It was not a Charity; it was a
Religious House with a definite duty--to pray for the souls of two
children; it had no other charitable objects than belong to any
religious foundation--viz., the giving of alms to the poor, nor was it
intended as a church for the people; in those days there were no
people outside the Tower, save the inhabitants of a few scattered
cottages along the river Wall, and the farmhouses of Steban Heath. It
was simply founded for the benefit of two little princes' souls. One
refrains from asking what was done for the little paupers' souls in
those days.
The Prior and Canons of Holy Trinity without Aldgate continued to
exercise some authority over the Hospital, but apparently--the subject
only interests the ecclesiastical historian--against the protests and
grumblings of the St. Katherine's Society. It was, however, formally
handed over to them, a hundred and forty years later, by Henry the
Third. After his death, Queen Eleanor, for some reason, now dimly
intelligible, wanted to get the Hospital into her own hands. The
Bishop of London took it away from the Priory and transferred it to
her. Then, perhaps with the view of preventing any subsequent claim by
the Priory, she declared the Hospital dissolved.
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