Coningsby Hospital is a collection of

almshouses An almshouse (also known as a bede-house, poorhouse, or hospital) is charitable organization, charitable public housing, housing provided to people in a particular community, especially during the Middle Ages. They were often built for the povert ...

Hereford Hereford ( ) is a cathedral city and the county town of the ceremonial county of Herefordshire, England. It is on the banks of the River Wye and lies east of the border with Wales, north-west of Gloucester and south-west of Worcester. With ...

, Herefordshire. The site also contains a museum.

History

In 1614 Thomas Coningsby converted what had originally been the conventual buildings of the Blackfriars Monastery and the preceptory of the Knights of St John of Jerusalem to a hospital for old soldiers and serving men. The hospital consisted of 12 cottages on the site, a chapel, a refectory and offices. The chapel was restored in 1868. Coningsby made rules that required a chaplain to preach a sermon and march the pensioners to

Hereford Cathedral Hereford Cathedral, formally the , is a Church of England cathedral in Hereford, England. It is the seat of the bishop of Hereford and the principal church of the diocese of Hereford. The cathedral is a grade I listed building. A place of wors ...

every Sunday. Funds to support the pensioners and the working of the hospital came from a charge on the Hampton Court estate. The Coningsby pensioners wore a uniform of red coats leading to the legend that

Nell Gwynne Eleanor Gwyn (also spelled Gwynn, Gwynne; 2 February 1650 – 14 November 1687) was an English stage actress and celebrity figure of the Restoration period. Praised by Samuel Pepys for her comic performances as one of the first actresses on t ...

chose red coats for

Chelsea Pensioners A Chelsea Pensioner, or In-Pensioner, is a resident at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, an Old soldiers' home, Old Soldiers' retirement home and nursing home for former members of the British Army located in Chelsea, London. The Royal Hospital Chelsea ...

because she remembered the Coningsby pensioners from her childhood in Hereford. The communal living area was converted to a museum in the 1970s. During the work a skeleton was found at the site. Initially thought to be a monk of the Blackfriars, analysis of the bones in 2007 revealed the remains may have been that of a woman. The bones have remained on public display in its grave under the floor.

Current use

The Coningsbury's Hospital charity manages almhouses for ''"former members of HM's forces or for those who have undertaken substantial service for the local community within the counties of Herefordshire,

Worcestershire Worcestershire ( , ; written abbreviation: Worcs) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England. It is bordered by Shropshire, Staffordshire, and the West Midlands (county), West ...

or Salop"''. The St John Medieval Museum and Coningsby Hospital is a popular visitor attraction.

References

{{coord, 52.060276, -2.714529, region:GB, display=title Almshouses in Herefordshire Buildings and structures in Herefordshire Residential buildings completed in the 17th century Grade II listed almshouses Grade II listed buildings in Herefordshire Buildings and structures in Hereford