The Commandery
Encyclopedia
The Commandery is a historic building open to visitors and located in the city of Worcester
, England
. It opened as a museum
in 1977 and was for a while the only museum in England dedicated solely to the Civil Wars
. The Commandery ceased to be a Civil War museum when it reopened to the public in May 2007, having undergone a year and a half of refurbishments and reinterpretation jointly funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund
and Worcester City Council, who own the building.
The periods covered are as follows:
The Commandery includes multimedia exhibits, interactive displays and children's activities.
for the ill and the destitute. Indeed, originally the Commandery was known as the Hospital of Saint Wulfstan. The first written record of its existence does not occur until 1240 however, in "The Miracles of St. Wulfstan". This collection of stories refers to a Thomas of Eldersfield who was blinded and castrated after losing a judicial duel. According to the story Thomas was cared for at the Hospital of St. Wulfstan by Ysabel [sic] a lay sister that took pity on him. Thomas went on to make a miraculous recovery, having both his sight and manhood restored by a miracle of St. Wulfstan. The basic facts of this story appear to be true, as the legal case definitely went before the royal justices in 1221. This would suggest that the hospital was certainly in existence at that point.
Another theory suggests that the hospital was built to mark the cannonisation of St. Wulfstan which occurred in 1203. As this date is closer to the first written record of the hospital's existence it is perhaps more likely, however the fact that a chapel incorporated into the site was dedicated to St. Godwald and not St. Wulfstan might suggest that the hospital was in fact already in existence in 1203 and rather renamed to mark the cannonisation of St. Wulfstan.
Whatever the case may be, and it is likely that we will never know, the foundation of the Commandery is certainly shrouded in mystery.
Again, the first written evidence for the hospital's charitable work is "The Tale of Thomas of Eldersfield". Another record, this time the acceptance of a benefaction from one William de Molendiniis [sic], records that in 1294 there were twenty-two people in the infirmary, all described as "sick". By the end of the fourteenth century however, the hospital's work appears to have altered. Several records from the 1390s show that the hospital was granting corrodies, that is, granting people shelter and sustenance for life in return for their property. Another case, from 1403, refers to Ralph and Alicia Symondes, who were granted a house and money in return for their assets rather than a place in the hospital. This particular example highlights that by the fifteenth century the Hospital of St. Wulfstan had become less a charitable carehome for the elderly and infirm but rather a profitable business.
By 1441, the ethics of this practice had been called into question and Bishop Bourchier of Worcester reformed the hospital, banning the granting of corrodies. Bourchier restricted the hospital's activities to handing out a weekly dole of bread to the poor and caring for the sick inmates. He also reorganised the hospital's management structure, appointing a master, two chaplains, five brethren and two sisters. This structure was to remain in place until the hospital was dissolved in 1540.
The master of the hospital had originally been charged with the running of all of its matters. With the income received through corrodies however, masters could become rich and therefore powerful men. Bishop Bourchier's reforms put an end to this, stripping the hospital's financial controls from the master and making it a largely honorific position given to already important people.
In the mid- to late-15th century the Hospital of St. Wulfstan received a large but anonymous donation which was put towards a complete rebuilding of the site. The older buildings were seemingly completely levelled, save for the chapel of St. Godwald, and a completely new structure built in its place. The work was finished around 1460 and it is these buildings which form the core of the Commandery even today.
The building was clearly divided, with the infirmary to the west and the much grander rooms for the use of the master to the east. The two sides were linked by the Great Hall, which would most likely have been used by the master for entertaining. The original ceiling, dais and a number of walls still survive in the Great Hall. The solar room, located on the first floor of the western range, was the living quarters of the master, though it remains unclear whether this was his bedroom, living room or both.
In the eastern range, also on the first floor, is located the Commandery's "painted chamber". This room is completely covered in medieval wall paintings which date to the period of the rebuild. Their preservation is down to their Catholic nature, as at the dissolution of the monasteries under Henry VIII
they were painted over and protected from the damaging sun, obviously seen as popish idolatry. Most of the paintings depict scenes from the lives of saints, for example, the martyrdoms of St. Erasmus
and St. Thomas Beckett
, or St. Anne
teaching the Virgin Mary to read. Other paintings include the holy trinity, the crucifixion of Christ and the weighing of the souls.
(1784) the name "The Commandery" is associated with the Knights of the Crusades. He speculates that the first known master of the Hospital of St. Wulfstan, a man known only as Walter, had fought in the Crusades under the banner of either the Knights Templar
or the Knights Hospitaler prior to his appointment at the hospital. Walter apparently continued to use his military title of Commander until his death c.1290 when his successor as master also took on the title, so starting a tradition amongst masters. By association, the residence of the Commander became known as the Commandery. No better explanation than this has been presented although no modern researches have been undertaken.
(1509–1547) England underwent many changes, particularly with regards to religion. In an attempt to solve his "great matter", that is, his quest to produce a male heir, Henry tried to divorce his first wife, Catherine of Aragon
, in favour of Anne Boleyn
. Pope Clement VII
would not allow this and it is widely accepted that he was influenced in his decision by Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
and nephew of Catherine of Aragon. In response Henry VIII had parliament pass the Act of Supremacy
in 1534 which recognised Henry as head of the Church of England
above all others, including the Pope. Pope Clement VII promptly had Henry excommunicated. Henry VIII continued his reforms with Acts of Suppression in 1536 and 1539 which disbanded England's monastic communities and confiscated their property. Resistance was harshly dealt with, as shown by the beheadings of Cardinal John Fisher
and Sir Thomas More
; the hanging, drawing and quartering of the abbots of Colchester, Glastonbury and Reading; and the numerous burnings of abbeys up and down England.
Monastic hospitals did not escape the reforms. The Hospital of St. Wulfstan was disbanded in 1540, having been administered since the previous year by one Richard Morysyne [sic], a gentleman of the Royal Privy Chamber and the last master of the hospital. He seems to have been appointed specifically to wind-up the affairs of the hospital. The building's wall paintings, as mentioned, were painted over and many more objects of historic and religious value were probably lost. What happened after 1540 is debated. One theory suggests that Richard Morysyne profited greatly from the hospital's dissolution, being granted it for the relatively small sum of £14. The other theory states that Morysyne surrendered the hospital, by this time known as the Commandery, to the king who then donated it to Christ Church College, Oxford. Whatever the case may be, by 1541 the Commandery's owner was leasing the building to one Thomas Wylde, a wealthy Worcester clothier and in 1545 Thomas bought the Commandery outright for £498. Direct descendants, including Thomas Wylde
MP for Worcester in nine parliaments, continued to own and live in the house until Thomas Wylde of Bridgnorth (d. 25 April 1789) disposed of it in 1764.
Worcester
The City of Worcester, commonly known as Worcester, , is a city and county town of Worcestershire in the West Midlands of England. Worcester is situated some southwest of Birmingham and north of Gloucester, and has an approximate population of 94,000 people. The River Severn runs through the...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It opened as a museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
in 1977 and was for a while the only museum in England dedicated solely to the Civil Wars
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
. The Commandery ceased to be a Civil War museum when it reopened to the public in May 2007, having undergone a year and a half of refurbishments and reinterpretation jointly funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund
Heritage Lottery Fund
The Heritage Lottery Fund is a fund established in the United Kingdom under the National Lottery etc. Act 1993. The Fund opened for applications in 1994. It uses money raised through the National Lottery to transform and sustain the UK’s heritage...
and Worcester City Council, who own the building.
Present exhibits
In its current form, it showcases six different periods of history, focusing on the characters and stories that affected The Commandery itself at those times.The periods covered are as follows:
- The Medieval periodMiddle AgesThe Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, when The Commandery was first constructed and run as a hospital by the Catholic Church. - The Tudor periodTudor periodThe Tudor period usually refers to the period between 1485 and 1603, specifically in relation to the history of England. This coincides with the rule of the Tudor dynasty in England whose first monarch was Henry VII...
, when The Commandery was bought and inhabited by the Wyldes, a family of wealthy wool merchants who remained in possession of it until 1764. - The Civil WarEnglish Civil WarThe English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
, when The Commandery was used by Charles II'sCharles II of EnglandCharles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
forces as headquarters during the Battle of WorcesterBattle of WorcesterThe Battle of Worcester took place on 3 September 1651 at Worcester, England and was the final battle of the English Civil War. Oliver Cromwell and the Parliamentarians defeated the Royalist, predominantly Scottish, forces of King Charles II...
. - The Georgian periodGeorgian eraThe Georgian era is a period of British history which takes its name from, and is normally defined as spanning the reigns of, the first four Hanoverian kings of Great Britain : George I, George II, George III and George IV...
, when The Commandery was split into several family homes. - The Victorian periodVictorian eraThe Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
, when The Commandery housed a pioneering school for the "blind sons of gentlemen". - The 1950s, when The Commandery was used as a printingPrintingPrinting is a process for reproducing text and image, typically with ink on paper using a printing press. It is often carried out as a large-scale industrial process, and is an essential part of publishing and transaction printing....
factory by the Littlebury family.
The Commandery includes multimedia exhibits, interactive displays and children's activities.
Foundation
Tradition would suggest that the first building on the Commandery site was constructed in the eleventh century on the orders of Wulfstan, Bishop of Worcester (later Saint Wulfstan), as a hospitalHospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
for the ill and the destitute. Indeed, originally the Commandery was known as the Hospital of Saint Wulfstan. The first written record of its existence does not occur until 1240 however, in "The Miracles of St. Wulfstan". This collection of stories refers to a Thomas of Eldersfield who was blinded and castrated after losing a judicial duel. According to the story Thomas was cared for at the Hospital of St. Wulfstan by Ysabel [sic] a lay sister that took pity on him. Thomas went on to make a miraculous recovery, having both his sight and manhood restored by a miracle of St. Wulfstan. The basic facts of this story appear to be true, as the legal case definitely went before the royal justices in 1221. This would suggest that the hospital was certainly in existence at that point.
Another theory suggests that the hospital was built to mark the cannonisation of St. Wulfstan which occurred in 1203. As this date is closer to the first written record of the hospital's existence it is perhaps more likely, however the fact that a chapel incorporated into the site was dedicated to St. Godwald and not St. Wulfstan might suggest that the hospital was in fact already in existence in 1203 and rather renamed to mark the cannonisation of St. Wulfstan.
Whatever the case may be, and it is likely that we will never know, the foundation of the Commandery is certainly shrouded in mystery.
The Hospital of St. Wulfstan - the medieval period at the Commandery
What is slightly better documented than the foundation of the hospital is its charitable work. It is traditionally suggested that the hospital was originally built to act more as a hostel for travellers arriving at Worcester during the hours of darkness. At dusk the city gates would have been closed and so this theory makes use of the Commandery's position just outside Sidbury gate. Despite little evidence to support this, it is still considered likely.Again, the first written evidence for the hospital's charitable work is "The Tale of Thomas of Eldersfield". Another record, this time the acceptance of a benefaction from one William de Molendiniis [sic], records that in 1294 there were twenty-two people in the infirmary, all described as "sick". By the end of the fourteenth century however, the hospital's work appears to have altered. Several records from the 1390s show that the hospital was granting corrodies, that is, granting people shelter and sustenance for life in return for their property. Another case, from 1403, refers to Ralph and Alicia Symondes, who were granted a house and money in return for their assets rather than a place in the hospital. This particular example highlights that by the fifteenth century the Hospital of St. Wulfstan had become less a charitable carehome for the elderly and infirm but rather a profitable business.
By 1441, the ethics of this practice had been called into question and Bishop Bourchier of Worcester reformed the hospital, banning the granting of corrodies. Bourchier restricted the hospital's activities to handing out a weekly dole of bread to the poor and caring for the sick inmates. He also reorganised the hospital's management structure, appointing a master, two chaplains, five brethren and two sisters. This structure was to remain in place until the hospital was dissolved in 1540.
The master of the hospital had originally been charged with the running of all of its matters. With the income received through corrodies however, masters could become rich and therefore powerful men. Bishop Bourchier's reforms put an end to this, stripping the hospital's financial controls from the master and making it a largely honorific position given to already important people.
In the mid- to late-15th century the Hospital of St. Wulfstan received a large but anonymous donation which was put towards a complete rebuilding of the site. The older buildings were seemingly completely levelled, save for the chapel of St. Godwald, and a completely new structure built in its place. The work was finished around 1460 and it is these buildings which form the core of the Commandery even today.
The building was clearly divided, with the infirmary to the west and the much grander rooms for the use of the master to the east. The two sides were linked by the Great Hall, which would most likely have been used by the master for entertaining. The original ceiling, dais and a number of walls still survive in the Great Hall. The solar room, located on the first floor of the western range, was the living quarters of the master, though it remains unclear whether this was his bedroom, living room or both.
In the eastern range, also on the first floor, is located the Commandery's "painted chamber". This room is completely covered in medieval wall paintings which date to the period of the rebuild. Their preservation is down to their Catholic nature, as at the dissolution of the monasteries under Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
they were painted over and protected from the damaging sun, obviously seen as popish idolatry. Most of the paintings depict scenes from the lives of saints, for example, the martyrdoms of St. Erasmus
Erasmus of Formiae
Saint Erasmus of Formiae was a Christian saint and martyr who died ca. 303, also known as Saint Elmo. He is venerated as the patron saint of sailors...
and St. Thomas Beckett
Thomas Becket
Thomas Becket was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 until his murder in 1170. He is venerated as a saint and martyr by both the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion...
, or St. Anne
Saint Anne
Saint Hanna of David's house and line, was the mother of the Virgin Mary and grandmother of Jesus Christ according to Christian and Islamic tradition. English Anne is derived from Greek rendering of her Hebrew name Hannah...
teaching the Virgin Mary to read. Other paintings include the holy trinity, the crucifixion of Christ and the weighing of the souls.
The name "Commandery"
According to NashTreadway Russell Nash
Treadway Russell Nash was English clergyman, now known as an early historian of Worcestershire, and the author of Collections for the History of Worcestershire, an important source document for Worcestershire county histories. He was a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London...
(1784) the name "The Commandery" is associated with the Knights of the Crusades. He speculates that the first known master of the Hospital of St. Wulfstan, a man known only as Walter, had fought in the Crusades under the banner of either the Knights Templar
Knights Templar
The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon , commonly known as the Knights Templar, the Order of the Temple or simply as Templars, were among the most famous of the Western Christian military orders...
or the Knights Hospitaler prior to his appointment at the hospital. Walter apparently continued to use his military title of Commander until his death c.1290 when his successor as master also took on the title, so starting a tradition amongst masters. By association, the residence of the Commander became known as the Commandery. No better explanation than this has been presented although no modern researches have been undertaken.
Henry VIII and the dissolution of the hospital
Under the reign of Henry VIIIHenry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
(1509–1547) England underwent many changes, particularly with regards to religion. In an attempt to solve his "great matter", that is, his quest to produce a male heir, Henry tried to divorce his first wife, Catherine of Aragon
Catherine of Aragon
Catherine of Aragon , also known as Katherine or Katharine, was Queen consort of England as the first wife of King Henry VIII of England and Princess of Wales as the wife to Arthur, Prince of Wales...
, in favour of Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn ;c.1501/1507 – 19 May 1536) was Queen of England from 1533 to 1536 as the second wife of Henry VIII of England and Marquess of Pembroke in her own right. Henry's marriage to Anne, and her subsequent execution, made her a key figure in the political and religious upheaval that was the...
. Pope Clement VII
Pope Clement VII
Clement VII , born Giulio di Giuliano de' Medici, was a cardinal from 1513 to 1523 and was Pope from 1523 to 1534.-Early life:...
would not allow this and it is widely accepted that he was influenced in his decision by Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...
and nephew of Catherine of Aragon. In response Henry VIII had parliament pass the Act of Supremacy
Acts of Supremacy
The first Act of Supremacy was a piece of legislation that granted King Henry VIII of England Royal Supremacy, which means that he was declared the supreme head of the Church of England. It is still the legal authority of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom...
in 1534 which recognised Henry as head of the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
above all others, including the Pope. Pope Clement VII promptly had Henry excommunicated. Henry VIII continued his reforms with Acts of Suppression in 1536 and 1539 which disbanded England's monastic communities and confiscated their property. Resistance was harshly dealt with, as shown by the beheadings of Cardinal John Fisher
John Fisher
Saint John Fisher was an English Roman Catholic scholastic, bishop, cardinal and martyr. He shares his feast day with Saint Thomas More on 22 June in the Roman Catholic calendar of saints and 6 July on the Church of England calendar of saints...
and Sir Thomas More
Thomas More
Sir Thomas More , also known by Catholics as Saint Thomas More, was an English lawyer, social philosopher, author, statesman and noted Renaissance humanist. He was an important councillor to Henry VIII of England and, for three years toward the end of his life, Lord Chancellor...
; the hanging, drawing and quartering of the abbots of Colchester, Glastonbury and Reading; and the numerous burnings of abbeys up and down England.
Monastic hospitals did not escape the reforms. The Hospital of St. Wulfstan was disbanded in 1540, having been administered since the previous year by one Richard Morysyne [sic], a gentleman of the Royal Privy Chamber and the last master of the hospital. He seems to have been appointed specifically to wind-up the affairs of the hospital. The building's wall paintings, as mentioned, were painted over and many more objects of historic and religious value were probably lost. What happened after 1540 is debated. One theory suggests that Richard Morysyne profited greatly from the hospital's dissolution, being granted it for the relatively small sum of £14. The other theory states that Morysyne surrendered the hospital, by this time known as the Commandery, to the king who then donated it to Christ Church College, Oxford. Whatever the case may be, by 1541 the Commandery's owner was leasing the building to one Thomas Wylde, a wealthy Worcester clothier and in 1545 Thomas bought the Commandery outright for £498. Direct descendants, including Thomas Wylde
Thomas Wylde
Thomas Wylde was an English politician and administrator. His residence was The Commandery, Worcester.He was Member of Parliament for Worcester in nine parliaments from 1701 to 1727 and a commissioner of the excise for Ireland from 1727 to 1737.He was the eldest son of Robert Wylde of The...
MP for Worcester in nine parliaments, continued to own and live in the house until Thomas Wylde of Bridgnorth (d. 25 April 1789) disposed of it in 1764.