(7) THE CHAPEL OF WIGSTON'S HOSPITAL.
The Hospital of St. Ursula, founded by William Wigston, was built at the west end of St. Martin's churchyard, and, on the south side of the building, next to Peacock Lane, stood the chapel, which was put up about 1515, and "restored" in 1730. Nichols has the following description of it. "The chapel of this hospital was originally a beautiful little Gothic building; the stalls, screen, and loft of oak, neatly finished. On the outside, the great south window, very noble, is between two rich canopies. … The South window originally contained much fine painted glass; which in 1760 was greatly defaced; but so lately as 1790 several fragments remained." Nichols describes the windows, and gives the monumental inscriptions. "Such was the state of the chapel in 1790. On a review in 1807, I find that the whole has been repaired. The East and West windows, I am sorry to say, have been blocked up; and the fine old South window replaced by a modern one, in which only five small pieces of the painted glass are retained. The small gallery has also been plastered over, and whitewashed. The whole, however, still looks very neat."
Nichols gives two illustrations of the chapel, as it was in his time. There is a good representation of it, as it appeared in 1875, just before its destruction, in "Glimpses of Ancient Leicester."
In an agreement made by deed, soon after its foundation, between the Abbot of Leicester, the Vicar of St. Martin's, and the Master and Confrater of the Hospital, it was agreed that the Vicar should administer the Sacraments to the poor people and visit them "as they do their other parishioners when there is need," and should bury their bodies in the churchyard when dead; and that the Abbot and Vicar should permit the Master and Confrater to celebrate divine service in the chapel, and not compel them to be present at divine service in St. Martin's church or churchyard, or to administer the sacraments to the parishioners or to swear obedience to them.
When Queen Elizabeth, at the request of the Earl of Huntingdon, made new Statutes for the government of the house, after
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