HOSPITALLER SOURCES 1470

21 February, 1470
Whereas from time immemorial the brethren of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem in England according to customs and ordinances at each voidance of the hospital proceeded freely and without royal licence to the election of another prior from themselves. The issues and revenues of all the possessions of the hospital after all charges and hospitality for the defence of the church, the Holy Land and the Christians against the Saracens, pagans and other enemies without any seisin into the king's hands. The elect became prior and was admitted to all the possessions of the hospital without any oath of fealty before the king.
Although in the time of Edward III one Leonardo de Tibertis, an alien brother of the hospital and born without the king's obedience, was elected prior and did fealty because he was an alien, but under protest that this should be without prejudice to the hospital. Nevertheless the said king on a scrutiny of the rolls and memoranda of the Exchequer acquitted one Philip de Thame, the immediate successor of Leonardo as prior, of the said fealty and the issues of the lands of the hospital and the lands sometime of the master and brethren of the Order of the Temple in England, in the hands of the said prior and brethren, taken into the hands of the said king by pretext of the annulling of the said order.
On the late voidance of the hospital by the death of Robert Botill, late prior, the brethren proceeded to election as above without licence and elected John Langstrother, and the king caused the records, rolls and memoranda to be searched and found nothing for his right. The said John was instituted prior and became possessed of the possessions of the hospital and afterwards did fealty under protest as above, and the issues of the possessions of the hospital during the voidance were answered for. King Edward IV, to remove all ambiguity, declares that all the above proceedings on the part of the prior and brethren are lawful and in no way to his prejudice or detriment. (TNA, Patent Rolls Edw IV, membrane 6 / Calendar of Patent Rolls, Edw IV, Henry VI, 1467-1477, p. 188)

16 July, 1470. Westminster.
Edward IV grants general pardon to Fr. William Tournay, late preceptor of Baddesley, fellow of Fr. John Langstrother, prior of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem in England, alias William Tournay, knight, bailiff of Aquila, of all offences committed by him before 11 July. (Calendar of Patent Rolls, Edward IV, Henry VI, p. 217)

02 October, 1470. Rhodes.
Master Giovanbattista Orsini and the Council discuss about the status of the magisterial cameras; they are considered vacant with the death of the master.

20 October, 1470. Westminster.
Henry VI grants Fr. John Langstrother, prior of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem in England, the office of the treasurer of the Exchequer, in the same manner as Walter Hungerford, knight, late treasurer, or anyone else before. By K. by word of mouth. (Calendar of Patent Rolls, Edward IV, Henry VI, p. 229)

16 December, 1470
Pope Paul II informs Master and Convent at Rhodes that the bailli of Manosque fr. Juan de Castellania is hindered to follow the citation to Rhodes not least because of the preceptory of Podii; they should not prevent the collation of it by providing fr. Guillaume Ricardi with this preceptory.

20 December, 1470. Westminster.
At the request of Fr. John Langstrother, prior of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem in England, exemplification of the tenors of the enrolments of the following:
1. Memorandum that on 18 November, 9 Edward IV [1469], Miles Skayff and Marmaduke Lomeley, brethren and preceptors of the hospital, Robert Baily, sub-prior of the hospital, and John Grene and Thomas Erlyche, brethren and chaplains of the hospital, presented the said John Langstrother, bailiff of Eagle (Aquile) and steward of the grand master of Rhodes, to the king in a chamber within the palace of Westminster as their prior unanimously elected on the death of Robert Botill, last prior, and the king admitted him as prior and he made fealty to the king. - Vacated by command of the king on 16, November, 49 Henry VI [1470].
2. Memorandum that on 20 October, 49 Henry VI [1470], Miles Skayff and Marmaduke Lomeley, brethren and preceptors, and Robert Bayly, sub-prior, presented the said John as prior to the king in a chamber within the palace of Thomas, bishop of London, at London, asserting that no prior made fealty until Leonardo de Tybertys, late prior, made fealty to Edward III under protest that it should be without prejudice, and the king admitted the said John as prior and he made fealty to the king. (Calendar of Patent Rolls, Edward IV, Henry VI, p. 231-32)

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