THE KNIGHTS OF LAZARUS
IN RUTLAND
The Order of Saint Lazarus, a medieval military and religious order, had a presence in Rutland. Specifically, Burton Lazars, a hospital and leper house, was located there. This hospital was dedicated to the Blessed Virgin and Saint Lazarus and consisted of a Master, eight brethren, and varying numbers of lepers and injured knights
ASHWELL -
The History of Ashwell
Ashwell is first recorded in the Domesday Survey of around 1086, where it is referred to as Exewelle, meaning ‘ash stream’ in Old English. At that time, the land was held by Earl Hugh and included 16 acres of meadow.
Over the centuries, the manor passed through the hands of the Earls of Chester and later the Touchet family. The first Tuchet recorded as Lord of the Manor was Henry Tuchet, who was succeeded by his brother Robert Tuchet in 1242. Robert is believed to have taken part in the Crusades, and it is likely during his travels to the Holy Land that he encountered the Knights of the Order of St. Lazarus, also known as the Leper Knights. On his return to Ashwell, Robert made a documented gift of land to this order.
Along with the manor, the Order would likely have held the advowson of the local church, St Mary’s, giving them the right to appoint its clergy. The church, which would have originally been closely linked to the manor, still stands today in the centre of the modern village. Mainly of 14th-century origin, the nave is the oldest part, dating back to the early 12th century.
Inside the church is a striking hollow wooden effigy of a knight in armour, his legs crossed and a lion resting at his feet. Dating from around 1320, this effigy is believed to represent a member of the Tuchet family—most likely Robert Tuchet himself.
Although little is known about the specific lands gifted to the Knights of St. Lazarus, records from 1370 describe the manor as having a dovecote, a windmill, and a fishpond, marking it as a place of activity and value.
Some of the land was also granted by Henry Tuchet to the monastery of St. Mary de Pré, although it appears this estate did not remain with the monastery. It is thought to be the same estate later held by the hospital of Burton Lazars at the time of the Dissolution. By 1535, the Valor Ecclesiasticus valued the Manor of Ashwell at £4.00, making it one of the most significant manors held by the Order in Rutland.
BELTON
WHITWELL -
The History of Whitwell
Often described as a ‘pretty’ little village, Whitwell is one of the smallest settlements in Rutland. In recent times, it has become a little busier thanks to its location on the shores of Rutland Water reservoir.
Whitwell’s recorded history dates back to 1345, when Richard de Whitwell, the prebendary of Empingham in the Church of St Mary, Lincoln, founded a chantry here. Local tradition holds that stones from the original Chantry House may have been reused in the construction of the manor house, later known as Old Hall.
The Order of St Lazarus of Jerusalem, sometimes mistakenly confused in local tradition with the Order of St John (the Hospitallers), held Whitwell until the 1540s. This confusion may stem from the close connections between the two monastic orders or possibly from the stigma historically associated with leper communities like those supported by the Order of St Lazarus.
Before the Dissolution of the Monasteries under Henry VIII, the manor of Whitwell was leased by the Order of St Lazarus at a rent of six shillings and a pound of pepper. By the time of the Valor Ecclesiasticus in 1535, the recorded rents and fixed payments from the manor's tenants were valued at just one shilling.
Today, traces of Whitwell’s medieval past remain. The church still stands on the shoreline of Rutland Water, and Chantry Cottage, along with some of the surrounding stonework at the former Old Hall, are believed to include materials from the original medieval chantry.
