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St. Katherine’s Hospital

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St. Katherine’s Hospital was a religious hospital founded in 1148 by Queen Matilda on land provided by Holy Trinity Priory. The hospital was at the southern end of St. Katherine’s Lane and north of the St. Katherine Steps on the Thames, all of which is east of the Tower of London and Little Tower Hill. Stow explains that the hospital expanded in the centuries after its establishment: Eleanor, consort of King Edward I appointed there to be a Maister, three brethren Chaplaines, and three Sisters, ten poore women, and sixe poore Clarkes (Stow). Eleanor also gave the Hospital the Mannor of Carlton in Wiltshire, and Vpchurch in Kent. In 1351, Queen Phillipa, consort of Edward III, founded a Chauntrie there, and gaue to that Hospitall ten pound land by yeare: it was of late time called a free chappell, a colledge, and an Hospital for poore sisters (Stow). Stow also praised the choir of the hospital, noting how it was not much inferior to that of [St.] Paules [Cathedral] (Stow).
The hospital continued to care for the poor after the Reformation. Its buildings remained in situ until 1825, when they were removed to make room for the new St. Katherine Docks. The buildings were relocated and rebuilt northeast of Regent’s Park, where they remain to this day.
The Hospital of St. Katherine is shown on the Agas map among the buildings due east of the Tower of London and thus mirrors Stow’s comment about how the hospital was now of late yeres inclosed about, or pestered with small tenements, and homely cottages hauing inhabitants, English and strangers, more in number then in some citie(s) in England (Stow). The hospital itself is found south of the label S. Katerens la. It is represented by three houses and a gate located north and south of the label S. Kateren .

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