Leper hospital

The National Monuments Service's description

A leper hospital was attached to St Stephen's church (WA009-005026-). It is first attested in 1468 (MacNiocaill 1966, 151) but traditionally it is thought to have been founded by King John in the late 12th century. In 1670 it housed two male and three female lepers in a stone house with a slate roof (Pender 1964, 80-81), which may be the house (WA009-005038-) surviving at the site and that described as new in an inquisition of 1661 (Anon. 1894-5, 116). The last surviving leper in Ireland is recorded at St Stephen's in 1775, but by the end of the century the hospital was defunct. Its resources were used to build the City and County Infirmary in 1824, close to the site of St Mary Magdalen Hospital (WA009-005036-) which was also attached to St Stephen's. (Gwynn and Hadcock 1970, 356-7; Lahert 1985b, 27-9; Bradley et al. 1989, vol. 2, 291-2)

Anon. (1894-5) Inquisition of 1661 regarding the lazar of leper house, Waterford. WAJ vol. 1, 115-18.
Bradley, J., Halpin, A. and King, H. (1989) Urban archaeology Survey of Waterford City and County, 2 vols. Unpublished report commissioned by the Office of Public Works.
Gwynn, A. and Hadcock, R. N. (1970) (reprint 1988) Medieval religious houses in Ireland. Irish Academic Press, Dublin.
Lahert, R. (1985b) Some charitable institutions of old Waterford. Decies, No. 29, 24-31.
MacNiochaill, G. (1966) Registrum cantariae S. Salvatoris Waterfordensis, Anal. Hib. 23, 135-222.
Pender, S. (1964) The council books of the corporation of Waterford 1662-1700. Stationary Office. Dublin.

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Waterford' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1999). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Date of upload/revision: 3rd February, 2011. Compiled by: Michael Moore.