Bishop Duppa

We passed this rather beautiful building and recognized it as almshouses and read the notice which told us that Bishop Duppa was responsible for their foundation. it seemed such a strange name that I wondered if he might have been born abroad, but no, Brian (or Bryan) Duppa was born in Lewisham in Kent.

His father was a merchant, and his mother had the wonderful name of Lucrece Maresall. He was born at a time when the old calendar was still in use so although at the time the year was 1588, now we think of it as 1589. He lived during the time of the English Civil war, in Richmond and this is where his almshouses are. He was married to Jane Killingtree, another great name, but they had no children.

Bishop Duppa was a chaplain to the royal family, having been educated at Westminster School and Oxford. He was made Bishop of Winchester in 1638 and Bishop of Salisbury. He died in 1662 and was buried in Westminster Abbey.

The almshouses were for 10 unmarried women over 50 years of age, who had to wear “a gown or coat made of a substantial cloth and of a colour called Bishop’s blue”, but if a woman sold her gown within a year, she had to leave.

The rules for admission were very strict; none of the following could be allowed:.

“any person suffering from any contagious disease
thieves
common drunkards
any inmate found to be married”

…and also the following provisions:-

“that none of the poor being of ability to do work should at any time be idle but should always be employed in God’s prayer, or reading, or in other employment such as spinning, knitting or the like
that no tippling house should be kept within the said almshouse under pain of expulsion of each person as should keep it
and if any of the poor should be found unseasonably or intemperately tippling in any common alehouse, for the first offence she should forfeit 4d; for the second offence 12d; and for the third offence should be expelled from the said almshouse for ever”

These present day almshouses were built in 1852 in the Vineyard, next to Queen Elizabeth’s almshouses; the originals were on Richmond Hill