Baron Percy. This emblem became the Percy Badge (a sign of their victory). The manacles (handcuffs or leg irons) of the vanquished were incorporated into the badge to embellish the history. This badge is used by the Percy family to this very day and was used on their livery in medieval battles.
1097 AD – William died in sight of Jerusalem and was buried at Mount Joy near Jerusalem. (This was also the ancient burial site of Samuel of the Old Testament and the hill today is called Nebi Samwel) just 10 km NW of Jerusalem.
Following Williams dying wishes, Sir Ralph De Everly, a Knight carried Williams heart and captured pennon back to England. William’s heart was buried at Whitby Abbey, which he founded.
Source - Percy Family History
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| William 1st Baron Percy Aux Gernons |
