(St.) Katherine's Hospital

   On Tower Hill, to the east of the Tower.

   Founded by Q Matilda, the wife of King Stephen, before 1148 (Tanner) on ground belonging to the Priory of Holy Trinity, purchased by her from the Prior Ralph for the purpose (Ducarel, I. p 31). The land had been included in the grant made by the Cnihtegild to the Priory and lay within the Ward of Portsoken, and the custody of the hospital was given by Matilda to the Prior and convent of the Holy Trinity (Anc Deeds, A 6684). Custody surrendered 1261 (Nichols, pp. 2 and 3). Refounded by Q. Eleanor, w. of Ed. I., 1273, the Master to be nominated by the Queen (Nichols, p. 3).

   Liberties and privileges of the Hospital and precincts confirmed, 20 H. VI. 1442 (Cal. P.R. H. VI. 1441-6, p. 110).

   Removed at the time of the construction of the St. Katherine's Docks, to the Regent's Park in 1825 and re-erected there on the north-eastern side of the Park.

   It is interesting to note in connection with the date of the foundation of the Hospital given above the existence in the Calendar of Documents in France (Rolls Series) edited in recent years by Mr. Round, at p. 329, of a grant made by H. king of England and Matilda his wife of St. Katharine on the Thames to the Abbey of Holy Trinity l'Essay in 1105. It is difficult to know to what other foundation the grant could refer. It would certainly be rash in the absence of further proof to assume that this grant must refer to St. Katherine's Hospital, or to a church erected previously on or near the site of the Hospital. Such an assumption would throw some doubt upon the accuracy of the accounts given by Dugdale and others and attested by documentary evidence as to the ownership of the land and of its acquisition by Q. Matilda, w. of King Stephen, for the purposes of the foundation of the Hospital. But it may be well not to lose sight of this grant, in case further proof should be forthcoming in the future in support of the contention that a church or hospital was in existence on or near the site so early as 1105, and that the whole of the land in question could not therefore have been included in the grant made by the Cnihtegild to the Priory of Holy Trinity in 1125 as alleged.