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CH.108
Perhaps unkindly and misleadingly, Keevil describes Hawkins' action in founding his Hospital as
"the dying echo of the age of pity" (vol.1 p.52).
In terms of civil legislation, Queen Elizabeth did enable the enacting of laws to relieve suffering
among Mariners in the period from 1593 but apparently with little effect (Black p.p. 264-265).
Ultimately better universal poor relief was enabled by the great Elizabethan Poor Laws of 1598 and
1601 although even these worked imperfectly due to inequality in Parish finances from place to
place.
The momentous national event which inspired Hawkins' Hospital was the Spanish Armada of
1588. For the first time in English history probably, large numbers of seamen were paid-off,
many maimed, ill and destitute. When it became apparent that the Spanish Armada had sailed into
the North Sea, the English Fleet had anchored off Margate. Here nearly all crews were
disembarked, leaving only skeleton crews to sail the Fleet into Chatham.
The Kent seaside towns were affected by a sudden influx of these seamen. Lord Howard of
Effingham, the Fleets Commander, grieved "to see them that have served so valiantly die so
miserably". Holden asserts in fact that Effingham was the prime mover behind the Chatham
Chest. If this was so, Hawkins may have wanted to make his own contribution to Naval charity.
The Local Historical Context
For several centuries Rochester and Chatham had benefited from St. Bartholomew^ Hospital,
founded as a Leper Hospital in the late eleventh century and reputedly the country's oldest Hospital
(see collection CH2 at this Centre). The restored Norman Chapel of St. Bartholomew^ Hospital
stands opposite Hawkins' Hospital.
Immediately prior to Hawkins' foundation of his Hospital, Richard Watts, the builder of Upnor
Castle founded his Charity and Almshouse in Rochester, in 1579 (see collection CH46 also at this
Centre). This being the case, the echo referred to by Keevil was certainly louder and more
persistent in the Medway Towns.
Reinforcing these developments, William Brook, 10th Lord Cobham in 1598 adapted an existing
chantry house at Cobham to serve as an Almshouse known as Cobham College. (The records of
Cobham College are held by the Rochester Bridge Wardens at Bridge Chamber, Esplanade,
Rochester. The Cobham Parish and Darnley of Cobham Hall family and estate records are held at
this Centre, collections P96 and U565 respectively).
In fact, probably contrary to KeeviFs argument, Hawkins' Hospital was very significant as a
sixteenth century charity. In the long term, Hawkins had been encouraged by a period of growth
in secular charitable foundations originally caused by the collapse of monastic almsgiving
following the Protestant Reformation in religion in Henry VIIFs reign.* The secular response to
this in the second and third quarters of the sixteenth century coincided with a revival of religious
and economic confidence, exemplified by Watts and Lord Cobham locally, besides Hawkins,
himself a merchant. As an almshouse historian puts it, "the reign of Elizabeth had run half its
course before major private benefactions began to appear again as a result of more settled times
and policies" (Bailey p.90).
Finally, it may be significant that John Whitgift, Archbishop of Canterbury was one of the first
Governors of Hawkins' Hospital. Regarding Whitgift, Bailey states "the first ecclesiastical
foundation of real importance after the Reformation was John Whitgift's Hospital at Croydon
[Surrey] in 1598" (p.95). Hawkins' Hospital therefore had as its most eminent early Governor, an
ecclesiastical statesman who was at the forefront of charity in his age.
* Held at this Centre are the records of St. Andrew's Priory, Rochester, and several
other Kent monastic foundations closed by Henry VHI (see collection DRC).
pcl5/env/john-haw.sd (nf/msm)