Holy Jesus Hospital facts for kids
Front of the Holy Jesus Hospital by David Ord
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| Established | 2000 (in current form, see article) |
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| Location | Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Type | Almshouse |
The Holy Jesus Hospital is an old building in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. Today, it is used as an office and is looked after by the National Trust. It is a very important historical building, listed as Grade II*.
This place has been helping people in Newcastle for over 700 years! First, it was a Priory for monks, then a special home called an almshouse for retired people. Later, a soup kitchen was built next door to help those in need. Now, it's an office. The building is also home to the National Trust's Inner City Project. This project helps young people (12–25) and older adults (over 50) explore the countryside. It helps them learn to appreciate the natural beauty around the city.
The building is special because it still has parts from many different centuries. You can see a wall from the 1300s and a tower from the 1500s. It's also one of only two brick buildings from the 1600s that are still standing in Newcastle. The other is Alderman Fenwick's House.
Contents
A Home for Monks (1291–1539)
In the 1200s, Newcastle upon Tyne had about 4,000 people. The four local parish churches found it hard to help everyone. Priests were like teachers, doctors, and helpers, as well as spiritual guides. So, in 1291, some land was given to start an Augustinian priory. This is where the Holy Jesus Hospital stands today.
The Augustinian Friars were originally hermits (people who live alone) in Italy. They became a single group in 1256. The Order spread to France and then to England. They were invited to England in 1249 to start a priory in Suffolk. These friars wore black clothes and followed the rules of St Augustine of Hippo. They had been in England since 1250, helping people by preaching and healing.
The priory was also used as a place for travelers to stay. This was because it was on a main road leading north. When King Edward I visited Newcastle in 1299, the friars each received some money. In 1306, the King gave the monastery more land to make its burial ground bigger. King Richard II even told the city's officers to stop people from dumping rubbish near the priory.
It's thought that English kings might have used this site even before it became a temporary base for the King's Council of the North. An old historian named Henry Bourne wrote that kings used to stay there when they went to fight in Scotland. After the monasteries were closed, it became a storage place for military supplies.
Bourne also thought that the site might have been a religious center even before the Augustinian priory. He wrote that kings of Northumberland might have built an old religious house there.
When Monasteries Closed (1539)
In 1539, the priory was taken over by the King. This was part of a big event called the Dissolution of the Monasteries, when King Henry VIII closed down many religious houses. At that time, the priory had seven monks and three new trainees. The monks and nuns were given money to live on, or they found new jobs. Their bells, lead, and special clothes were given to the King. Most of the buildings and land were sold to rich people or city councils.
In 1537, people asked if the priory could stay open. They wanted it to be the northern office for the King's Council of the North. But it was not used for this purpose very often. Elizabeth I said the council should spend 20 days a year there. In 1551, the site was given to John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland. By 1595, the building was in poor condition. During the English Civil War, the city council took ownership. The area became known as 'Kings Manour'. Townspeople also practiced military drills there. Today, only a part of the old sacristy wall remains. A model inside the building shows what the priory might have looked like.
The Tower
The tower was built sometime between the closing of the monasteries and the time when England and Scotland joined under one king. We don't know the exact date. It was probably built as a strong room to keep weapons safe. It might also have been a secure place if the city walls were broken. The ground floor room was used as a lock-up for people who caused trouble. They would stay there until they faced the law. Many things about the tower have changed. The wall to the right of the door is from the 1200s. The wall with the door in it is from the 1700s.
Private Owners (1605–1646)
In 1605, King James I of England gave the tower and priory buildings to George Home, 1st Earl of Dunbar. Home was also made a special knight that year. An old source says that Home took the lead off the building and sold it. But the lead was lost before it reached its market. Home also gained control of many other lands from the King. He died in 1611 without a son, so his titles ended.
A man named Captain Dykes became the next owner of the land. The site then disappears from history until 1646. At that time, records show it was owned by the city council.
The Hospital (1646–1825)
The Holy Jesus Hospital was built in 1681. People raised money to build it. It was meant to house retired Freemen (important citizens), their widows, or unmarried children. Locals often called it the "Freeman's Hospital" or the "Town's Hospital." In 1684, it was officially named the "Hospital of the Holy Jesus." The Mayor and city council of Newcastle were in charge of setting the rules.
The building was made using brick, which was a new way to build back then. It is one of only two brick buildings from the 1600s in Newcastle. To get a room, people had to meet certain rules. Once admitted, they had to follow the master's rules. The hospital was used until 1937, when a new one was built. The rules were strict. Residents were locked in their rooms at 9 pm and unlocked at 6 am. No children were allowed. Residents had to go to church every week. Each year, they received free clothes, coal, and sometimes a little pocket money.
The first master of the hospital was Thomas Lewen, a merchant. The residents first received 20 shillings every three months. The master received 30 shillings. Later, in 1752, the council said the hospital should get coal every year. By the early 1800s, the allowance for each resident had increased to £13 per year. They also received coal and clothing. Residents had to meet the Mayor every three months to share any problems. They could also receive money from charities.
In 1705, people in the Newcastle House of Correction made purple and grey cloth. This cloth was used for the uniforms of the widows living in the Holy Jesus Hospital.
There is a Latin message on the front of the building. It roughly means:
"Hospital for poor people built by the citizens and leaders of Newcastle upon Tyne in the year 1683. Built by Timothy Robson, Mayor, John Squire Sheriff. But now only Faith, Hope, and Charity remain, and the greatest of these is Charity."
In 1646, the council allowed the Barber Surgeons to build their hall nearby. They had to build it within two years. Part of the land was to be a garden for medicinal herbs. A second hall built in 1730 was later covered by a railway bridge in the 1840s. The oldest people were preferred for rooms at the Hospital. In 1779, the Mayor asked candidates to show proof of their age.
The 1800s
Today, the Holy Jesus Hospital is surrounded by modern roads and buildings. But in 1827, it was in a much more open area. A writer named Mackenzie described it as being on a small hill with steps leading up to it. It faced south and was a nice brick building with three floors. The ground floor had arches, which made a pleasant walkway. There was a small field in front, separated from the street by a low stone wall. The building had 42 rooms, each with a small coal-house in the back. The rooms were made more comfortable over time.
A soup kitchen was built in 1880 next to the hospital. It replaced a police station. People donated money to run it. The kitchen gave out soup to the 'deserving poor' until 1891. The soup was not free; it cost half a pence per pint. People who donated received tickets. They could give these tickets to those they thought deserved the soup. The 'deserving poor' were people who couldn't work during the winter. Those whose poverty was thought to be their own fault were called 'undeserving'.
A recent article said the soup from the kitchen was very healthy. The kitchen was open from December to March, seven days a week, if the weather was good. They put ads in local newspapers asking for donations. These donations paid the staff and bought ingredients for the soup. The names of big donors were also listed in the newspapers. Important townsmen ran the kitchen.
Lynn Redhead, who works at the Holy Jesus Hospital, described the kitchen: "People wanting soup came through a narrow brick hallway, one at a time. They were served from big troughs. Nine copper boilers were on the first floor. Raw materials were weighed and lifted up. They made 100 gallons of soup at a time, enough for 800 people queuing at the back of the building."
In 1881, a group helping former prisoners asked to use the building. They wanted to use it for laundry work for women who had left prison. They used it until the early 1900s. Between 1882 and 1883, City Road was built over the hospital's front lawn.
The soup kitchen closed in 1891. The building was then rented to a butcher. He made changes to separate his business from the laundry. From 1913, a chemical factory operated on the site. It made industrial and home chemicals until 1961. In 1937, the council decided the hospital was no longer a good place for people to live. The area around it was unhealthy. So, a new hospital was built. Some of the old building's parts were moved to the new site.
The People's Kitchen
The old soup kitchen inspired 'The People's Kitchen'. This is a modern charity that helps homeless people in Newcastle. It was started by Alison Kay, who wanted to help after finding a homeless man who had died. She first held a "friendship picnic" with tea and sandwiches. Then, she started The People's Kitchen. After being in temporary places, it moved to Bath Lane in 1997. It gives clothes and other items to homeless people.
The First Museum (1950–1993)
In the late 1960s, the Museum Board wanted more museums in Newcastle. They thought the Holy Jesus Hospital could be used. The building had been empty for many years and was in bad shape. It cost £67,000 to fix it, and a new roof was needed. During the repairs, some original parts of the building were lost.
In 1971, the John George Joicey Museum opened. At this time, the soup kitchen building was joined to the Holy Jesus Hospital. The first floor rooms taught visitors about Newcastle's history, from Roman times to the present. There were rooms showing how people lived in different periods. Much of the collection was given by John George Joicey, a businessman. The museum was named after him.
The hospital's tower had displays of old armor and swords. The Shotley Bridge Sword makers were sword and knife makers from Germany. They settled in Shotley Bridge in 1690. The soup kitchen area was used as a Victorian schoolroom. Children could dress up and learn as Victorian children did. There were also videos about the Tyne Flood of 1771 and the Great Fire of 1854. Part of the museum was about military regiments.
The museum was hard to reach because of the city's underpasses and roads. Not many people visited it. In 1993, the museum closed. All the items were moved to the Discovery Museum. This included a statue of a knight from the 1400s found near the tower.
The Inner City Project (2000)
The Holy Jesus Hospital has become the main office for the National Trust's Inner City Project. By 2004, £800,000 had been spent on fixing up the building. Money for this came from the Heritage Lottery Fund and other partners. The project started in 1987, helping young people (12-25) and older adults (over 50) explore the countryside. The National Trust needed a central office to expand its work. So, they agreed to rent the building for 25 years.
The Exhibition Room has touch screens and 3D models. These help people learn about the site's long history of helping the townspeople. Some people have said the National Trust doesn't focus enough on city areas. But they praise the Inner City Project as a good step. They say it helps people from the city connect with nature. Research also suggests the project has been good at helping people feel more connected to their community. However, the project has been limited by the money it receives.
Famous Visitors to the Site
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- Princess Margaret Tudor – She was the daughter of King Henry VII. She stayed here for four days in 1503. She was on her way north to marry James IV of Scotland.
- Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk – He stayed here in 1560. A lot of money was spent on repairs for his visit. Walls were fixed, the roof was repaired, and a dining room was made bigger. He was later put in prison for planning to marry Mary, Queen of Scots.
- Eric XIV of Sweden – He visited in 1561. For his visit, the Great Hall was painted white and decorated with borrowed tapestries.
See also
- Augustinians
- Dissolution of the Monasteries
- Council of the North
- Blackfriars, Newcastle
- National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
- Discovery Museum
- Eric XIV of Sweden
- George Home, 1st Earl of Dunbar
- Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk
- Princess Margaret Tudor
- History of Newcastle upon Tyne
