Christ's Hospital of Abingdon is a charity with a long history, based in Abingdon-on-Thames, Oxfordshire (formerly Berkshire).[1]
A royal charter established the Master and Governors of the Hospital of Christ of Abingdon in 1553, the year that Mary I succeeded to the English throne. Sir John Mason, a Tudor diplomat, was its first Master from 1553 to 1566.
The charity supports almshouses in Abingdon.[2] Sampson Strong decorated the hall with portraits of founders, benefactors and former governors.[3]
The charity has been involved with education, educating Abingdon boys from 1608 until 1870. There has been a close connection with Abingdon School since 1870.[4]
Christ's Hospital established Albert Park in northwest Abingdon (west of Abingdon School) in the 1860s on the site of the former Conduit Field.[5]
The current charity is based at St Helen's Wharf in Abingdon, Registered Charity Number 205112.[6]
The following list contains the names of the Masters.[7]
| width=250 | Name of Master | width=350 | Year/s as Master |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sir John Mason[8] | 1553–1565 | ||
| Roger Amice | 1566, 1567, 1568 | ||
| Richard Mayott | 1569, 1570 | ||
| Thomas Orpwood | 1571, 1604, 1613, 1614 | ||
| James Fisher | 1572, 1578, 1585 | ||
| William Braunch | 1573, 1574, 1581, 1593 | ||
| Thomas Stampe | 1575, 1577 | ||
| Thomas Smith | 1576, 1582 | ||
| 1579 | |||
| Thomas Mayott | 1580, 1594, 1603, 1627 | ||
| Paule Orpwood | 1583, 1595 | ||
| Lionell Bostock | 1584, 1598 | ||
| John Fisher | 1586 | ||
| William Kishey | 1587 | ||
| Anthony Tesdale | 1588, 1607 | ||
| John Wise | 1580 | ||
| Richard Tesdale | 1590 | ||
| William Lee | 1591, 1602, 1619, 1624 | ||
| William Welling | 1592 | ||
| Francis Little | 1596, 1597 | ||
| Robert Payne | 1599, 1621 | ||
| John Blacknall | 1600 | ||
| Paule Dayrell | 1601 | ||
| James Hide | 1605 | ||
| William Bostock | 1606 | ||
| Thomas Reade | 1608, 1623, 1632 | ||
| Lawrence Stevenson | 1609, 1620 | ||
| John Mayott | 1612, 1615, 1616, 1625, 1633, 1649, 1659 | ||
| Richard Curtyn | 1617, 1627, 1635 | ||
| Robert Kisbey | 1618 | ||
| Richard Chickin | 1622 | ||
| Thomas Clempson | 1626 | ||
| Edmond Bostock | 1628, 1636 | ||
| John Fyssher | 1629 | ||
| John Payne | 1630 | ||
| Edmund Franklyn | 1631, 1642, 1654 | ||
| Thomas Wilde | 1637 | ||
| John Hawes | 1638 | ||
| William Castell | 1638 | ||
| Richard Mayott | 1639, 1643 | ||
| William Payne | 1640 | ||
| Richard Payne | 1641 | ||
| Robert Mayott | 1643 | ||
| Thomas Steed | 1644 | ||
| John Bolter | 1645, 1656 | ||
| James Curteyne | 1646, 1657, 1665, 1675, 1684 | ||
| Thomas Payne | 1647, 1655 | ||
| Richard Cheyney | 1648 | ||
| Francis Payne | 1650, 1658, 1668, 1672 | ||
| Jonathan Hawe | 1651, 1660, 1664, 1671, 1682 | ||
| Edward Bond | 1652, 1662 | ||
| William Wells | 1653, 1661 | ||
| William Cheyney | 1663, 1666 | ||
| William Weston | 1667 | ||
| John Payne | 1668, 1677, 1686, 1694 | ||
| George Winchurst | 1670 | ||
| Robert Blackaller | 1673, 1678, 1685, 1693, 1709 | ||
| Robert Morris | 1674, 1679, 1687, 1695 | ||
| William Cheyney | 1676, 1690 | ||
| Robert Sellwood | 1680, 1689, 1696, 1703 | ||
| Richard West | 1681, 1688 | ||
| Thomas Hulcotts | 1683 | ||
| James Corderoy | 1691 | ||
| Thomas Sparks | 1692 | ||
| Michael Rawlins | 1697, 1705, 1716, 1723 | ||
| Henry Knapp | 1698, 1708 | ||
| John Sellwood | 1699, 1707 | ||
| John Spinage | 1700, 1714 | ||
| Richard Ely | 1701, 1706, 1715, 1724, 1726, 1729 | ||
| George Drew | 1702 | ||
| Robert Mayott | 1704 | ||
| Thomas King | 1710 | ||
| William Phillipson | 1711 | ||
| William Dunn | 1712 | ||
| Richard Mayott | 1713 | ||
| John Rawlins | 1717 | ||
| Anthony Clackson | 1718 | ||
| Clement Saxton | 1719, 1729 | ||
| Thomas Prince Sr. | 1720 | ||
| John Pretty | 1721 | ||
| Matthew Anderson | 1722, 1739, 1740, 1741, 1752, 1759, 1764 | ||
| James Saunders | 1725, 1740 | ||
| William Wells | 1726 | ||
| Thomas Read | 1727, 1730, 1741 |
| width=250 | Name of Master | width=350 | Year/s as Master |
|---|---|---|---|
| John Waldron | 1728 | ||
| William Motley | 1730 | ||
| Edward Saxton | 1731 | ||
| Edward Green | 1732, 1743 | ||
| William Hawkins | 1733, 1744 | ||
| Edward Spinage | 1734, 1742 | ||
| William Yateman | 1735, 1745 | ||
| John Crossley | 1736, 1746 | ||
| John Knapp | 1737, 1747 | ||
| John Fludger | 1738, 1748, 1764 | ||
| Thomas Justice | 1749, 1757, 1761, 1765 | ||
| John Eldridge | 1750, 1766 | ||
| Richard Basely | 1751, 1770 | ||
| Rev. Michael Rawlins | 1753 | ||
| Edward Baldwin | 1754 | ||
| Richard Rose | 1755, 1771 | ||
| George Knapp Sr. | 1756, 1772 | ||
| Charles Cox | 1757 | ||
| Henry Harding | 1758 | ||
| John Bowles | 1760, 1784 | ||
| John Knapp | 1762 | ||
| Thomas Prince Jr. | 1763 | ||
| Joseph Penn | 1767 | ||
| Robert Crew | 1768 | ||
| Dudson Rawlins | 1769, 1790 | ||
| William Bowles | 1776, 1778, 1789 | ||
| William Eldridge | 1777, 1792 | ||
| John Payne | 1778 | ||
| Robert Crew | 1780 | ||
| James Powell | 1780, 1793 | ||
| John Harding | 1781 | ||
| John Bedwell | 1782, 1794 | ||
| Edward Child | 1783, 1795, 1804, 1814 | ||
| Samuell Sellwood | 1785, 1797, 1805, 1816 | ||
| William Allder | 1786, 1798, 1806 | ||
| George Hawkins | 1787, 1788 | ||
| James Penn | 1791 | ||
| James Smallbone | 1793 | ||
| Thomas Prince III | 1796, 1808, 1812 | ||
| Henry Knapp Sr. | 1799, 1811 | ||
| John Eldridge | 1800 | ||
| Thomas Knight | 1801, 1814, 1815, 1826, 1827 | ||
| Benjamin Morland | 1802 | ||
| John Gallaway | 1803 | ||
| John Francis Spenlove | 1807, 1820, 1828 | ||
| Thomas Baker | 1809, 1819, 1831 | ||
| James Cole | 1810, 1821, 1832 | ||
| Richard Bradfield | 1813, 1824 | ||
| Samuel Cripps | 1817 | ||
| Henry Knapp Jr. | 1818, 1834 | ||
| Thomas West | 1822 | ||
| Thomas Curtis | 1823, 1835 | ||
| Charles King | 1825, 1837 | ||
| William Church | 1826 | ||
| John Vindin Collingwood | 1829, 1839 | ||
| William Strange | 1830 | ||
| William Doe Belcher | 1833, 1842, 1843, 1854 | ||
| George Bowes Morland | 1836, 1844, 1866, 1867 | ||
| Daniel Godfrey | 1838, 1847, 1855, 1859, 1868 | ||
| Richard Badcock | 1840, 1864 | ||
| Benjamin Collingwood | 1841 | ||
| John Hyde | 1845, 1850, 1856, 1861, 1870 | ||
| John Tomkins | 1846, 1851, 1857 | ||
| William Belcher | 1848, 1853, 1862 | ||
| Thomas Hedges Graham | 1849, 1860, 1869 | ||
| Edwin James Trendell | 1852, 1863 | ||
| William Pemberton | 1858, 1865 | ||
| c.1890 | |||
| Arthur Edwin Preston | 1929 | ||
| John Holden Hooke | 1959 | ||
| Herbert George Mullard | 1962–76 | ||
| Douglas Arthur Kitto | |||
| Dr Jack Cherry | 1984–85 | ||
| Ernest William Johnston Nicholson | 1985–86 | ||
| William James Howard Liversidge | 1986, 1987 | ||
| Norman John Holmes | |||
| Michael William Matthews | |||
| David Roger Barrett | |||
| Thomas Chamberlain | 1998 | ||
| Helen Mary Ronaldson | 2003[9] | ||
| Geoffrey Robert Morris | 2008 | ||
| Robert Farrant | 2009 | ||
| Tom Ayling | 2018–present [10] |