Monument record MDO20293 - Chapel and hospice of St Thomas the Martyr, The Green, Sherborne

Also known as the Hospital of St Thomas at Grene. Extant in the early 13th century, probably as a royal foundation, the chapel being documented in 1228. It was suppressed by 1547. The exact site of the chapel is not known.

The site of the chapel is now problematical, but HUTCHINS 1st Edn states "some remains [of the chapel] were standing within the last 40-45 years [i.c. c.1750] between the Angel Inn and the top of CHEAP ST" <1>.

"In the reign of Henry VIII Leland describes 'Thomas Bekettes chapelle by the New Yn' as still standing, but 'incelebrated.' The college and chantry commissioners of Edward VI reported that it was worth 62s., had no plate or ornaments, but two bells valued at 26s. 8d...The chapel was granted by Edward VI to John Doddington and William Ward." <2>

St Thomas a becket's chapel was founded on the green in Sherborne in 1177 as part of the vicarage of Sherborne which had been held by the monks since 1122. Thomas a Beckett was murdered in 1170. <4>

The Inn is now a SHERBORNE SCHOOL HOUSE, and it would seem that the chapel perhaps stood at the NE Corner of the triangular island opposite the Antelope Hotel. The so called "ST THOMAS A BECKETS CHAPEL" at the top of CHEAP STREET [T.I. site] is mis-named; it had nothing to do with ST THOMAS A BECKET, and was never a chapel. <4>

In the time of Hutchins (c.1770) some remains of the chapel were still visible. It was located within the triangle of buildings at the top of Cheap Street. 45 acres of glebe were allotted to the chapel when it was first consecrated in 1177 these lay in an arable field east of the chapel and might be represented by the 'Priestlands' area of Sherborne. <5>

The chapel of St. Thomas stood on the northeast corner of the Green. The New Inn stood on the north side of the Green and remained in use until 1843 when it was puled down to make way for the so-called 'Georgian Houses'. <7>

[ST 63741691] Chapel of ST. THOMAS-A-BECKET, ST. THOMAS the MARTYR, or THOMAS-ATTE-GREEN. Dedicated 11th Sept, 1177, founded by William SPYNEUAUS and dissolved prior to 1547, and at one time under the patronage of SHERBORNE ABBEY. <6>

The OS description in T1 applies to the JULIAN on the GREEN, or the JULIAN HOSPICE, a building which was until recent years thought to be ST THOMAS A BECKET'S chapel. The probable site of the chapel, as suggested in T2, is now occupied by more or less modern shops and buildings, and a SHERBORNE SCHOOL HOUSE, with no evidence of ST THOMAS'S chapel. <8>

<1> Shipp, W, and Hodson, J W (eds), 1870, The History and Antiquities of the County of Dorset. 3rd edition. Volume 4 (Monograph). SDO17392.

<2> Page, W (ed), 1908, The Victoria History of the County of Dorset 2, 105 (Monograph). SWX1805.

<3> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey 25-inch map, 1928 (Map). SDO10373.

[ST 63771687] CHAPEL [GT]

<4> Fowler, J, 1951, Mediaeval Sherborne, 91 (Monograph). SDO10392.

<5> Fowler, J, 1951, Mediaeval Sherborne, 129-34 (Monograph). SDO10392.

<6> Knowles, D, and Hadcock, R N, 1971, Medieval religious houses in England and Wales, 305 (Monograph). SDO17348.

<7> Thornton, M L M, 1974, The Green, Sherborne. Journal of the Sherborne Historical Society, 1-2 (Article in serial). SDO10579.

<8> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, F1 NVQ 18-JUL-55 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<9> National Record of the Historic Environment, 199438 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Aug 23 2024 1:09PM