About This Book
The book surveys the origins, organization, and functions of medieval English hospitals, describing foundations, endowments, governance, and the range of house types from pilgrims’ hospices and almshouses to leper-houses and infirmaries. It uses documentary evidence, seals, plans, and illustrations to portray daily routines, charitable practices, funding and legal arrangements, and the religious observances that shaped administration. Architectural features and surviving fabric are examined alongside accounts of care for travelers, the poor, the sick, and the aged, presenting these institutions as integral elements of local welfare and community structure in the Middle Ages.