THE KNIGHTS OF ST LAZARUS
IN DERBYSHIRE
The Knights of Lazarus, specifically the Preceptory of Locko in Derbyshire, were a significant presence in England, particularly during the Middle Ages
LOCKO - Preceptory
The lost Lazarite house of Locko, Derbyshire 🏰
Hidden within today’s Locko Park lies the forgotten site of the only known preceptory of the Order of Saint Lazarus in England.
Its story begins around 1080, when William de Ferrers, 3rd Earl of Derby gifted the church of Spondon and surrounding lands to the Order’s hospital at Burton Lazars. This grant—later confirmed by **Henry II of England and King John of England—laid the foundations for a Lazarite presence at Locko.
By the 13th century, a preceptory and leper hospital dedicated to St Mary Magdalene had been established here, serving both as a religious house and a place of care for those suffering from leprosy. The site included buildings, a moat, fishponds, farmland, and a spring known as St Ann’s Well, typical of Lazarite houses positioned on key routes yet set apart from settlements.
The community itself was small but significant. It was run by brethren of the Order of St Lazarus, often linked to the main English house at Burton Lazars, under a master. One notable figure connected with Locko was Hugh Michel, a senior member of the Order in the 14th century who retired there after disputes over allegiance to the French mother-house.
Locko’s fortunes declined after the Great Fire of Spondon in 1340, which damaged the site. By the 15th century it had largely ceased to function as a preceptory, though the hospital may have continued in some form. Eventually, like many religious houses, it was dissolved in the 16th century during the Reformation.
What remains today?
Very little survives above ground. The medieval buildings have disappeared, and the site is now part of the private Locko Park estate. However, traces such as earthworks, the site of the well, and reused stonework hint at its past.
From a Norman land grant to a medieval leper hospital run by warrior-monks, Locko offers a rare glimpse into the charitable and religious networks of the Middle Ages—now almost entirely hidden beneath the landscape.
SPONDON
The Order of St Lazarus at Spondon: A Hidden Medieval Legacy
In the Middle Ages, Spondon was part of an important estate belonging to the Order of Saint Lazarus—a religious community dedicated to caring for people suffering from leprosy.
The Order’s presence here began in the late 12th century, when William de Ferrers, 3rd Earl of Derby granted the church of Spondon, its chapels, and surrounding lands to their main English house at Burton Lazars. This formed part of a wider network of estates supporting the Order’s charitable and religious work.
At Spondon, the Lazarites held a range of property, including:
-
The parish church (St Werburgh’s)
-
Agricultural land and rents
-
A mill at Borrowash
-
Links to their nearby hospital and preceptory at Locko
These assets provided income to fund both local care and the Order’s wider mission.
The community itself was small. A preceptor (master) and a handful of brethren oversaw the estate, while nearby Locko housed a modest group of lepers and attendants. As leprosy declined in later centuries, the Order’s role shifted toward offering charitable care and pensions rather than medical treatment.
Spondon remained significant to the Order for centuries. After a devastating fire in 1340, the Lazarites helped rebuild the village church, underlining their local influence. However, their presence came to an end in the 16th century during the Dissolution of the Monasteries, when their lands were taken by the Crown.
Today, little survives of the Order’s physical presence. St Werburgh’s Church still stands—rebuilt in the medieval period—and subtle traces remain in the landscape around Locko. Documentary records, however, reveal that Spondon was once part of a remarkable network linking a Derbyshire village to a crusading order dedicated to care, faith, and community.
BORROWASH - Mill Site & Lands
CHADDESDEN
KNIGHTS OF LAZARUS FIGURES IN DERBYSHIRE
Derbyshire & the Lepers: Learn Who Shared Their Chapter of History Here
-
William - Master Burton Lazars - 1204 & 1208
-
Michael - Master Burton Lazars - 1212
-
Hervey - Master Burton Lazars - 1222
-
Terry de Alemanius - Master Burton Lazars - 1235
-
Roger de Keresby - Master Burton Lazars - 1246
-
Philip de Insula - Master Burton Lazars - 1250-1251
-
Robert de Talington - Master Burton Lazars - 1252, 1254, 1267
-
Richard Bustard - Master Burton Lazars - 1264
-
Sir Richard de Sulgrave - Master Burton Lazars - 1271-1272
-
John de Harbling - Master Burton Lazars - 1277-1281
-
Robert de Dalby - Master Burton Lazars - 1284-1289
-
Richard de Leighton - Master Burton Lazars - 1299 & 1319
-
Sir Adam de Vear - Master Burton Lazars - 1308
-
John Crispen - Master Burton Lazars - 1316
-
William de Aumenyl - Master Burton Lazars - 1327
-
William de Tye - Master Burton Lazars - 1324 & 1327
-
Hugh Michel - Master Burton Lazars - 1331-1347
-
Richard - Master Burton Lazars - 1345
-
Thomas de Kirkeby - Master Burton Lazars - 1347
-
Robert Haliday - Master Burton Lazars - 1350 & 1358
-
Geoffrey de Chaddesden - Master Burton Lazars - 1354
-
Nicholas de Dover - Master Burton Lazars - 1364-1389
-
Richard de Clifford - Master Burton Lazars - 1389
-
Walter de Lynton - Master Burton Lazars - 1401-1421
-
Sir Geoffrey Shriggley - Master Burton Lazars - 1421-1446
-
Sir William Sutton - Master Burton Lazars - 1450-1485
-
Sir George Sutton - Master Burton Lazars - 1484-1504
-
Sir Thomas Norton - Master Burton Lazars - 1504 & 1526
-
Sir Thomas Ratcliffe - Master Burton Lazars - 1526 & 1537
-
Sir Thomas Legh - Master Burton Lazars - 1537, 1543-1544
-
Martin De Hale - Brother Burton Lazars
-
Nicholas de Flore - Brother Burton Lazars
-
William Croxton - Brother Burton Lazars
-
Hugh Micheal - Locko