Or the BEDE-HOUSE in STAMFORD.
Oh dear! It seems the Bishop of Lincoln had been letting out hospital properties for incorrect charges and for longer periods than he should.
“The Vice-Chancellor’s decree on this important case has just been promulgated, and is in the following words:-
‘This Court doth declare that, upon the true construction of the letters patent of his Majesty King James the First, the Bishop of Lincoln for the time being has not any power or authority [as it was pretended he had] to make or constitute any statutes, or to revoke, change, determine, enlarge, alter, or make new the same, or any of the existing statutes touching or concerning or relating to the management of the estates and property of the said Hospital, or the distribution of the revenues thereof; but that the power and authority given by the said letters patent to the Bishop of LIncoln for the time being to make and constitute statutes, and to revoke, change, determine, enlarge, alter, or make new the same, or any of the existing statutes, is limited to the making and consituting, revoking, changing, determining, enlarging, alterinig, and making new, statutes touching and concerning the performance of divine service in the said hospital, and touching and concerning the personal conduct and government of the Warden, Confrater, and Poor Persons of the said hospital; and that such limited power of making and constituting, revoking, changing determining, enlarging, altering, and making new, the said statutes, to be exercised so as not to be contrary or repugnant or derogatory to such of the ancient statutes of the said hospital as are consistent with the laws and statutes of the kingdom.
‘And this court doth declare that the practice of letting the estates and property of the said hospital, and that the same ought to be discontinued, at such time and in such manner as the Master in Chancery in settling any scheme under this decree shall direct. And that the said estates and property ought thenceforward to be let at rackrent*, either from year to year, or for terms of years not exceeding twenty-one years in possession, and not in reversion.'”
The Stamford Mercury, 1st March, 1850.
* Rackrent is the full market annual value of a property or estate. It is usually the maximum rent a landlord can charge.